WVU Mailbag: Climb Doubters, Scheduling, Overhyped? + More

Answering this week's questions from some very angry West Virginia fans.

Schuyler Callihan | Sep 2, 2024

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

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West Virginia Mountaineers

This week's mailbag is full of upset, angry West Virginia Mountaineer fans and rightfully so, following the team's 34-12 season-opening loss to No. 8 Penn State. If you want to submit a question for next week's mailbag, message me on X @Callihan_.

From @OldWisdom44:

Q: What kind of strength training do the linemen, on both sides of the ball, get focusing on their abs, hips, lower back and thighs? The inability to move any opposing player seems to highlight that specific area of weakness.

A: It's all about pad level. Lower man wins pretty much every time. Penn State played with good technique and was able to win both sides of the line of scrimmage. But as Neal Brown pointed out in his presser on Tuesday, it's not like they got whipped, and I agree. At least on offense, that is. Defensively, I didn't see much to be thrilled about.

From @fauxcaridi:

Q: Why does Jordan Lesley have a job that isn’t as a McDonalds manager?

A: Quite frankly, he's probably a bit out their budget and is probably overqualified. In all seriousness, though, I do think there's valid reasons to criticize him after this game. Way too many missed assignments, lack of communication, and too much hesitation going on. It looked like guys were thinking rather than playing. I'm not ready to hammer the panic button yet, however.

From @Mountiealum97:

Q: Was the hype just smoke and mirrors? This game looked a lot like vs OU last year. I still feel schedule lined up for us last year. When will we be a top 25 team again? I just don’t see it with Lesley or Brown making the calls.

A: I don't think so. This is still a good football team and they're going to beat some of those really good teams remaining on their schedule. Penn State is talented, like, very talented. This is the group that James Franklin has been pointing to for the last couple of years. They're going to be a potential top four team by season's end. Don't lose all faith just yet.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: After seeing this kind of performance from the team, what do you think needs to change in the playbook and coaching wise in order for us to beat the good teams on our schedule?

A: I think it's more about playing with confidence than anything else. It's the big stage and you know you're on it. Teams that have been there before don't flinch, as witnessed on Saturday by the visitors. Maybe the only other thing I would mention is the size differential. They need to continue their pursuit of bigger players in every level, on both sides.

From @TheOGPrezGee:

Q: Here’s my question: “Why is it that when the national spotlight is on WVU football, especially this week with the Pat McAfee Show and Big Noon Kickoff, they seem to fold like origami?"

A: Too many distractions can be a real thing for a team that is not used to having the national spotlight on them. The good thing is, now that they've went through it, they should know how to handle it the next time it happens. Other than that, I've got nothing for you there. It's hard to explain.

From @eertoearpodcast:

Q: Losing respectfully was almost expected and could have been handled for the rest of the season. But does showing up like we forgot it was gameday play a part into this season? Or was it just too much pressure for our team and staff?

A: I agree. But they just came out flat and did things you simply can't do against a top-10 team. Will this be an issue for the whole year? No. They just picked a really bad day to have a bad day.

From @OGWhiteMike304:

Q: My question is is this the year we fire Neal Brown?

A: No. I mean, unless he somehow misses out on a bowl game or goes 6-6. That's about the only way I could see it happening.

From @JohnBlackshaw:

Q: Is WVU over scheduling in football?

A: Great question. These games were scheduled years ago by Shane Lyons and the thinking behind it was to give WVU a strong strength of schedule that way they it would bolster their resume if they ever came close to contending for a spot in the CFP. That's what the committee wanted at first and WVU was one of the very few who acted on it. Then, of course, the committee changed how they weight strength of schedule, strength of record, etc., ultimately screwing over the whole plan for a strong non-con slate.

From @panther1gb89:

Q: Is everyone still trusting the climb? When is Neal gonna actually take the ladder out?

A: I'm not even sure that "everyone" was trusting the climb before the game. Losing badly at home, even to a top-10 team doesn't look good. However, it's not the end of the world. It's a long season. People could hop right back on the bandwagon with a string of wins.

From @mountaineerguy8:

Q: Why are the coaches lying to the fans about players being better than they really are and telling us how Garrett Greene has improved his accuracy when it’s obviously he hasn’t. Why is our defensive line not getting any pressure on the QB

A: That Penn State defense is the best unit they'll face all year. First-game jitters combined with playing a highly ranked team is the recipe for disaster. I do believe we'll see Greene make marked improvement as a passer. Don't write him off after one game against one of the best defenses in the country.

From @DLS635:

Q: Why are we playing a top 10 team the 1st game? Has WVU became the school for top teams to pad their schedule?

A: These games are scheduled years in advance and there's no telling how good a team will be when you schedule them. And no, I don't think top teams are doing it to strengthen their schedule. Aside from Alabama and Tennessee (yet to come), all of these non-con games have been against old rivals.

From @pbnjdomenico:

Q: Was there no pressure on Allar due to lack of blitzing and stunting? Or b/c the Penn State o-line was that good?

A: They had to be choosy with their pressure and didn't bring many guys very often because of the personnel PSU lined up with - a lot of max protection with help from the tight ends. The front seven struggled to detach from blocks and when they did, they didn't take great angles.

From @cstalker19:

Q: HCNB and his staff have had tendencies to look completely unprepared in week 1 games. They made Drew Allar look like a Heisman candidate, and the offense couldn’t get anything going. Is Penn State that much better than us or is this another case of an unprepared team?

A: Penn State is significantly better. But that doesn't excuse the way WVU played on Saturday. A lack of preparation? I don't think so. More lack of execution and focus, if anything. Way too many guys trying to do too much rather than just doing their one-eleventh.

From @goJohnnyA:

Q: Did the coaching staff break GG?? They harped all off season about things he did bad. Can’t help but wonder if he’s gonna be a head case now. That was an incredibly regressive performance.

A: No, absolutely not. Let's wait to see how well he does in the first two Big 12 games to really make a judgement on him and the staff's development of him.

From @danielSEM2004:

Q: Why does WVU’s leadership continue to accept continued mediocrity? We used to be competitive against teams who had superior talent. Now we just get blown out consistently with Brown at the helm.

A: I don't think they are "accepting mediocrity" because they showed up flat against a top-ranked team. This won't be the last time they play a ranked team this season, so we can revisit this one at the end of the season.

From @TomTheLoud:

Q: Why did they lay a big fat egg?

A: Pressure? Nerves? Who knows. It can't happen and Neal Brown knows it. It's up to him, the staff, and the players to fix it. I'm not going to act like I know all the answers, or even some of them for that matter because only they know what they are.

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