For Penn State football, the process of fueling up for West Virginia is officially underway
Preseason camp is over for the Penn State football program. Drills started for the first time since April’s Blue-White game back on the final day of July. A few days of heat acclimation led the team to its first padded practices of head coach James Franklin’s 11th opportunity in State College to get his team ready for a season opener. Kickoff in Morgantown is still 10 days away. But, for the Nittany Lions, West Virginia week starts now.
It begins with the splitting up of the travel squad and the developmental squad. That happened ahead of this morning’s walk-through. This afternoon, the team will have a practice similar to what it would have on Wednesday of a game week. The same goes for Thursday and Friday. Saturday will feature a developmental squad scrimmage. And then, game week truly kicks off on Sunday.
“We’ve started to kind of cut back the time at practice and some of the reps, because it’s been a tough, physical camp, to make sure that when we come to West Virginia week, that our guys feel really good,” Franklin said Tuesday night. Sometimes that becomes challenging because you got some bumps and bruises. So it just reduces the numbers. But we will switch to West Virginia.”
Penn State is ready to fuel up for West Virginia
Penn State junior Dani Dennis-Sutton, like all of his teammates, is always careful to not say anything that might create so-called “bulletin board” material for their opponent. But, the defensive end was not coy about noting that he is aware of recent comments from West Virginia cornerback cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. that might create exactly that for the Nittany Lions. He joined the Mountaineers from Northwestern via the transfer portal this offseason and thus has played his new team’s Week 1 opponent before.
“I would just say with them playing last year, they kind of did some of the similar stuff that they ran against Northwestern and how they ran against [West Virginia in] Week 1,” Hollis Jr., said, per Sports Illustrated. “I think they’re the same team. They don’t show too much respect for their opponents unless it’s Michigan or Ohio State, so I think that’s something that’s similar when they played each other.
“I think it’s just going out there and outplaying them. I think that’s the main key is, don’t give them a game. That’s what they want. That’s what they think every team is going to do, is give them a game. But I think when we go out there and punch them in the mouth and we take the life from them, I think that’s going to be the difference.”
More: Interpreting James Franklin’s final preseason camp progress report
Dennis-Sutton told reporters that Penn State is not taking the Mountaineers, who he called a tough and great team, lightly. But, some of the Nittany Lions are taking Hollis Jr.’s words to heart.
“I think some of us are using it as fuel,” Dennis-Sutton said. “As a player, they tell you all the time, don’t, talk about the other team and focus on 1-0 and those sort of things. But, you know, I don’t really know the guy. It’s nothing against him. I’m sure he’s a great player at West Virginia. But my whole thing was, it just came off a little certain way. But, you know, I’m sure he didn’t mean no harm by it. But obviously, we’re going to use anything we can as as fuel for the team.”
Penn State-West Virginia is set for Noon ET on Aug. 31. FOX will televise the contest.
