Penn State vs West Virginia Preview: Five things to watch when Drew Allar has the ball
We covered a lot of ground this week when previewing the West Virginia defense for Penn State’s season-opening game on Sept. 2. If you haven’t yet, check out the preview of the running game and the passing game from earlier.
Today on the BWI Live YouTube show, we’re condensing that down into five things you should watch for when Penn State has the football. How will the offseason storylines for West Virginia affect the matchup with Penn State next weekend? We’ll discuss how the team tried to rebuild its defense and the potential problems that will cause.
Then we’ll discuss the tactics that the Mountaineers will use to try and attack probable starter Drew Allar and the rest of the offense. From there, we’ll discuss how Penn State can best attack the defensive structure. Join the show today at 10 a.m. Live on YouTube to discuss the matchup and to get your questions and thoughts on air. If you haven’t yet, subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated YouTube channel.
Setting the scene for what Penn State will face
Some teams build their roster through recruiting, and some dip heavily into the transfer portal to fix problems. While West Virginia likely wants to recruit and develop talent, they’ve had to bring in waves of transfers over the last two seasons to address immediate needs. We’ll review which players they selected to join the program and how those players fit into the scheme. Some even have a Penn State connection.
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Next, we’ll look at a stylistic difference West Virginia uses, unlike the typical attack that Penn State sees in the Big Ten. The Mountaineers will drop eight and only rush three linemen more than any Big Ten team from last season. How does that affect Allar? And what can we take from last year that gives us a clue about how he can perform in this situation? We’ll look at that.
Compounding issues for WVU
Not only did West Virginia bring in a healthy dose of transfers, but defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said this spring that the team plans to lean on its young linebackers to play in 2023. With some players not arriving until the summer, how sound will the Mountaineers defense be in week one? Youth and unfamiliarity may lead to certain issues for the team.
How could Penn State attack?
Lastly, we’ll look at last season’s data to understand which players, schemes, and formations caused West Virginia the most trouble. Then, we’ll translate that information and examine which Penn State players can cause the most damage. Join the show at 10 a.m. to find out!
