McElroy: Can West Virginia repeat Michigan’s 2023 success on Penn State football?

Can West Virginia wear out the Penn State football defense with a slow, methodical running game in Week 1? That’s the question ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy is asking of James Franklin and the Nittany Lions in their opening matchup as he looks ahead to the 2024 season.

Last week on his podcast, Always College Football, McElroy explored several “what if” scenarios for the upcoming college football season. First among those was a potential upset of the No. 8 Nittany Lions by the Mountaineers in Morgantown next weekend.

McElroy: West Virginia has the backfield talent to repeat Michigan’s 2023 success versus Penn State football

If West Virginia wants the recipe for pulling the Week 1 shocker, McElroy believes Neal Brown needs to look no further than November 11 of last year, when James Franklin and Penn State football faced Michigan inside Beaver Stadium.

A nine-point loss, the score wasn’t reflective of the Wolverines’ domination of the contest. Michigan didn’t throw a pass in the second half, ending the game with 30 consecutive rushes for 117 yards. The Wolverines totaled 227 yards rushing on the day.

© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

“Last year, if you look at the amount of yards given up defensively, Penn State was at the top. So this is a defense that has been amazing,” McElroy said. “The one black eye, though, last year was the Michigan game. And while they clearly played really hard against Michigan, Michigan ran the ball 30 consecutive plays to kind of close out the game. Thirty consecutive plays and just pounded it over and over and over again. It wasn’t big plays. They weren’t manufacturing chunk yardage. It was just one after another, like novocaine. You give it time, and it always works.

“…But if you think back to the recipe that Michigan used in success against Penn State last year, it was by pounding the football. Guess what West Virginia can do? They can pound the football. They’re the only team in the country with three 750-yard rushers last year. And what’s interesting is that all three are back, which is unique, and all three can exploit you in different ways.

“Garrett Green, excellent. As a quarterback, would like to see him continue to become more consistent throwing it. But we know CJ Donaldson is a hammer, 240 pounds, difficult to bring down, not a guy that you want to face in the hole when short yards games and plays are there in the balance. Jaheem White, we know what he’s like when you get him out in space. The guy is ridiculous, absolutely electric.

“The Mountaineers last year averaged almost 230 rushing yards a game. That was the fourth most in the country. That was the most among the Power Five. Only Rutgers ran the ball with more regularity, 59%, than West Virginia, who called a run play 57% of the time last year.

“So if there’s ever been a recipe or recreating what they’re going to try to do, I think West Virginia is going to watch that Michigan tape, and they’re going to say, we’re going to try to do exactly what they did. I don’t know how successful they’ll be because I don’t think West Virginia’s offensive line is as good as Michigan’s was last year. But still, I think they’re going to try to pound it.

“I think they’re going to try to shrink the game. I think that’s going to be a really physical game week one in Morgantown.”

No time for a slow start

In the 2023 season opener, Penn State football held West Virginia to 146 rushing yards on 40 carries. Garrett Greene and CJ Donaldson recorded 71 and 81 yards, respectively, each with a touchdown. Jaheem White did not participate.

The Nittany Lions lose several veteran playmakers from last year’s top-ranked defense and will look to the next crop of young talent to fill the void.

While Neal Brown has been outspoken about the importance of this game for the Mountaineers, there’s no overlooking the renewed rivalry for Penn State football, either.

“I have probably more respect for West Virginia than anybody just because I’ve played there so many times, and I know what Mountaineer Football means to the state of West Virginia, and I know what the environment is going to be like,” James Franklin said at Penn State football media day. “Played there a ton of times…So I think it’s going to be a great game.

“I think it’s going to be a great environment and then, on top of that, the way they ended their season, right? You know, I think they ended up winning nine games, and the quarterback ended up playing really well and finished the season on a real high note. So they got a ton of confidence coming into this year because of that.”

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