The Mountaineers will be at home again this week as they host the No.17-ranked Kansas State Wildcats in yet another night game.
K-State is 5-1 (2-1 in Big 12) and is coming off a 31-28 win over Colorado, in which they hung on late to beat the Buffaloes in a thriller. West Virginia is .500 on the season, 3-3 (2-1 in Big 12). All of their losses have come against ranked, unbeaten teams, but they look to bounce back and pick up momentum after an Iowa State loss last week.
Our staff gives their predictions:
Ryan Roddy: It has been an interesting week for WVU football, to say the very least. The program has found itself in national headlines after what Neal Brown had said on Monday. Now, the Mountaineers will look to block that out or use it for motivation to prove something not only to their fans and those criticizing them nationally but also to themselves. They started hot against Iowa State but ultimately fell flat in the end. The Kansas State team walking into Morgantown is no push-over in the slightest. They are the top rushing offenses in the conference as well as one of the best defenses at stopping the run. Quarterback Avery Johnson has received a lot of recognition this season and for good reason. He can do it with his legs, he can do it with his arm when he needs to. The keys for WVU should be applying pressure on him, containing him, loading the box, stopping the run, and getting their pass game going early. If they can do those, it should be a close game, but I’m unsure if they’re able to, and I predict a game that gets semi-out of hand down the stretch.
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Kansas State 38, West Virginia 20
Korey Moore: West Virginia loves building momentum off fan interaction, but this week, the crowd’s positive energy will likely be at a season low. With that in mind, I don’t see anything that could help WVU from avoiding the on-paper disadvantage it has against Kansas State. The threat the Mountaineers are most prepared to stop is Kansas State’s biggest offensive advantage in superstar DJ Giddens, who will fall under 180 rushing yards this game but still shine. Meanwhile, Avery Johnson is no pushover, either, and he has a solid receiver coming off a great game in Jayce Brown. There is no matchup I like for WVU’s defense. Offensively, the Mountaineers have no wind in their sails and no reason to believe they can have a receiver go for 100 yards with Garrett Greene at quarterback right now. The backfield is no match for Kansas State, either, whose stats are inflated after holding Colorado to negative rushing yards last week but still tell the story that Jahiem White, CJ Donaldson, and Garrett Greene are not going anywhere.
Kansas State 49, West Virginia 18
Joe Antenucci: Kansas State has had West Virginia’s number in recent matchups, and I expect that trend to continue Saturday night in Morgantown. The Mountaineers have yet to win one of the “big games” this season. West Virginia has performed at its best when the run game is operating at full strength, limiting the need for quarterback Garrett Greene to make plays downfield with his arm. However, Kansas State’s run defense is one of the best in the country, holding opponents to fewer than 80 rushing yards per game. I believe this game will be close and go down to the wire, but WVU’s offense will be somewhat one-dimensional and run out of steam.
INSTITUTE, W.Va. — The Institute Fire Department has called a precautionary shelter-in-place for those living in close proximity to the Catalyst Refiners plant.
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According to Kanawha County Emergency Manager C.W. Sigman said there was an incident involving an acid-based material at around 9:30 .am. Wednesday.
According to Sigman, most of the material which was spilled was inside a building and it largely contained and the shelter-in-place is precautionary.
Emergency crews are on the scene treating multiple patents at the plant. The extent of injuries is not known.
A media briefing has been scheduled for 2 p.m.
CAMC/Vandalia confirmed they were preparing for patients as is WVU Medicine Thomas Hospital where they’ve activated their Incident Command Center.
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The plant is located between Institute and Nitro. The roadway is shut down on 1st Ave S in Institute from New Goff Mountain Rd to Kilowatt Rd.
The shelter-in-place is for a one-mile radius of the plant and includes the West Virginia State University campus.
The shelter-in-place put into effect for St. Albans was lifted at 10:30 a.m.
CHARLESTON, W.Va (WCHS) — The West Virginia PSC held a public comment hearing on Tuesday regarding West Virginia American Water taking over Lincoln Lincoln Public Service District.
Only one person spoke out sharing what they’d like to see done if West Virginia American Water acquires the Lincoln PSD.
“If the company wants to get to folks who really need water, they should be looking at areas where drilling well is nearly impossible, like mine, which is actually closer to the lines than some of the places they mention in their filing. My neighbors and I live closer to the main water lines than the proposed Sugar Tree Road extension or the one and a half miles out to the campground that they plan on serving,” a Lincoln PSD customer shared during the meeting.
Lincoln PSD issued a boil water advisory on January 26th, and it wasn’t lifted until March 31st, leaving some customers not able to use what was coming out of their faucets.
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Just last year, the Lincoln County Commission voted to move forward with the dissolution of the Lincoln PSD, but, in September, the district filed a petition to stop the sale to West Virginia American Water. Soon after in November, PSC staff submitted a request asking the applicants to give specific financial information.
West Virginia American Water issued the following statement at Tuesday’s meeting:
“West Virginia American Water has been working collaboratively with the Lincoln County Commission and the Lincoln County Public Service District Board regarding the possible acquisition of the Lincoln County Public Service District. The proposal would involve the purchase of the 2,532-customer system. We appreciate the opportunity for public input and look forward to continuing to work through the Public Service Commission’s review process.”
Lincoln PSD customers received a letter in the mail this week stating that the system violated drinking water monitoring requirements. The utility noted what was done to correct the situation and added that customers are not at risk.
Customers were also alerted Tuesday night of a boil water notice tonight due to a recent inspection concluding that the utility is not currently meeting the minimum disinfection requirements for surface water facilities.
One of the best quarterbacks in recent memory to come through West Virginia, Will Grier, is approaching his eighth year in the NFL, which is quite the accomplishment for a backup. According to multiple reports early Tuesday morning, Grier is headed home, signing a free agent deal with the Carolina Panthers.
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Grier was selected in the third round (100th overall) by the Panthers in 2019 and, at the time, was viewed as someone who could potentially be the future face of the franchise. That plan got messed up pretty early as Ron Rivera was fired during his rookie season, ultimately replaced by Matt Rhule. That offseason, the Panthers decided to cut ties with Cam Newton and bring in Teddy Bridgewater, giving Carolina a completely different direction at quarterback.
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Following his second season with the Panthers, Grier was let go and began bouncing around the league. He spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and then back to the Cowboys in 2024 and 2025.
Although he has only played in two regular season games in his career, Grier is widely viewed as a tremendous veteran quarterback who can bring depth to a room and serve as an extra voice for the starter to lean on. In this case, he and former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett will fill that role for Bryce Young.
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Where Grier ranks among WVU QBs in the NFL
Nov 23, 2018; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Will Grier (7) celebrates during the second quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images
Statistically, he’s not going to catch anyone unless he somehow gets thrown into a starting role at some point, but as far as longevity goes, he’s been able to stick around in the NFL longer than most former Mountaineer quarterbacks.
Geno Smith (still active) is entering his 14th year in the league, and Jeff Hostetler made it 13 years. Those are the only two WVU quarterbacks who played longer. Marc Bulger played eight years, so as long as he makes it through this season and plays in 2027, he’ll surpass him. The others? Charles Seabright (six years), Oliver Luck (four years), Pat White (one year), and Fred Wyant (one year).
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Grier will forever be remembered as one of the best to ever suit up for the Old Gold and Blue, tossing for 7,354 yards and 71 touchdowns in just two seasons in Dana Holgorsen’s offense. Following the 2018 season, he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, marking the highest finish for a Mountaineer since Steve Slaton in 2006.
