A lightning storm hit Morgantown, WV, at halftime of the Penn State-West Virginia game causing a delay and evacuation of the stadium. Among the affected was the Blue Band, which was seated in the stands at the time. They were evacuated through the tunnel and out to their buses to wait out the storm.
1/19
Virginia
Virginia Tech 2024 Position Preview Series, Linebacker: How Does Transfer Sam Brumfield Fit In?
Linebackers is the position group on the Virginia Tech roster that is the most polarizing to me. On one hand, you return key contributors like Keonta Jenkins and Keli Lawson. On the other hand, you lose Alan Tisdale who played in five total years at Tech, and was one of the best players in the open field. It’s hard to grasp how good this linebacker room is, which may be because it is the only position group on defense that doesn’t have a player that would necessarily be deemed a “star” player.
The defense was very solid last year, placing 15th in the nation in yards allowed per game. The only areas on the defense that I would really highlight as a weakness is the red-zone defense and the rush defense, some of the blame falls on the linebackers in those situations. Virginia Tech was 105th in the nation in opponent red-zone scoring percentage, letting opponents score at an 88.57% clip. Frankly, the reason for the struggles in the red-zone, is just miscommunication, which again would put the blame on the linebackers. The other only gripe with the Virginia Tech defense last year, was its relative struggle against the run. Pass coverage was great, and so was the pressure on the quarterbacks, which made the run defense look worse than it actually was.
Virginia Tech was 68th in the country in yards allowed per rush, surrendering 4.3 yards per carry. Granted, this is not a huge number, and another reason why I think this defense is so solid, because other teams would kill to only let up 4.3 yards per rush. On the other hand, I think to be considered an elite level defense, and compete with the top dogs in the ACC, Virginia Tech’s run defense needs to improve.
It is not all bad though, as the pass coverage from the Virginia Tech linebackers is solid, and they return both starters at outside linebacker.
If there’s a star at linebacker, it is Keonta Jenkins, who ironically plays at the star linebacker position. Jenkins brings so much versatility to the linebacker room, and is an undoubtable leader in the locker room. In 2023, Jenkins forced two fumbles, caught one interception, recorded ten tackles for loss, and three quarterback hurries. Jenkins has gotten much stronger every single year at Virginia Tech, eloving from a hybrid safety, to a true linebacker that can hold his own against power four level strength. I would love to see Jenkins evolve more, especially in the run game, but he is definitely an underrated player on defense.
Another underrated player on defense is Keli Lawson, the redshirt junior who changed his number from #21 to #0. Lawson was an All-ACC Honorable Mention last year after leading the team in tackles in only eight starts. Lawson had stats everywhere you can put them on defense last year, 2.5 sacks, one interception, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, and four quarterback hurries. Chris Marve and Brent Pry are happy to have two extremely versatile guys able to start at the linebacker position. Lawson has freak athleticism, and has since high school. He played LB, DE, WR, and some snaps as a DB, and was a four-star recruit. I think Lawson is the best pure athlete at linebacker and his value to the team was and is very large.
The player who is going to be starting alongside these two at middle linebacker? That’s not a sure thing, yet. Brent Pry brought in the transfer Sam Brumfield from Middle Tennessee State, who only faced two power four schools last year, so questions have arised about his numbers possibly being inflated. Brumfield finished last season with 82 tackles, 8 quarterback hurries, and 3.5 sacks. His competition is Jaden Keller, who has started in four games for Virginia Tech, In his 2023 campaign, he tallied 23 total tackles, and two for loss.
In all honesty, it will be hard to pick between the two, even though Brumfield has a slight edge. When highlighting each team’s room for improvement, ESPN declared Virginia Tech’s biggest area for improvement was middle linebacker, and had similar things to say:
“Once a position of strength on the stout Hokies defenses of years past, middle linebacker is an area that Virginia Tech knows must improve if the Hokies are going to live up to growing expectations. Virginia Tech went into the transfer portal to bring in Sam Brumfield from Middle Tennessee State, but Jaden Keller had a great spring and could be the answer at the position. Virginia Tech has experience across the board at linebacker; if it can shore up its play up the middle, that would certainly help make a formidable front seven considering the strength of the returning defensive line.”
This is probably the biggest “position battle” to watch for as the season rolls on, and it wouldn’t shock me if multiple players take on the role of middle linebacker.
Another player who is set to reprise their role from the 2023 season, is redshirt junior Jayden McDonald. Jayden has started in eight games in his short two-year career at Virginia Tech. McDonald was a three-star recruit out of high school, according to the 247Sports Composite, and has made a bigger impact than Virginia Tech could’ve imagined. McDonald was originally committed to UL-Monroe, but flipped to Virginia Tech, and the rest is history. He made an immediate impact, tallying 3 tackles for loss, and one sack in his first year as a Hokie. McDonald should get some more starts yet again this season.
Another player I am super excited about in the 2024 season is the sophomore Caleb Woodson. He was exceptional in high school, per his bio from Virginia Tech Athletics:
“Three-year letterman for head coach Greg Hatfield at Battlefield High School in Virginia … Captained the Bobcats during his senior season … Two-time Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 All-State honoree … Three-time VHSL All-Region 6B and All-Cedar Run District First Team defensive back … Helped lead Battlefield (13-1) to the 2021 VHSL Region 6B championship, three Cedar Run District titles (2020-22), two 10-win seasons and a 28-4 cumulative record during his career … As a 2022 senior, he registered 115 tackles, 20 TFLs, five sacks, four forced fumbles and three defensive touchdowns, including one interception return and two fumble recoveries … As a 2021 junior, he recorded 10 offensive touchdowns, more than 500 all-purpose yards, 85 tackles and three interceptions … Recipient of the Coaches Award … Rated a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals … Ranked No.91 linebacker and No.33 recruit in Virginia by 247 Sports…No. 66 linebacker and No. 30 recruit in Virginia by ESPN … Rated No. 46 linebacker and No. 17 prospect in Virginia by On3 … No. 33 prospect in Virginia by Rivals… Academic Honor Roll … National Honor Society … Competed in the Junior Olympics as a competitive swimmer of six years.”
Woodson is a player that the Virginia Tech coaching staff wants to keep by for a while, as he definitely surprised with his first-year production. He’s definitely not done either, looking to replicate the kind of game he had against Marshall, every game. Yes, he only totaled 3 tackles, but he had 1.5 tackles for loss, and was a reason why Kyron Drones and the Virginia Tech offense coud keep themselves in that game.
Some other young players who could fight for some playing time are freshmen Aycen Stevens, Will Johnson, and Gabe Williams. I’m excited to see how this coaching staff introduces some young guys into the linebacker room, and put them in a place where they could make an immediate impact for the team.
Overall, I think it is fair to evaluate the linebacker room as above average, especially being that Keli Lawson and Keonta Jenkins both return as starters. This position should straighten itself out by the end of the year, and could be looking really good by the time we’re talking about playoffs. Other players like Jaden Keller and Jayden McDonald should be prepared for more playing time this year. It’ll be interesting to see what decisions are made at middle linebacker, but I think Virginia Tech fans should be less than worried about the current situation at linebacker.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Virginia
How to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia NCAA college football game today: Livestream options, more
The Penn State Nittany Lions face the West Virginia Mountaineers today for a Week 1 NCAA college football showdown. The Mountaineers finished last season with a surprise 9-4 record and hope to upset the No. 7 Nittany Lions today.
Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game, even if you don’t have cable.
How and when to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game
The Penn State vs. West Virginia game will be played on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at noon. ET (9 a.m. PT). The college football game will air on Fox and stream on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game without cable
While many cable packages include Fox, it’s easy to watch the game if Fox isn’t included in your cable TV subscription, or if you don’t have cable at all. Your best options for watching are below. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)
Sling TV: The most cost-effective way to stream college football
If you don’t have cable TV that includes Fox, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream college football this season is through a subscription to Sling TV. We suggest leveling up your coverage to the Orange + Blue with Sports Extra tier to get more NFL and college football games this fall.
The Orange + Blue plan regularly costs $60 per month, but the streamer currently offers a half off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $30. The Orange + Blue with Sports Extra plan is $45 for your first month and $75 per month after. The Sports Extras add-on features 18 channels, including NFL Redzone, ESPNU, SEC Network, Big 10 Network and ACC Network, making it ideal for pro and college football fans.
The streamer is also currently offering big savings on four months of the Orange + Blue tier plus the Sports Extra plan when you prepay for the Sling TV Season Pass. The plan costs $219, reduced from $300.
Note: Because Sling TV does not carry CBS, Sling subscribers will want to add Paramount+ to their bundle. (Paramount+ and CBS Essentials are both subsidiaries of Paramount Global.)
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue plan:
- Sling TV is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like NASCAR.
- There are 52 channels to watch in total, including local ESPN, NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
- You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
- All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
- You can add Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (18 in total) via Sling TV’s Sports Extras add-on.
Watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game free with FuboTV
You can watch every college football game airing on network TV, including today’s game, on FuboTV. FuboTV is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to almost every college football and NFL game of the season. Packages include CBS, Fox Sunday NFC games via “NFL on Fox”, NBC (“Sunday Night Football”), ESPN (“Monday Night Football”), NFL Network and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just today’s games, all without a cable subscription.
To watch college football without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NFL football, FuboTV offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games.
Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:
- There are no contracts with FuboTV — you can cancel at any time.
- The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, including NFL Network. (You’ll need to upgrade to Ultimate for NFL RedZone.)
- FuboTV includes all the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
- All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
- Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.
Watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game on Hulu + Live TV
You can watch college football, including Fox and ESPN with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both Fox and FS1. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game on every network with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month after a three-day free trial.
If you’re anxiously waiting for today’s game to begin, now is a great time to check out Amazon’s college football fan shop. The Amazon College Fan Shop is filled to the brim with officially licensed fan gear: You’ll find jerseys, team flags, T-shirts, hoodies and more, including tons of great gear for the football fan in your life. There are plenty of great deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching sports.
Tap the button below to head directly to the College Fan Shop page on Amazon and select your favorite team.
Watch today’s game with a digital HDTV antenna
You can also watch sports airing on network TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.
For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch sports without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.
This ultra-thin, multi-directional Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro digital antenna with a 65-mile range can receive hundreds of HDTV channels and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV and top-tier sound. It comes with a 12-foot digital coax cable.
What is the Penn State Nittany Lions current team ranking?
The Penn State Nittany Lions are currently ranked 7 out of 134 teams, according to our sister site CBS Sports.
What is the West Virginia Mountaineers current team ranking?
The West Virginia Mountaineers are currently ranked 31 out of 134 teams, according to CBS Sports.
When is the 2024 NCAA college football championship game?
The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Virginia Tech Hokies are in Nashville and ready for kickoff against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The start of the season is finally here, and plenty of new additions, and lifelong Hokies are set to make their 2024 debut against Vanderbilt.
Virginia Tech is seemingly the big favorite for this game, but Vanderbilt has an equal level of confidence. The Commodores team will look abundantly difference than last year’s team. There’s new coaches, transfer additions, and even entirely new schemes for the Commodores team to learn and adapt with over time. This season also marks Kyron Drones’ first full season as the starting quarterback, and there was a full offseason to game-plan with many of the same players from last year.
Being in the SEC, Vanderbilt inherently has a harder schedule than the Hokies. So, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt could not be in more opposite positions as a franchise. One franchise is on an extremely hard schedule in what feels like a never ending downfall, and the other is trying to bring their program back to glory days with one of the easiest schedules in the ACC.
The Hokies have beat the Commodores in recent history, and all-time, holding an all-time record of 6-3 vs Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt has not won a game in this series since Vanderbilt’s win during the 1982 season.
So how do these two teams stack up? Here’s my official preview and prediction.
Virginia Tech Offense vs Vanderbilt Defense
Virginia Tech’s returning production on offense is one of the main storylines heading into the season. The Hokies return most of their starters, losing starting tight end Dae’Quan Wright in the process. Notably, Virginia Tech returns starters Kyron Drones at quarterback, Bhayshul Tuten at running back, and all of the week one starters at wide receiver and offensive line.
Not everything was perfect for this Virginia Tech offense however. There are definitely areas for improvement, especially when it comes to closing out games. Virginia Tech ranked 88th in FBS in points per fourth quarter, averaging just 6.2 in the quarter. This makes sense due to the nature of the Tech offense, which obviously is not fully focused on the passing side of the ball, which can cause problems late in games when the Hokies are trailing.
Before Kyron Drones fully took over for Grant Wells at quarterback, Virginia Tech’s offense was in even more of a stalemate. Averaging 3.0 4th quarter points through two games. Since Kyron Drones has taken over, it’s felt like a breath of fresh air. In 13 games (11 starts), Drones passed for 2,085 yards on 17 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. Arguably Drones biggest impact was his rushing ability. Drones rushed for 818 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground.
The Vanderbilt Defense has frankly struggled against the run, it has not been pretty. Vanderbilt has the 108th ranked rush defense, giving up an average of 179 rush yards per game. The Vandy defense has struggled in many ways, it has definitely not just been the run. Vandy ranks 130th in opp. points per game, 132nd in opp. yards per game, and 129th in opp. points per play.
The Vandy Defense doesn’t have many true stars, but linebacker Langston Patterson fits that description most accurately. Vanderbilt has tried to bolster their defense in the transfer portal this offseason, signing many players in the secondary. Randon Fontenette (TCU), Kolbey Taylor (Wyoming), Mark Davis Jr. (Southern Illinois), Maurice Hampton (Memphis), and Micah Bell (Notre Dame) highlight the new additions in the secondary.
There are so many places for development in this Vanderbilt defense, which has been destroyed on both pass plays and rush plays. The secondary and the pass rush are going to have to take a big step for this Vandy defense to make a big impact in this game.
Vanderbilt Offense vs Virginia Tech Defense
Despite its struggles, the Vandy offense is probably Vanderbilt’s strongest unit on this team. The offense might look entirely different than years past. Head coach Clark Lea cleaned house, firing offensive coordinator Joey Lynch, and hired Tim Beck from New Mexico State.
Diego Pavia is likely going to lead the offense at quarterback, in what will be an option-heavy offense. Vanderbilt is planning to rotate tackles and guards in such a way that there is a weak-side, and a strong-side, which is early seen at the FBS level, let alone by a SEC team.
Vanderbilt’s offense will frankly be trickier than it is good. This unit wasn’t great last year either. The Commodores averaged 20.6 points per game, 307.5 yards per game, and struggled to convert on third and fourth down plays.
This Virginia Tech defense is no weak unit. Virginia Tech’s defense ranked 15th in the nation in opp. yards per game and has only added on to their already stellar defense. Most notably, Duke transfer Aeneas Peebles could make a humongous impact in this game. Peebles is a 290-pound All-ACC defensive tackle who led Duke in TFLs last season.
Stopping Vanderbilt at the line-of-scrimmage will be crucial if Virginia Tech wants to dominate against the unique Vanderbilt offense.
How Does Virginia Tech Win?
The key to this game will be not to fall in Vanderbilt’s trap. As I said earlier, this Vanderbilt offense will have to shock Chris Marve to be able to move the ball in a consistent manner. In college football, that’s really how most big upsets happen. A Vanderbilt team running a traditional offense would never win this game, but if they run plays that look like they’re straight out of College Football 25–they give themselves a better chance.
The way Virginia Tech will win this game, and ultimately try to win by multiple possessions, will be to dominate defensively–especially early in the game. Everybody knows that Virginia Tech will score against the Vanderbilt defense, so if the defense can play its’ role, this game could get ugly fast. It won’t be easy, but this is the game where we will see how dominant this defense can be led by Aeneas Peebles, Dorian Strong, and Antwaun Powell-Ryland.
Prediction
I’ve said that Vanderbilt certainly has a chance to win this game, but I don’t think that’s likely. Virginia Tech outweighs Vanderbilt in all three of the major categories: talent, coaching, and success. The Hokies have certainly seen more recent success than Vanderbilt has, Virginia Tech has the more physical and athletically gifted team, and Virginia Tech has a longer list of coaches with a long tenure.
I don’t think this Vanderbilt team can find success against this Virginia Tech team in any aspect of the game.
Brent Pry has shown that he knows how to draw plays up and take care of opponents in which they are heavy favorites. I think Pry will get up early in this game, similar to the Virginia game last year, and it should be smooth sailing from there.
This is not the Vanderbilt that used to be when James Franklin was the head coach, the Commodores are a long way away from success, and I don’t think this game will be any different.
Final Score: Virginia Tech 39, Vanderbilt 14
Indiana5 mins ago
'Extensive' search underway for suspect who stabbed teen at NW Indiana baseball field
Iowa11 mins ago
Photo Gallery II: Iowa-Illinois St. Football
Kansas17 mins ago
Tulane Football’s Path to Victory Must Exploit Inexperienced Kansas State
Kentucky23 mins ago
Kentucky vs Southern Miss score today: Live updates, highlights from Week 1 game
Louisiana28 mins ago
Louisiana man dies in motorcycle crash in Boone County, Ark.
Colorado2 years ago
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Midwest2 years ago
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
South2 years ago
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
South2 years ago
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
South2 years ago
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Politics5 hours ago
Trump impersonates Elon Musk talking about rockets: ‘I’m doing a new stainless steel hub’
World6 hours ago
Oasis fans struggle to secure tickets for band’s reunion tour
News6 hours ago
Why the U.S. isn't ready for wars of the future, according to experts
Politics15 hours ago
'For election purposes': Critics balk at Harris' claim she will 'enforce our laws' at southern border
World16 hours ago
Brussels, my love? Is France becoming the sick man of Europe?
-
Connecticut1 week agoOxford church provides sanctuary during Sunday's damaging storm
-
Technology1 week agoBreakthrough robo-glove gives you superhuman grip
-
Politics1 week agoClinton lauds Biden as modern-day George Washington and president who 'healed our sick' in DNC speech
-
Politics1 week ago2024 showdown: What happens next in the Kamala Harris-Donald Trump face-off
-
News1 week agoWho Are Kamala Harris’s 1.5 Million New Donors?
-
Politics1 week agoTrump taunted over speculated RFK Jr endorsement: 'Weird as hell'
-
Politics1 week agoVivek Ramaswamy sounds off on potential RFK Jr. role in a Trump administration
-
World6 days agoPortugal coast hit by 5.3 magnitude earthquake