Virginia
West Virginia Handles Albany for the First Win of the Season
Morgantown, WV – West Virginia rushed for 305 yards with sophomore running back Jahiem White leading the way with 125 yards and junior CJ Donaldson checking in with 100 rushing yards as the Mountaineers (1-1) dispatched the Albany Great Danes (1-1),
West Virginia started the opening possession of the game at its own 10-yard line, but senior quarterback Garrett Greene quickly got the offense out of the shadow of its own endzone. Greene started the drive with a 14-yard completion to sophomore Traylon Ray, Jahiem White busted up the middle for 14 yards and Greene hit Ray again for 13 yards before White hit a run for 16 yards into Albany territory at the 37-yard line.
The Mountaineers methodically moved deeper into Albany territory until White found the endzone from 14 yards out for the 7-0 lead.
After the West Virginia defense held Albany to a three and out, Greene and the offense quickly went back to work, finding sophomore Rodney Gallagher for a 21-yard completion and a run by sophomore CJ Donaldson moved the Mountaineers to midfield. Justin Robinson collected his first reception of his Mountaineer career, then two players later, Robinson hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass for the 14-0 lead.
The Mountaineers third drive of the game went into the second quarter, and tight end Kole Taylor capped off a six-play 69-yard drive with a 39-yard touchdown reception and the Mountaineers were rolling with a 21-0 advantage.
Albany found the endzone with a 10-play 87-yard touchdown drive. Sophomore quarterback Myles Burkett gashed the defense with completions of 23 yards and 19 yards before sophomore running back Griffin Woodell ran for a seven-yard touchdown with 4:40 remaining in the half.
Then, on the first play of the ensuing drive, White fumbled after a 36-yard run, giving the ball to the Great Danes a their own 36-yard line. Myles took advantage of the extra possession, finishing the six-play 64-yard drive with a 33-yard touchdown pass to senior Jacari Carter to cut into the WVU lead, 21-14.
West Virginia responded on the final drive of the half with a big dose of the running game. CJ Donaldson ran 20 yards on three carries before a pair of runs from Green put them into Albany territory. Then, on a quarterback draw, Greene scurried for 40 yards and the touchdown to put the Mountaineers up 14 and took a 28-14 advantage into halftime.
Following an eight-play 84-yard Albany drive that stalled at the WVU one-yard line, the Mountaineers went the length of the field in 14 plays with Hudson Clement hauling in a 10-yard touchdown pass for a 35-14 lead.
West Virginia added to its lead on the following possession. Greene connected with Jaden Bray for 44 yards, then four plays later, sophomore CJ Donaldson punched it into the endzone, and the Mountaineers were rolling with a 42-14 lead.
West Virginia redshirt sophomore quarterback Nicco Marchiol checked into the game in the fourth quarter. CJ Donaldson set up the Mountaineers inside Albany territory with a 48-yard run and Marciol scampered into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown and the Mountaineers held a 49-14 lead with 7:22 remaining in the game.
The Mountaineer defense held Albany out of the endzone as time expired for the 49-14 victory.
Virginia
Did you know West Virginia has an official state gun?
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Virginia
Virginia Tech HC James Franklin Gives High Praise For Clemson’s Dabo Swinney
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
Follow
Virginia
Drought emergency declared for parts of Virginia; governor warns of water restrictions
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
-
Boston, MA4 minutes agoICE Boston arrests Barbados national during targeted operations in Attleboro
-
Denver, CO10 minutes agoDenver Broncos training camp is 2 weeks away
-
San Diego, CA22 minutes agoDaily Business Report: July 17, 2026, San Diego Metro Magazine
-
Milwaukee, WI28 minutes ago‘You can see God’s hand in it’: How Milwaukee women are building a double Dutch community through sisterhood and fitness
-
Atlanta, GA34 minutes agoOne Of Atlanta, Georgia’s Safest Suburbs Is An Irish-Inspired Town With Tasty Restaurants And Golf Greens – Islands
-
Minneapolis, MN40 minutes agoRoho Collective opens a gallery and business hub for artists of color
-
Indianapolis, IN46 minutes agoSee inside Indianapolis Public Library’s upgraded, accessible bookmobiles
-
Pittsburg, PA52 minutes agoPittsburgh’s air quality considered “unhealthy for everyone” on Friday due to wildfire smoke

