The West Virginia Mountaineers (4-4, 3-2) are on the road to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-3, 3-2) Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for Noon EST, and the action will broadcast on FS1.

West Virginia vs. Cincinnati Series History

West Virginia leads 17-3-1

When: Saturday, November, 9

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. EST

TV: FS1

Announcers: Chris Myers (PBP), Robert Smith (analyst)

Radio: Tony Caridi (PBP), Dwight Wallace (analyst), Jed Drenning (sideline) Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College (Radio affiliates)

WVU Game Notes

– The 2024 season marks West Virginia’s 132nd season of football. The Mountaineers are tied with Texas A&M as the 15th winningest program in college football.

– The 2024 year marks the 45th season of competition for West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU has a 199-79-4 (.713) all-time mark at the facility, which opened in 1980.

– WVU is 11-6-1 in games played on Nov. 9, including 6-3 on the road. The last time WVU played on that date was in 2019 against Texas Tech (L 38-17).

– Since 2002, the Mountaineers are 102-15 when winning the turnover battle.

– West Virginia has reached 100 yards on the ground 42 times in the Neal Brown era.

– Overall, the Mountaineers are 31-11 in the Neal Brown era when rushing for at least 100 yards.

– West Virginia has surpassed at least 140 rushing yards in 23 of the last 24 games, dating back to 2022.

– The Mountaineers are ranked No. 5 nationally for fewest penalty yards per game and No. 12 in fewest penalties per game.

– WVU’s offense is ranked No. 29 nationally for most possession time in 2024 (31.36).

– West Virginia’s rushing attack is ranked No. 23 nationally in most yards per game (202.3).

– The Mountaineers are tied for No. 2 nationally in fourth downs converted (17) in FBS football in 2024. Three of WVU’s touchdowns at Arizona came on fourth down.

– WVU’s defense also has recorded multiple sacks in 10 of the last 13 games.

– The Mountaineer defense has recorded at least four tackles for loss in 26 of the last 29 games.

– West Virginia has held 16 of its last 20 opponents to fewer than 300 yards passing.

– The Mountaineer rushing defense is ranked No. 39 nationally, holding its opponents to 121.5 yards per game. WVU has held its opponents to 130 yards rushing or fewer in six of eight games.

– WVU is ranked No. 25 in punt return defense (4.4), No. 26 nationally in kickoff return defense (16.96) and No. 39 in net punting (40.8).

– Jahiem White has 32 missed tackles forced to lead WVU, CJ Donaldson Jr. has 23 and Garrett Greene has 21.

– White is ranked No. 44 nationally for rushing yards per carry (5.8).

– Greene is ranked No. 20 nationally for passing yards per completion (13.66), No. 26 nationally for rushing yards per carry (6.2) and No. 42 nationally for most total offense yards per game (260.4).

– According to PFF College, Wyatt Milum is ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation, grading out at 92.1%. His 90.1 run-blocking grade is No. 2 and his pass-blocking grade is No. 5. He has played 193 snaps and has not allowed a pressure, a sack or a quarterback hit.

– TJ Jackson II is ranked No. 11 nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12 for most tackles for loss per game (1.4).

– Jackson is ranked No. 4 in the Big 12 for most sacks per game (0.56).

– Michael Hayes II is ranked No. 18 nationally for field goal percentage (.900).

photo by: Steven Allen Adams

First Lady Cathy Justice, Gov. Jim Justice, and Babydog celebrate Tuesday night at the Greenbrier Resort following Gov. Justice’s U.S. Senate victory.

CHARLESTON — Saying she was “covered up in qualifications,” Gov. Jim Justice announced Thursday that he had appointed his wife, first lady Cathy Justice, to the West Virginia Board of Education.

“I had to do a whole lot of selling and talking to Cathy about this,” Justice said Thursday during his weekly administration briefing from the State Capitol Building. “I’m honored to announce the appointment of our first lady, Cathy Justice, to the West Virginia Board of Education. She will do an amazing job. Really and truly, Cathy loves kids beyond good sense.”

Cathy Justice is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Raleigh County in 1970, where she met Gov. Justice. Both went to Marshall University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She also worked as a substitute teacher in the Raleigh County School system.

As first lady, Cathy Justice has become the face of the Communities in Schools program, which works to connect at-risk students and their families to resources, such as academic assistance and tutoring; basic needs, such as clothing and food; behavior intervention and modification; career preparation; community service, crisis intervention, life skills, mental health services, and more.

According to the state Department of Education, Communities in Schools was first introduced in Greenbrier County in 2004, but the program began expansion in 2018 during Justice’s two four-year terms as governor. Now, the program serves all 55 counties, with 298 site coordinators between 285 schools, benefiting more than 117,000 students. Through Communities in Schools, Cathy Justice has also placed 42 therapy dogs in schools.

“They work that they’ve done with Communities in Schools in all 55 of our counties and all the good stuff that Cathy has done, it’s amazing,” Justice said. “She has surely earned her stripes as far as the good stuff she is doing for kids. I’m really proud. In the beginning, I couldn’t get Cathy across the finish line on this, but I think she will do an amazing job. She’s fired up now and ready to go and to do the job.”

Cathy Justice will succeed Dr. Daniel Snively, whose term expired on Monday. Snively, the director of the Heart Center at Huntington Internal Medicine Group, was appointed by Gov. Justice in 2019 to fill the remaining term of Elkins attorney Joseph Wallace, whom the governor appointed in 2017.

This is not the first time a governor has appointed their spouse to the state Board of Education. Then-governor Joe Manchin appointed first lady Gayle Manchin to the state board in 2007. She continued to serve after Manchin won election to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and 2012, serving twice in the rotating position of state board president before resigning in 2015.

Now the co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Gayle Manchin has education bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Virginia University and Salem International University. She taught school in Marion County and was on the faculty of Fairmont State University.

Nine of the 11 members of the state Board of Education are appointed by the governor. Appointed members serve overlapping nine-year terms and no more than five of the appointed members can belong to the same political party.

Addressing questions about her qualifications and whether the appointment represented nepotism, Justice said First Lady Justice was more than qualified. Gov. Justice – who is wrapping up the final two months of his second and final four-year term — won election to the U.S. Senate Tuesday night.

“How could you possibly think that Cathy is not just covered up in qualifications,” Justice said. “The job she has done is off the chart. She’s very, very qualified. She has a secondary (education) degree from Marshall University. There is no way I could find someone no matter where they are who is more qualified than Cathy Justice for this job. I think she will do great.”

First Lady Cathy Justice will likely soon join the state school board following an appointment this week from her husband, Gov. Jim Justice.

Cathy Justice’s appointment will still need to be confirmed by the state Senate. If approved, she will serve a nine-year term as she fills the seat recently vacated by Dr. Daniel Snavely, whose term expired this month.

Jim Justice announced his wife’s appointment during his weekly news briefing on Thursday. The story was first reported by The Real WV, a Greenbrier County-based news site, on Wednesday. 

During Thursday’s briefing, the governor said Cathy Justice once worked as a substitute teacher in Raleigh County “a long, long, long time ago.” He said it took some convincing for her to accept his appointment to the state school board. 

“In the beginning, I couldn’t get Cathy across the finish line on this, but I think she’ll do an amazing job and so she’s fired up now and ready to go and do the job,” Jim Justice said. 

Charleston Gazette-Mail reporter Sierra Marling asked the governor during his briefing what he would say to any “inevitable accusations of nepotism” regarding him appointing his wife to the state school board. 

Jim Justice said he had trouble hearing the question and C.J. Harvey, his director of communications, said there may have been technical difficulties. 

The governor then, however, did seem to offer a response.

“All I can say is Cathy is super qualified. And for crying out loud, you know, there’s no point in beating up Cathy. She’s given everything she could possibly give,” Jim Justice said. “Like I said, I had to really, really work hard to talk her into this.”

Cathy Justice is a lifelong West Virginia resident and a 1975 graduate of Marshall University, where she studied secondary education. Professionally, she previously served as the president of Comer Electric, Inc., a company founded by her parents, according to her official biography.

“I am honored to take on this role and to continue working to support our wonderful students, teachers, and families,” Cathy Justice said in a Thursday news release. “Every child in West Virginia deserves a safe, welcoming environment where they can thrive. I look forward to contributing to the Board and helping our education system grow stronger for everyone.”

The first lady currently serves as the president of the state advisory council for Communities In Schools, a national nonprofit program focused on drop-out prevention that provides students in schools with resources they need to be successful. Through Communities In Schools, Cathy Justice helps head the Friends With Paws program, which has so far placed more than 40 therapy dogs in schools throughout the state.