West Virginia
Jackson one of several players set for increased role along defensive line – WV MetroNews
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia suffered its first significant injury hit of this season in Saturday’s 49-14 win against Albany.
Defensive lineman Edward Vesterinen was shaken up on a play halfway through the second quarter after he and Tyrin Bradley joined forces to bring down the Great Danes’ Faysal Aden for a 1-yard loss.
Vesterinen never returned to the contest, and after it, WVU head coach Neal Brown confirmed the team already magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results back, and that Vesterinen would “probably be out a few weeks.”
That starts with Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. affair at Pitt in the 107th edition of the Backyard Brawl from Acrisure Stadium.
Dating back to the start of the 2023 season, Vesterinen had started 15 straight games at defensive tackle. A native of Helsinki, Finland, the senior has appeared in 35 contests since 2021.
“We’ll miss Eddie and his leadership and the motor he plays with,” Brown said, “but we have guys up there.”
In his absence, Brown confirmed T.J. Jackson is set to get his first start as a Mountaineer.
A Troy transfer in his first season at WVU, Jackson has made a strong early impression. He recovered a fumble in the first quarter of a season-opening loss against Penn State. To this point, it’s the only turnover the Mountaineers have forced.
Jackson also has five tackles, including three for loss, and one sack.
“He’s probably been our most productive lineman through two weeks,” Brown said.
Defensive end Sean Martin and nose tackle Fatorma Mulbah figure to join Jackson on the first unit, though the Mountaineers will ask for more out of several other players — namely Asani Redwood and Hammond Russell.
“Asani Redwood’s reps will increase. Sean Martin has some flexibility to play the field and the boundary. He did that in the [Albany] game and we’ll continue to move him around,” Brown said. “Russell’s role will increase and I’ve been really pleased with how he’s played through two weeks. We hate it for Eddie, but we have enough guys that are quality players to be able to pick up the slack.”
Martin’s 79 defensive snaps through two games are the most of any player on the defensive line. Jackson has logged 65 and Redwood 58, while Russell has impressed through 54.
“We’re built very similar across the front in what we’re trying to do,” WVU defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said. “TJ’s had two good games. We’ll just keep rolling.”
Jackson and Martin, with one sack apiece, have combined for all of the Mountaineers’ production in that area. West Virginia has struggled to affecting quarterbacks with any sort of consistency, and Brown hinted opportunities will also be available for less experienced players up front.
Several got the chance to showcase their capabilities against Albany, including a pair of true freshmen in Nate Gabriel and Elijah Kinsler.
Gabriel logged 25 snaps and Kinsler 18, while the duo combined for three tackles.
“Nate Gabriel is going to continue to play. We got him in the second or third series. He can play,” Brown said. “He’s big enough. He got some good push. Where Hammond has some position flexibility and he can play in the boundary as well, Nate can play the nose for us. I was pleased with him. Elijah Kinsler is another guy we got in. His role will have to increase if Eddie is going to miss any time.”
Regardless of which lineups the Mountaineers settle on along the defensive front, the unit as a whole will be tasked with trying to slow the Panthers’ newly-implemented fast-paced offense under first-year coordinator Kade Bell.
Bell spent the previous three seasons at Western Carolina, but his presence has changed Pitt’s offensive approach.
Early results are favorable, with the Panthers scoring 55 points in a season-opening win against Kent State, before overcome a 21-point deficit to rally for a 28-27 victory at Cincinnati in Week 2.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein, an Alabama transfer, has thrown for 638 yards and six touchdowns through his first two games as a Panther. Speedy tailback Desmond Reid has 293 rushing yards on only 33 carries.
“They’re playing really fast, using wide splits and they’re a little bit different each week,” Brown said. “The tempo is what sets them apart.”
West Virginia
West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Daily 3 on Jan. 9, 2026
Are you looking to win big? The West Virginia Lottery offers a variety of games if you think it’s your lucky day.
Lottery players in West Virginia can choose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Other games include Lotto America, Daily 3, Daily 4 and Cash 25.
Big lottery wins around the U.S. include a lucky lottery ticketholder in California who won a $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot in December 2024. See more big winners here. And if you do end up cashing a jackpot, here’s what experts say to do first.
Here’s a look at Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 9 drawing
12-30-36-42-47, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing
5-4-4
Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing
3-0-4-6
Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 25 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing
01-05-06-07-12-13
Check Cash 25 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
- Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
West Virginia
West Virginia set to welcome No. 22 Kansas – WV MetroNews
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A half hour or so had passed since West Virginia men’s basketball coach Ross Hodge recorded his first Big 12 win with the Mountaineers holding off Cincinnati 62-60 on Tuesday night.
Hodge expressed feeling fortunate that his team was able to overcome a late lapse where saw a six-point lead became a five-point deficit, and WVU (10-5, 1-1) avoided falling victim to a poor finish that was problematic in narrow neutral-site setbacks to Clemson and Ohio State.
Yet as is generally the case in the Big 12, there was little time to savor the result, and it was time to turn the attention to No. 22 Kansas, Saturday’s opponent for a noon tip inside Hope Coliseum.
The matchup against KU and its two-time National Champion head coach Bill Self airs on FOX.
“I have a ton of respect for coach Self and Kansas. Thankful, honestly. That would be the emotion. Thankful to be in this league,” Hodge said. “This is the third best basketball league on the planet. It’s the NBA, the Euro League and the Big 12. With that comes really good catches and really good players. More than anything, an appreciation and thankfulness. Once the ball gets tipped, it really is like your team is trying to out-execute his team and you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about any of that other than how can I help our guys execute better in these stretches and play better defense. That’s where your mind is.”
For at least one night, Hodge was able to breathe a sigh of relief after late three-pointers from both Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff, the latter of which came with the shot clock winding down in a well-defended attempt out of desperation that was instrumental in helping the Mountaineers prevail past the Bearcats.
Later Tuesday night, KU (11-4, 1-1) overcame a 15-point deficit with inside 5 minutes remaining, staging one of its infamous improbable rallies at Allen Fieldhouse to defeat TCU in overtime, 104-100.
“We didn’t guard. We didn’t rebound,” Self said. “Our body language stunk for a good portion of the game. We played with different energy levels individually throughout the game. We were spectators and didn’t create activity. There were a lot of things we didn’t do the other night, but at the end of the day, we should show ourselves that we can do it, because we did it under the most intense, pressure-packed situations.
“That’s why the last 4 minutes of a game are the most important 4 minutes, because if you make a mistake, you can’t recover. Even though we made a couple mistakes in the last 4 minutes, it was still about as well-played as any stretch that we’d had during the game and when it counted the most.”
Self has been displeased with the Jayhawks’ defense over two Big 12 games, with KU allowing 181 points, including 168 through regulation.
“We just haven’t been connected on the defensive end like we were prior to Christmas,” he said.
WVU presents a quality chance for KU to rectify its defensive issues as the Mountaineers are 15th among 16 Big 12 teams in overall scoring (74.1 points per game) and scoring within Big 12 games (60.5). At 45.4 percent, WVU ranks 14th in the league in field goal percentage.
But Self knows his team must be aware at all times of Mountaineer guard Honor Huff, who leads the conference with 60 three-pointers and made 6 of 10 against UC after going 1 for 8 the previous outing at Iowa State.
Huff has at least four made threes in eight games this season as well as another in which he shot 3 of 4 from distance. Additionally, Eaglestaff is 14 for 34 from long range over the last five contests.
“They let their shooters shoot it and they have three guys that can, but two of them really can and will shoot a lot of them,” Self said. “We have to do a great job of defending the arc.”
The Mountaineers continue to be solid defensively and rank second to Houston in scoring defense among Big 12 teams at 61.5 points. WVU held Cincinnati to 22 for 62 shooting and 10 two-point field goals.
“You have to be able to play long stretches of quality basketball to win games. We were fortunate to win if I’m being really honest,” Hodge said. “Our first shot defense was good. Holding a team to [35] percent from the floor is good enough to win. [WVU’s] nine assists to 15 turnovers is not going to win you games a lot of nights. We did out-rebound them [37-33]. We got to the free-throw line. We didn’t necessarily make them at the rate we need to [7 for 13], but we made the big ones late.”
The Mountaineers will be tasked with trying to limit one of college basketball’s most feared offensive players and top pro prospects in 6-foot-6 KU freshman Darryn Peterson.
Peterson has played in only six games due to a hamstring injury and scored a career-high 32 points against the Horned Frogs, but sat out the extra session with cramping.
He is averaging 22.5 points on 50 percent shooting and has made multiple treys in all six games, while shooting better than 43 percent beyond the arc.
“He feels good. He’s full speed,” Self said.
Tre White, a 6-7 swingman, is the team’s second-leading scorer at 15 points, followed by 6-10 forward Flory Bidunga (14.3 points, 9.1 rebounds) and guard Melvin Council Jr. (13.7 ppg).
WVU, which has yet to record a Quad 1 or Quad 2 victory, is 10-0 at home this season and 7-5 against the Jayhawks in Morgantown.
“In this league, you better take care of home,” Hodge said. “It’s the Big 12. Every game is going to be challenging in its own way.”
West Virginia
West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Daily 3, Daily 4 on Jan. 8, 2026
Are you looking to win big? The West Virginia Lottery offers a variety of games if you think it’s your lucky day.
Lottery players in West Virginia can choose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Other games include Lotto America, Daily 3, Daily 4 and Cash 25.
Big lottery wins around the U.S. include a lucky lottery ticketholder in California who won a $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot in December 2024. See more big winners here. And if you do end up cashing a jackpot, here’s what experts say to do first.
Here’s a look at Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 8 drawing
8-1-9
Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 8 drawing
9-6-6-7
Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 25 numbers from Jan. 8 drawing
02-05-06-11-12-17
Check Cash 25 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
- Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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