Mountaineers hope to learn from negatives, build off positives in quest to move forward from season-opening setback – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — What very well may prove to be West Virginia’s toughest test this season is now in the past.

What almost certainly is the most winnable game on the Mountaineers’ schedule comes next in the form of Saturday’s 6 p.m. home opener against Duquesne of the FCS.

“It’s about us getting positive momentum as we get into the meat of our schedule,” said head coach Neal Brown, who fell to 2-3 in season openers at WVU with Saturday’s 38-15 setback at seventh-ranked Penn State.

The consensus among Brown, offensive coordinator/running backs coach Chad Scott and defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley was the Mountaineers could takeaway several positives from their performance at Beaver Stadium, but it was nowhere near good enough to produce a victory that would’ve widely been considered a stunning Week 1 result.

WVU did not commit or force a turnover and was responsible for five of six penalties. The Mountaineers were out-gained by 168 yards largely because of Penn State’s substantial passing advantage (the Nittany Lions threw for 332 yards to the Mountaineers’ 162).

An inability to produce explosive plays — WVU managed just one 20-plus yard play through the game’s first 50 minutes — loomed large in the Nittany Lions’ ability to limit the Mountaineers. So, too, did WVU converting a combined 7-of-20 third and fourth downs.

“Just kind of a sour taste,” Brown said. “We had some chances. I didn’t feel like we were outmanned or the environment got to us or the moment was too big for us. We just didn’t make enough plays that you have to make to be able to win those type of games.”

With one of the more challenging season openers across college football and in the history of WVU’s program a thing of the past, the Mountaineers must move forward starting with their first of three straight home games.

Duquesne, a member of the Northeast Conference, opened its 2023 campaign last Saturday with a 49-7 victory over Edinboro, a Division II program.

The Dukes are coming off a 4-7 season, but prior to 2022, Duquesne enjoyed nine consecutive non-losing seasons and seven straight with a winning record.

Brown doesn’t have to go far back to garner his team’s attention as to what the Dukes are capable of. In Week 2 of 2021, Duquesne upset Ohio, 28-26. The Dukes also hung in throughout last season’s 24-14 loss at Hawaii.

“It’s definitely a test of will,” WVU defensive lineman Mike Lockhart said. “A game like this can determine your character. What happens after this game? Do you sink the ship or keep building and rise from it?”

The Mountaineers would like nothing more than to start strong against the Dukes. Playing with a comfortable lead for much of the game would provide a boost of confidence and allow the coaching staff to work more players into the lineup, providing those with less or no experience the opportunity to prove themselves and get their feet wet.

In the loss at Penn State, true freshman wide receiver Traylon Ray caught two passes for 7 yards and was targeted four times. Rodney Gallagher III, another freshman wideout and perhaps the most heralded recruit in this year’s class, was essentially limited to special teams play and never touched the ball. Freshman tailback Jahiem White did not play after an injury held him out of practice all last week, though both Brown and Scott expect White to debut against the Dukes.

Brown noted part of the reason Gallagher’s offensive snap count was so limited was because the Mountaineers rarely utilized 11 personnel offensively — where the team plays with one running back and one tight end.

“He’s going to play. In retrospect, maybe should’ve used him a little bit more in that game,” Brown said. “Preston [Fox] primarily played those snaps at slot receiver, but Rod will play this week, and if he produces, he’ll play more as the year goes.”

Brown expects and is hopeful he’ll get a better evaluation of more Mountaineers on Saturday, though the head coach says the top priority in ensuring the team picks up its first victory before next Saturday’s showdown with Pitt.

“The objective is to win. That’s the first objective,” Brown said. “We need to get to 1-1, get it even and continue to play clean football. We have to get better in the areas that we’re going to focus on which is throwing the football, especially in key situations on third and fourth down, and on defense, we have to play the pass better. That’s all tied together. We have to do a better job with their rush and play tighter coverage. Those are points of emphasis where we have to get better and the hope is we can play more people. It’s going to be warm all week, so we have to be careful how we practice. We have to have more bodies ready because of the heat and humidity on Saturday.”