West Virginia
Utah football: Previewing the 2025 schedule with a look at West Virginia, Arizona State
Editor’s note: Read the schedule preview of UCLA and Cal Poly in Part 1 here, and Wyoming and Texas Tech in Part 2 here.
SALT LAKE CITY — Is Utah good or is Utah bad?
By Week 5 of the season, the Utes will have been tested on the road and at home, with no room for error in what the team hopes to be a bounce-back season. A week after a tough battle with Texas Tech, Utah will return on the road to Morgantown to take on an intriguing West Virginia team before a dance with the (Sun) Devil at home.
If things have gone wrong for Utah up to this point in the season, these next two games won’t be any easier (They won’t be easy even if the season has gone well).
A win at West Virginia is likely but far from predictable; and a battle with the perceived favorite of the Big 12 and reigning conference champion at home will be another battle at Rice-Eccles Stadium that Utah can’t miss on to compete for a title.
As a reminder, ESPN’s Bill Connelly, who recently updated his SP+ rankings after spring, sees Utah as the 31st best team in the country with the 55th hardest schedule.
Anything less than 4-2 after this stretch will feel like a disappointment for Utah, but 3-3 is more than a reasonable prediction. Anything better than 4-2 is gravy, and Utah is well on its way to contending for a Big 12 title.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Date: Saturday, Sept. 27 (TBA)
Location: Mountaineer Field; Morgantown, WV
2024 record: 6-7 (5-4 Big 12)
Final AP ranking: N/A
Last meeting: Dec. 26, 2017, Dallas, TX (Heart of Dallas Bowl); Utah won 30-14
Preseason win projection: 5.5 wins
West Virginia is quite possibly the biggest unknown factor on Utah’s schedule (or in all the Big 12) this season. No team in the country went through a roster turnover the way the Mountaineers did, but the rebuilt squad could be good enough to disrupt.
Newly-hired head coach Rich Rodriguez returns to West Virginia in an effort to turn the program around after middling seasons under former head coach Neal Brown. And though Rodriguez has had success in Morgantown before (and stops elsewhere), it’s tough to predict a major jump in his first season back, especially with the turnover.
In total, West Virginia had 51 players enter the transfer portal, while welcoming 52 new faces to the program in return — including nine wide receivers, 10 offensive linemen and 13 defensive backs, in addition to several other position groups.
The Mountaineers no longer have proven quarterback Garrett Greene under center and will be tasked with identifying a new starter this fall, though former backup Nicco Marchiol is the favorite to win the job. Pushing him, though, will be Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson and Charlotte transfer Max Brown.
A strong quarterback will certainly go a long way in helping the Mountaineers, but Rodriguez — who will also be offensive coordinator — returns leading rusher Jahiem White, who rushed last season for 844 yards and seven touchdowns.
With Rodriguez’s penchant for running the ball and using a no-huddle approach to speed up the offense, White will no doubt see more production this season.
He’ll be joined by Northern Iowa transfer Tye Edwards, who led his team in rushing with 1,012 yards and six touchdowns, with an average of 6.4 yards per carry; and SMU transfer Jaylan Knighton.
Rodney Gallagher III returns in the slot looking to have a bigger role this season, but he’ll be joined by Jacksonville State transfer Cam Vaughn, who led his team with 803 yards and five touchdowns as a deep-threat weapon.
Eastern Michigan transfer Oran Singleton and North Carolina transfer Christian Hamilton join the program as veteran receivers to add to the room.
Though Rodriguez seemingly has enough talent to compete, he’ll be doing it with a major unknown up front in the trenches. The offensive line will be completely rebuilt and will take time to gel as a unit. History says that’s a tall task in one season, but the projected starters are veteran players who could surprise — the margin is thin, though.
On the defensive end, Rodriguez has one holdover from last season in veteran defensive tackle Edward Vesterinen, and his presence should help a defensive unit that will need to gel quickly to have an impact this season.
West Virginia brought in several talented defenders — many of which were at the top of their former school’s defenses — but new defensive coordinator Zac Alley will have a lot of new bodies to work with. Alley, though, is known for his aggressive style and will work to put pressure on opposing offenses.
Alley most recently comes from Oklahoma, where he had the 19th best defense in the country with a smothering defense. It’s doubtful he’ll be able to have that same success in Year 1 at West Virginia, but the team could see improvement from the year prior after ranking 126th in passing defense and 111th in total defense.
West Virginia will welcome Utah to town after a heated rivalry game against Pittsburgh and a road game against Kansas — not an easy one-two punch before Utah.
In Week 5, there won’t be many surprises about who this year’s version of West Virginia will be, but a road game in a hostile environment will be a tall task for the Utes, especially coming off what will be an expected tough game against Texas Tech the week prior.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Date: Saturday, Oct. 11 (TBA)
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT
2024 record: 11-3 (8-2 Big 12)
Final AP ranking: No. 7
Last meeting: Oct. 11, 2024, Tempe, AZ; ASU won 27-19
Preseason win projection: 8.5 wins
Take a deep breath after the first five games of the season.
Utah will get its first bye of the season the week after West Virginia, which should help before a battle against the reigning Big 12 champs. The bad news is Arizona State is also getting a bye the week before this matchup, too.
Starting with the Arizona State game, Utah will not leave the state for the next six weeks, which could prove beneficial, especially if the team is in contention for a Big 12 title. But the Sun Devils aren’t going to be an easy out, even at home.
Fortunately for the Utes, a broken Cam Rising will not be under center for this game. But it remains to be seen how good Utah’s offense will be up to this point in the season.
For all the success Arizona State had last season, they weren’t an overly elite team. That may sound crazy considering the season record, a Big 12 title and a close loss to Texas in the College Football Playoff. But running back Cam Skattebo was a big reason for the team’s success.
By all means, he wasn’t the only factor in the Sun Devils winning, but he was a big component to the team’s overall success.
With that being said, Arizona State welcomes back essentially its entire starting roster, while adding key pieces from the transfer portal to help fill some gaps and add to an already talented starting roster.
This roster is more than capable of competing for another Big 12 title, but they must do it as the hunted and not the hunters. This is no longer a team being supremely doubted, and it’s much tougher to get everyone’s best.
The Sun Devils will have a fighting chance with returning starter Sam Leavitt under center. The underclassman was a star in his own right, throwing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns on 61.7% passing, while adding an additional 443 yards and five touchdowns rushing.
With a full season under his belt, Leavitt will only get better, especially as his chemistry with the team continues to improve. Add to that his primary target of veteran wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and the Sun Devils can do some serious damage.
Tyson finished the season with 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, making him one of the best returning receivers in the Big 12 this season. He’s a bonafide weapon that will demand serious respect from opposing defenses.
Joining him is Fresno State transfer Jalen Moss, who was the Bulldogs’ second-leading receiver with 563 yards and four touchdowns, and Alabama transfer Jaren Hamilton.
In the backfield is a trio of backs that should add to Arizona State’s offensive attack. Backup Kyson Brown returns after 351 yards and two touchdowns last season, and he’ll be joined by Raleek Brown — he played in only two games after suffering an injury — and Army transfer Kanye Udoh, who rushed for 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
Add to that a veteran offensive line that returns four of its starters and there’s real potential to compete for a title. The offensive line has room for improvement — the unit got a 78.0 grade in PFF in pass blocking and a 58.4 grade in run blocking — but there’s reasons to believe in growth in the second year.
Defensively, the team’s run defense finished 21st in the country last season (112.9 yards per game) and will look to improve upon that with another solid unit. Though the team had success stopping the run, Arizona State finished 98th in opponent third down conversions (43%).
The unit returns veteran leaders at every level of the defense, including defensive end Clayton Smith, linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and star safety Xavion Alford, who led the team in defensive grades in PFF.
There’s not a lot to hate about this returning Arizona State team, but moving on from Skattebo will be a challenge. The roster can more than make up for his loss, though.
Welcome to being the hunted, Sun Devils.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — New CDC data shows a sharp decline in overdose deaths across West Virginia, dropping nearly 50% over a recent 12-month period. However, the report does not identify a single cause for the decrease.
New CDC data shows a sharp decline in overdose deaths across West Virginia, dropping nearly 50% over a recent 12-month period. However, the report does not identify a single cause for the decrease. (WCHS)
Organizations across the state say progress is likely due to a combination of prevention, treatment and long-term recovery efforts.
The West Virginia First Foundation, which distributes opioid settlement funds, says it has invested heavily in those areas.
“We’ve committed nearly $40 million to over 170 projects throughout the state in those categories,” Executive Director Jonathan Board said.
Board says the collaboration among groups statewide has been key.
“It is all of us and all programs working together with a camaraderie that you rarely see in this space,” he said.
That includes recovery programs like Pollen8, which works directly with people overcoming addiction. Founder and CEO Cheryl Laws says funding has made a noticeable difference.
“There’s momentum, right? That 48% decrease with the funding that has been given is the biggest thing,” Laws said.
While progress is encouraging, Laws says continued effort is critical.
“It has to be a continuum of care. Every piece is important, from harm reduction to longer-term inpatient. I think you see more success rates with that,” she said.
Organizations say maintaining that momentum will be essential to continuing the decline in overdose deaths.
“We still need that momentum going. We just built it. We do not need to go backwards. We need to keep going forward,” Laws said.
Board agrees, emphasizing the long-term impact of the work underway.
“We understand that generations from now people will look back and ask us what we did with the time that was gifted to us. We need to make sure that we respect them,” he said.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Even as a partial government shutdown continues to cause long lines and delays at major airports across the country, officials at West Virginia International Yeager Airport say operations in Charleston have remained steady so far.
Dominique Ranieri, the airport director, said TSA staffing levels at Yeager have not been hit the way larger airports have been affected.
“Here at CRW, I’m very happy to say that we are holding steady. We are not experiencing nearly the TSA staffing shortages that are hitting the major airports around the country around the country,” Ranieri said.
Airport leaders said Yeager’s smaller size has helped keep passenger volume manageable and security lines moving. They cautioned, however, that travelers could still run into problems after leaving Charleston and landing in larger cities.
Some airports have brought in Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help with crowd control, but Yeager officials said they do not think that will be needed locally.
“No, we have not heard anything about that at all. We’re in contact with them constantly, and we will, of course, support the public as well if we see any changes here at the airport,” said Paige Withrow, the airport’s communications officer.
TSA workers have not been paid since February, and airport officials said community members have stepped in with donations to help workers get by. Ranieri said the situation raises concerns about keeping TSA positions filled over the long term.
“So again, we really want this to end as quickly as possible for the folks here, but for the future security of the new fully staffed TSA throughout the country,” Ranieri said.
Airport leaders also addressed recent backlash over a partisan sign seen in the airport, saying the airport was not responsible for the message.
“TSA does have a dedicated screen that is theirs. So the airport is not affiliated with any messaging that DHS puts on that screen,” Withrow said.
Yeager officials said their concerns also include rising costs tied to international conflict. Ranieri said the recent conflict in Iran has contributed to higher jet fuel prices, forcing fare increases.
“Jet fuel, what we’re experiencing now is what they consider jet fuel shock because the prices have raised so exponentially in a short period of time,” Ranieri said.
Since the shutdown began, airports have lost more than 400 employees nationwide, according to airport officials. At Yeager, Withrow said TSA officers have continued reporting to work.
“Our officers are continuing to show up and work every day, which we appreciate in our community is also stepping up as well with donations,” Withrow said.
Airport ambassadors will continue accepting donations during the shutdown, with a drop-off area inside the airport. Airport leaders said they will provide updates if conditions change.
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – Curtis Fleming hosts Fly Rod Chronicles, promoting state tourism through fishing adventures.
“My father and mother took me down to Cherokee, North Carolina. And we went down there and stayed on the reservation. And I’ve got an actual picture of me catching my first fish. And I was two years and a month old. And then we started going somewhere in West Virginia every weekend. That it was nice. And that’s where I really got the deep, deep love,” Fleming said.
His love for fishing started at a young age and continued through adolescence.
Early mentors shaped outdoor passion
“In middle school, and they had the outdoor club. And we had some of the greatest mentors in the world. I mean, you know, Joe Leonetti, his name is up on the wall at the gymnasium in the new middle school that he wasn’t even at, you know. And like Al Lanzi and these guys would give up their time and take us all up to Spruce Knob,” Fleming said.
Originally a teacher, fishing was never far from Fleming’s mind.
“I always wanted to figure out how I could make a living at fishing and hunting. And I was a teacher, and I was working with inner city kids, and I started teaching them how to fly fish. And then I would take them to a 101 class for like a four-day weekend. And I watched these kids, these inner city kids, rough, tough kids that were getting kicked out of school and getting kicked out of their communities, thriving in the outdoors. And we would start as little as just building a fire. Here’s how you do it. I fell in love with just watching these kids get into this,” Fleming said.
From the classroom to television, he figured out how to turn it into a career. Fleming is the host of Fly Rod Chronicles, a weekly fishing show seen locally on WDTV, nationally on ESPN2 and the Pursuit Channel, and internationally on Wild TV.
“I come up with the show, the concept. I didn’t want the show to be about Curtis Fleming. I wanted it to be about my travels, the people we met, the food we eat, you know, the tourism, all the attractions. I didn’t want it just to be another fishing show. So, you know, my next sale was to go back to my wife and say, Shelly, I’m going to quit my job and start a fishing show. And I always tell people that I’m the bravest guy in the world because if any guys that I’m talking to want to go home and tell their wife they’re going to quit a good job and start a fishing show, good luck with that. But she was like, do you know anything about it? And I’m like, I’m learning. And we went out and shot a pilot, sent it in the Outdoor Channel. And they’re like, can you send us 12 more like that?” Fleming said.
The show is now in its 24th season and has over 300 episodes to its credit.
“It’s been a dream come true to be able to do this and to see where it’s grown. And hard to believe that we’ve been to so many cool destinations,” Fleming said.
Promoting West Virginia tourism
Despite his travels, Fleming’s heart is in West Virginia.
“We all have that memory of what it was like growing up here in West Virginia and how great it was. And so I really wanted to bring that into the show. And I wanted to show off our state, you know, show how great it is. I tell everyone I’ve been in 49 states and we in West Virginia, we have the biggest, largest outdoor playground in the world. I mean, it’s just what we can do here in West Virginia is amazing. That’s been one of my biggest achievements is the partnership with the state of West Virginia. Because, you know, we need to figure out different ways to bring in people. And the state saw that it wasn’t just a fishing show, that it was showing off our attractions, showing off the best food, the cool places to go. We have people coming from England, we have people coming from France, from all over the United States, just from our little TV show, coming to West Virginia,” Fleming said.
Fleming says he has no plans of slowing down.
“We just, in December, had our first granddaughter, and then we’re going to have a grandson here in a couple weeks. So I want to get four generations on the show, and I think that would be cool. So it kind of sounds like the kids don’t have a choice whether they’re going to fish or not, right?” Fleming said.
The grandkids will help Fleming continue to promote his love of fishing.
“You know, it was about getting kids into the outdoors, and it circles us back to, you know, I want to be like Joe Leonetti and Al Lanzi and the guys that were there for us. So it’s about getting everyone involved in the sport,” Fleming said.
Copyright 2026 WDTV. All rights reserved.
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