West Virginia Mountaineers Set to Clash with Albany Great Danes

As the West Virginia Mountaineers gear up for their next challenge against the Albany Great Danes, fans are eagerly anticipating what promises to be an exciting game at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. The upcoming match, scheduled for September 7th, 2024, will see the Mountaineers looking to bounce back and assert their dominance on home turf after a tough start to the season.

In their season opener against the Penn State Nittany Lions, West Virginia faced a challenging opponent and unfortunately came up short, with a final score of 34-12 in favor of Penn State. Despite this setback, there were notable performances that suggest potential areas of strength for West Virginia as they move forward. The defense managed to recover one fumble and applied pressure throughout the game but was unable to secure any sacks or interceptions. This indicates a defensive line that's active but may need to find ways to capitalize on opportunities more effectively.

On offense, quarterback Garrett Greene showed resilience under pressure. Despite being sacked twice and facing a relentless defense, Greene managed 161 passing yards from 29 attempts. However, with no touchdown passes and one interception thrown by backup QB Nicco Marchiol, it's clear that efficiency in the red zone is an area needing improvement.

The rushing game offered some hope with CJ Donaldson Jr leading with 42 yards on 12 carries and securing the team's only touchdown of the game. Yet an average of just over two yards per carry across all rushers highlights room for growth in creating space and exploiting gaps in opposing defenses.

Special teams had bright spots as well; kicker Michael Hayes II successfully converted both field goal attempts showing reliability when called upon.

Looking ahead to facing Albany Great Danes at Morgantown provides an opportunity for West Virginia Mountaineers to refine these areas. Playing at home should give them added confidence; however they must capitalize on this advantage by improving offensive execution especially in critical scoring situations while maintaining defensive pressure without overcommitting resources that lead to vulnerabilities exploited by opponents.

Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ at 6:00 PM ET on September 7th from Milan Puskar Stadium as West Virginia seeks redemption after their opening week loss.