In 1992, WVU tied Miami (OH), 29-29. That was the last time the Mountaineers did not win against a MAC school (they were 13-0 during that time). The only time WVU actually lost to a MAC team was back in 1949, when they traveled to Athens, Ohio, and lost to Ohio U, 17-7.
In 2025, WVU returned to Athens, and you’d figure they do better, right? Well, they did. This time they only lost 17-10.
Frankly, this was pathetic. The team did not seem ready to play at all. And while any win or loss is a team effort, the majority of the blame falls to the offense. The defense did OK – they were a bit shaky at times in the first half, but in the second half, they shut out the Bobcats, and forced three turnovers. But the offense could only score three points off those turnovers. Outside of a nice, explosive drive in the first quarter, the offense couldn’t get untracked at all. They musterd only 250 yards of offense, and less than 80 on the ground. Nico Marchiol was off target too often, but even more, the offensive line didn’t protect well enough, and they did not run block well either, for good measure.
Simply put, the kind of performance we saw on Saturday isn’t good enough to beat any team remaining on the schedule. I do think WVU will improve, but right now a winning record looks like a pipe dream.
And now, WVU gets the Backyard Brawl. As much as any WVU fan hates Pitt, this Panther team is a pretty decent team. Eli Holstein is a very capable quarterback, and Desmond Reid is a dangerous running back. They also have a pair of talented linebackers in Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles. I think the Mountaineers defense has the potential to hold their own, but it’s hard to see the offense racking up a lot of points. There were two key injuries during the Ohio game, and as of press time, the extent of the injuries were unknown. But receiver Jaden Bray and running back Jahiem White were both on crutches after the game, and that usually means they will not be available the next game. White’s injury in particular really hurts, because he is by far the best running back WVU has right now.
Can WVU win? Sure – and that would be a classic “WVU” thing to do (losing to a MAC school and then beating Pitt), but it’s hard to feel optimistic right now. In short, WVU is staring down at a 1-2 record right now.
Notes: Kickoff is 3:30, and it will be televised by ESPN…There were rumors ESPN Gameday was considering coming to Morgantown. It was very possible, especially given that Pat McAfee and Nick Saban both have WVU ties. But the loss to Ohio ended any chances of that, and it will be at a ranked matchup, Georgia at Tennessee…The men’s soccer team split a pair of Top 25 games last week. They lost 1-0 to #13 Gardner-Webb, but bounced back with a crazy 6-4 win at #22 George Mason…The women’s team took care of business with a 3-0 shutout over
Army…The golf team is off to a record setting start. They won the Island Resort Collegiate tournament in Michigan, which was a tourney that featured several Big 10 teams. They set a school record for lowest round and tournament, so it’s possible something special could be brewing on the golf team this year…The volleyball team is off to a strong start as well. They swept an Invitations at Old Dominion to start the year, and then swept their own Mountaineer Invitational this weekend. This will get tougher once conference play starts, but the team looks much improved over last year, when they had a losing record in most of their invitationals.
