WVU Did What We Expected Them to Do

The Mountaineers put together a convincing 56-17 victory over Duquesne on Saturday night – just as we expected.

Morgantown, WV – On a stormy Saturday in Morgantown, the West Virginia University Mountaineers left Milan Puskar Stadium with a 56-17 victory over Duquesne. It was the bounce back that the team needed following a 38-15 loss to Penn State, and a perfect primer for next Saturday’s Backyard Brawl.

While a win should never be taken for granted in College Football, WVU’s performance is what everyone expected going into the matchup with the Dukes. The Mountaineers dominated for the majority of the game, and several bench players got some valuable playing time.

This is exactly why schools schedule at least once FCS squad every season – so they can get in the win column, and build momentum. Unfortunately, there is usually not much that can be taken away from games against FCS opponents.

However, there are some notable things for fans to keep an eye on moving forward:

• Hudson Clement has arrived – The storyline coming out of Saturday’s game was Hudson Clement’s performance. After grabbing 5 passes for 177 yard and 3 touchdowns, the former Martinsburg Bulldog was given a scholarship. The Mountaineers have been looking for a go-to-guy on the outside. They may have just found him in the redshirt freshman.

• This secondary is still bad – As it has been since ShaDon Brown’s arrival in Morgantown, WVU’s secondary was atrocious on Saturday. Sure, they were able to finish off the Dukes, but the struggles on the backend of the defense really kept the opponent in it early. If things do not change in the Mountaineer secondary, it will be a long season for the Old Gold & Blue.
• Garrett Greene is the guy – While many questioned his passing ability after week one, Garrett Greene really silenced his doubters on Saturday. Though it may have just been Duquesne, the Florida native stretched the field vertically all evening. The ball was continuously thrown to where only the receiver could catch it. If not for a couple of drops, Greene’s stats could have been a lot more padded.
• The rushing defense is for real – The Mountaineer defense has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny early in the season. However, their rushing defense has show up in the early part of 2023. After holding their own against Penn State, they only allowed 3 rushing yards on Saturday night. This will have to continue to be the trend if WVU hopes to knock off Pittsburgh.

(Photo by WVU Athletics)