West Virginia heads into this matchup after winning their first game of the season on Sunday against Marshall. This week will probably have the same result with the exception that the Mountaineers might actually get to play four full quarters. There are definitely some areas that the Mountaineers could improve on and this will be the week they will have to step up their game.
One area of focus for the Mountaineers will be their defense. Last week they seemed a little sluggish and no defensive players really made any spectacular plays. That’s not to say everyone on defense had a horrible game, Keith Tandy was the standout by recording five tackles. While it was the first game of the season the Mountaineers will have to improve on defense if they want be able to compete with bigger and better teams. Another area of concern is the special teams play. They allowed an 87 yard punt return for a touchdown ten minutes into the game as well as 102 yards on kick returns. The special teams will have to do a better job of plugging up holes and making tackles if they don’t want this type of performance to become a habit.
There is some hope for these two areas because Norfolk State is a very different team than Marshall. Norfolk State plays in a lesser known conference with teams that don’t even come close to the talent that West Virginia has. They also have a quarterback who threw 10 TDs and 8 INTs last year which means the Mountaineers' secondary could have a few picks during the game. Last year, Norfolk State’s punt and kick returners had no touchdowns. If the Mountaineers’ special teams can keep them from finding holes and breaking tackles then they should be able to keep Norfolk State out of the end zone in that area.
[caption id="attachment_136" align="alignright" width="209" caption="Keith Tandy"]
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While this week’s game will likely be a walk in the park for the Mountaineers, it doesn’t mean they should let off the gas at all. With Geno Smith putting up decent numbers last week, this week he should be able to dismantle Norfolk State’s defense with ease. Staying on the topic of offense, last week the Mountaineers’ running game was anything but impressive. However, both the passing and rushing games should tear off huge amounts of yardage.
If the defense, special teams, and rushing games can step up and play better than they did last week then the Mountaineers will definitely be looking at a win. Lastly, if the passing game can continue with the performance that they put on last week then the Mountaineers should be in great shape.
My Prediction: West Virginia-42 Norfolk State-0
Player of the Game: Tavon Austin 8 rec 125 yards 2 TDs
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