Live updates: Penn State-West Virginia score, stats, notable plays, pregame news, and more
Morgantown — Kickoff is here, Penn State fans! The Nittany Lions start their 138th season in program history this afternoon when they take on West Virginia. The action begins just after Noon ET on FOX. A large part of today’s expected sellout crowd filed into Milan Puskar Stadium shortly after the gates opened early this morning to get ready for what will likely be the final meeting between these two nearby non-conference foes for quite some time.
“It’s proven that the home field advantage is a real thing,” Lions coach James Franklin said this week. “It’s a real thing. It factors into a lot of things. But home field advantage is a real thing. I think that’s number one. I think number two, when you talk about the specifics of a home field advantage, it’s the noise in the stadium. You can replicate that a little bit.
“So, making sure we are doing everything we can d to prepare the players. It’s magnified in a place that does not have an NFL team. Like everything in that state revolves around West Virginia and Mountaineer football. They’re a prideful place.”
Get ready for kickoff with pregame updates below. Then, follow along for the latest score, stats, and news throughout the day.
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Third quarter updates
4:33 — Touchdown, Penn State: Nick Singleton takes a handoff and goes right up the middle 40 yards for a touchdown. He was hardly touched en route to pay dirt. The Lions now lead West Virginia 27-6 nearly five minutes into the third quarter.
4:23 p.m. ET — After a 2 hour and 19 minute delay, the second half is underway. Penn State receives the opening kickoff of the second half.
Halftime updates
4:18 p.m. ET — Warmups are nearly complete. FOX will carry the second half when it resumes at approximately 4:23 p.m. ET.
3:58 p.m. — Without any more lightning, the game will resume at 4:23 p.m. ET after warmups at 4:08 p.m.
3:40 p.m. ET update: Plans were set to restart the game at 4:05 p.m. But, right after that was announced, another lightning strike flashed here and reset the 30-minute clock. There is no longer a tentative start time.
3:05 p.m. ET update: Officials here in Morgantown have not yet met to decide when to resume Penn State-West Virginia due to lightning still being in the area.
2:30 p.m. ET update: The countdown clock to clear the field for play cannot start for at least 30 minutes. So, expect the next update at 3 p.m. ET.
2:16 — The non-conference contest entered a weather delay at 2:04 p.m. ET. Lightning in the area of the field was the cause of it. As of 2:16, rain is now falling, but the sky has darkened. And radar indicates that a nasty line of thunderstorms is approaching.
Second quarter Penn State-West Virginia updates
HALFTIME: Penn State 20, West Virginia 6. Drew Allar is 8 of 13 for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Trey Wallace leads all receivers with five catches for 117 yards. And Jaylen Reed and KJ Winston have eight tackles a piece.
1:45 — Touchdown, Penn State: Drew Allar to Trey Wallace for a quick six before the half. After a 55-yard toss to Omari Evans, the Lions QB hit Wallace in the corner of the end zone. Great throw and catch. Lions lead WVU 20-6 with six seconds left in the first half.
1:39 — West Virginia kicks a field goal from 42 yards, and it’s good. The 39-yard make put the score at PSU 13, WVU 6 with 37 seconds left in the half.
1:23 — PSU quickly went three and out on its next possession. WVU has it back with under five minutes to go in the half.
1:16 — Michael Haynes’ field goal is good. Penn State 13, West Virginia 3 with 6:15 left in the first half.
1:03 — Touchdown, Penn State: A quick flip from Drew Allar to Kaytron Allen sees the Nittany Lions running back take it the rest of the way. Sander Sahaydak’s extra point is good. PSU 13, WVU 0 at the 9:46 mark of the second quarter.
12:58 — PSU is back into WVU territory after first down runs from both Beau Pribula and Drew Allar.
12:49 — Penn State forces a quick three and out as Cam Miller comes up with a third down stop. West Virginia will punt again.
12:43 — Touchdown Penn State: Drew Allar to a wide open Trey Wallace for a 50-yard score. It was an easy pitch and catch for six. Penn State went for two after Trey Wallace’s score. Beau Pribula’s pass to Joey Schlaffer was incomplete. It’s 6-0 PSU over WVU early in the second quarter.
First quarter updates
12:39 — After one, it’s Penn State 0, West Virginia 0. The Nittany Lions have a first down at the WVU 50 to start the second quarter.
12:35 — West Virginia lines up to go for it again facing 4th and 1 at the PSU 15 late in the first quarter, and a Greene sneak is short. The Lions defense holds in the red zone. PSU gets it back at its own 15 with 1:35 left in the quarter.
12:27 — West Virginia Garrett Greene fumbled on a designed run but fell right back on top of it after a gain of 11. Before that, WVU converted a third and long and now the Mountaineers are back in PSU territory at the Lion 45.
12:24 — Penn State will punt after a 3rd and 6 run nets nothing. Drew Allar had Omari Evans open on second down but a bad throw fell incomplete. WVU starts at its own 20 with 9:15 to go in the first quarter.
12:18 — One play, one turnover: WVU has its own bad snap, and Jaylen Reed ends up recovering it. Penn State takes back over around midfield.
12:17 — Penn State turns it over after a fumble by Drew Allar. It’s currently being reviewed. Looked like a bad and early snap from first-time starting center Nick Dawkins. After review, call stands. WVU ball at the PSU 28 with 10:38 to go in the first quarter.
12:12 — WVU picked up one first down but no more as the Lions blew up a third down screen to force a punt with 12:32 left in the first quarter.
12:05 p.m. — PSU lost the toss. WVU took the ball. So they start the game with it and the Lions get it to start the second half.
Penn State-West Virginia pregame updates
11:30 — Dani, Ellies, Durant, Abdul
Vanover, Izzard, Beamon, Smith, Granville
Others in uniform with the DL. Ford, Jaylen Harvey, Jordan Mayer, Blanding. Gilliam is dressed but listed as out.
11:07 — Saunders, Jaylen Reed, Ivey, and Jake Spencer back on punts. Singleton, Wallace, Evans, Fleming back taking kicoffs.
11:06 — First field goal attempt taken in warm-ups is Chase Meyer. Sander Sahaydak is second. Gabe Nwosu warming up for kickoff.
10:30 — This Nittany Lions are out today:
Quarterback Jaxon Smolik
Tight end Khalil Dinkins
Defensive end Mylachi Williams
Linebackers Kari Jackson and Keon Wylie
Defensive end Mason Robinson
Defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam
Receiver Peter Gonzalez
Tight end Jerry Cross
Linemen Sam Siafa, Liam Andrews, T.A. Cunningham, De’Andre Cook
Penn State-West Virginia betting line
Penn State opened as a 12.5-point favorite at various sportsbooks earlier this summer. Unlike last year, though, the line has dropped since. As of Saturday morning, the Lions are now an 8-point favorite.
As for the betting total, it sits at 51.5 points.
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Blue-White Illustrated predictions
Nate Bauer: PSU: 27, West Virginia: 17
Sean Fitz: Penn State: 34, West Virginia: 17
Thomas Frank Carr: PSU: 31, West Virginia: 21
Matt Herb: Penn State: 24, West Virginia: 20
Greg Pickel: PSU: 34, West Virginia: 21
Ryan Snyder: Penn State: 31, West Virginia: 24
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