MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia will attempt to hit the reset button on its 2024 season with Saturday evening's nonconference matchup against UAlbany at Milan Puskar Stadium.
 
Last Saturday, the Mountaineers (0-1) stumbled out of the gate with a disappointing 34-12 loss to eighth-ranked Penn State before an overflow crowd of 62,084.
 
Coach Neal Brown praised the atmosphere leading up to the nationally televised game on FOX, but admitted his team did not deliver.
 
"We need to make a big jump, regardless of whatever week it is," Brown said. "We didn't play well enough in week one. It was below our standards on offense and defense, so regardless of opponent, location or week on the schedule, we've got to step it out and play to our expectations."
 
Two first-half plays seemed to sum up last Saturday's loss, West Virginia's 50^th in 61 all-time meetings against the Nittany Lions in an infrequently played series that dates to 1904.
 
The first happened in the first quarter immediately after West Virginia recovered a Penn State fumble deep in Nittany Lion territory. Brandon Yates' shotgun snap hit the motion man, and the Lions recovered the fumbled football 19 yards behind the line of scrimmage near midfield.
 
The play ended up costing WVU at least a chance at a field goal and the game's first score.
 
The second play occurred right before the end of the first half after the Mountaineers kicked a field goal to reduce their deficit to 13-6. Penn State had just 32 seconds remaining with the ball deep in its own territory and possessing just one timeout.
 
A first-down run netted nothing, but instead of running out the clock, the Lions opted to take a deep shot down the far sideline, and it resulted in a 55-yard Drew Allar completion to Omari Evans that put the football at West Virginia's 18-yard line with 10 seconds left.
 
Following Penn State's final timeout, Allar found Harrison Wallace III in the back corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown, putting WVU in a much deeper hole at halftime.
 
After a 2½-hour weather delay, the Lions put the Mountaineers away on their opening drive of the third quarter when Nicholas Singleton broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run.
 
Penn State outgained West Virginia 457 to 246, despite WVU having just two fewer first downs than the Lions (21 to 19). A couple of mishandled snaps skewed West Virginia's rushing total, but quarterback Garrett Greene's passing numbers were very similar to what he produced last year in State College when the Lions won 38-15.
 
In that game, Greene completed 16 of his 27 pass attempts for 162 yards. Last Saturday, he was 15 of 28 for 161 yards. WVU's rushing attack, which generated 146 yards against the Lions last year, could muster just 85 yards on 37 attempts last Saturday.
 
Brown indicated on Monday that special teams were the lone bright spot in last Saturday's defeat. The kick and punt coverages, an issue last year, were solid and kicker Michael Hayes II managed to convert both of his field goal tries from distances of 38 and 39 yards.
 
"We've got to be more consistent and do the little things better, just functioning football," Brown explained. "On offense, catching snaps and getting snaps where they're supposed to be, holding on to the football and running people off when you're supposed to run them off in the run game.
 
"Defensively, it's about aligning and playing your gap responsibility," Brown said. "Those were our main issues, as well as communication. We've got to do those things that require no talent. It's got to be much better this week compared to the first game."
 
Meanwhile, up in Albany, New York, UAlbany, ranked 13^th in this week's FCS coaches' poll, struggled to put away Long Island University last Saturday night.
 
The Sharks limited the Great Danes to 255 yards of total offense and 10 first downs and had the football nearly five minutes longer than UAlbany, which got a 55-yard punt return from Jamal Cooney to put it into position for a go-ahead touchdown, and John Opalko added a 41-yard field goal in a 27-21 triumph.
 
Oregon transfer Seven McGee led the Great Danes with five catches for 119 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown. Quarterback Myles Burkett, making his first start, connected on 12 of 26 passes for 165 yards, while Griffin Woodell led the ground attack with 91 yards on 20 carries.
 
UAlbany, which reached last year's FCS semifinals under FCS coach of the year Greg Gattuso, has seen its roster get cherry picked through the transfer portal.
 
Quarterback Reese Poffenbarger (Miami, Florida), defensive end Anton Juncaj (Arkansas), cornerback Amir Hall (Michigan) and defensive lineman Elijah Hills (Wisconsin) were some of their most notable recent departures.
 
One-time UAlbany defensive end Jared Verse was taken 19^th in last year's NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams after transferring to Florida State.
 
"They've won, and anytime you have an opponent that's used to winning those are hard outs," Brown pointed out. "If you look at what Albany has done, FCS semifinals a year ago and lots of success in the CAA – a league I played in and coached in. They play quality football and (UAlbany) is used to winning.
 
"Offensively, they are multiple with a lot of different formations and motions, and they want to establish the run and shorten the game," Brown predicted. "Defensively, their line is extremely active, and they are very well coached."
 
Gattuso has deep Western Pennsylvania roots after playing at Penn State. He began his head coaching career at Seton La Salle High in Pittsburgh before taking the Duquesne job in 1993. He coached a total of 12 seasons there, leading the Dukes to double-digit-win seasons in 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2002 before landing an assistant coaching position at Pitt in 2005.

His stay at Pitt lasted six seasons, and he coached three more at Maryland before reviving UAlbany's program in 2014.
 
Last year, he led the Great Danes to an 11-4 record and their deepest FCS playoff run in school history. UAlbany's football history began in 1970 as a club sport and moved up to Division III status in 1973.
 
UAlbany made the jump to Division II in 1995 and then to Division I FCS in 1999. Now in its 50^th season, UAlbany boasts a 325-226 overall record with three FCS playoff appearances in 2011, 2019 and 2023.
 
Saturday's game will be the 22^nd time West Virginia has faced an FCS opponent, the Mountaineers winning all 21 prior meetings. Last year, WVU defeated Duquesne 56-17 at Milan Puskar Stadium.
 
However, there have been some close contests throughout the years. In 2019, Brown's first at WVU, the Mountaineers squeaked by James Madison 20-13. In 2016, Youngstown State led 14-7 until late in the second quarter before falling 38-21.
 
In 2013, WVU rallied from a 17-7 halftime deficit to deposit William & Mary 24-17, and in 2009, Liberty proved pesky in a 33-20 Mountaineer victory. 
 
Saturday's game has been designated a Gold Rush with fans encouraged to wear their gold, and it's also a Coca-Cola Family Day featuring four tickets and a $25 concession voucher for as low as $150. Tickets are still available and can be purchase by calling the Mountaineer Ticket Office toll-free at 1-800-WVU GAME or by logging on to WVUGAME.com.
 
Additional game, parking and stadium information can be accessed here.
 
"We're going to have a really good football team, and one game does not define our season or define who we are, and we're going to play better football and hopefully it will start on Saturday," Brown said.
 
Mountaineer Sports Network coverage begins at 3 p.m. with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading into regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning at 5 p.m. on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com and the popular Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.
 
ESPN+ (Richard Cross and Barrett Brooks) will provide television coverage for the game, which gets underway at 6 p.m.