WVU Experiences Slight Tick Up in ESPN FPI After First Win

The Mountaineers are trending up as they head into a big rivalry game. ESPN’s FPI ticked WVU up one spot coming off a 49-14 win over Albany.

West Virginia is now at No. 47, which is still a decline from starting the season at No. 35. West Virginia dropped from 35 to 48 after a poor performance in a 34-12 loss to Penn State in a much-hyped season opener.

WVU also opens as a 3.5-point road favorite for the 2024 Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh, according to Fan Duel.

Line Opens with West Virginia as Road Favorite in 2024 Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh

But despite the win, WVU fans still have concerns over the defense allowing 14 points to an FCS school, and even a glaring 306 passing yards – the most an FCS has ever produced against a West Virginia team.

The previous high was 280 yards from Liberty in 2015 right before they moved up to the FBS level.

When asked for a comment about the secondary having another rough game, WVU head coach Neal Brown said they didn’t play fast enough. He also added that stats don’t lie about allowing 300 yards passing.

Garrett Greene and the West Virginia offense still won the day, posting 553 total yards. But it’s evident the WVU secondary will have to be better moving forward and opposing quarterbacks will likely try to test the unit in early and often.

Next up for the Mountaineers is another edition of their historic rivalry with Pitt. West Virginia will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers in the 2024 Backyard Brawl. Kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 14 is set for 3:30 pm ET and the game will air on ESPN2.

For a related story, the postgame reaction from WVU’s win over Albany.