West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen started his weekly press conference off today talking about Bo Pelini and the Youngstown State Penguins, the Mountaineers' opponent this weekend. Holgorsen noted the Penguins are "extremely sound" and pointed out the fact that the Penguins beat Pitt in 2012 and nearly beat them again in 2015.
Offensively, Holgorsen said, the Penguins will be night and day from what the Mountaineers saw on Saturday against the Missouri Tigers. Youngstown State will rely on fullbacks and tight ends and will look to slow the tempo of the game. On the defensive side, Holgorsen noted that Youngstown State head coach Bo Pelini is known for his defense, and the Penguins return seven or eight starters, including All-American defensive end Derek Rivers, who Holgorsen called a "nuisance."
Moving on to business on the home front, Holgorsen said suspended left guard Adam Pankey is back with the team, but Tony Matteo will remain the starter in that spot. Dana also recognized Justin Arndt, Colton McKivitz and Jeremy Tyler for their performance in the Missouri game, noting that West Virginia now has the ability to fill in holes and not lose much momentum as a result of properly building depth.
West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard will be good to go against the Penguins on Saturday. Holgorsen said there were no broken ribs but there was a shift, making it painful for Howard to breathe, sneeze and walk to class.
The Mountaineers begin to prepare for Bo Pelini and the Youngstown State Penguins today. Kickoff