West Virginia football will cross over the border into the state of Ohio for a matchup with the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday, September 6th at 4pm ET on ESPNU. Here are three keys to victory for the Mountaineers on this weekend in Athens, Ohio.
1. Contain Parker Navarro
In his first season as the full-time starting Quarterback at Ohio, Parker Navarro put together an impressive campaign en route to leading his team to an 11-3 overall record and a conference title in the MAC. He can get it done through the air, and he can certainly get it done on the ground. West Virginia Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley is well aware of the challenges that Navarro presents to opposing defenses.
“He is a top five quarterback in the country when he’s outside of the pocket. He’s unbelievable when he’s on the move," said WVU defensive coordinator Zac Alley
If that is any indication of Alley’s game plan heading into week 2, it seems like he has a strong desire to contain Parker Navarro and limit what he does outside of the pocket. This is a major key for the Mountaineers, and if they want to leave Athens with a win, they can ill-afford to let Navarro have a monster game through the air or on the ground. Keep an eye on this “chess match” between Alley and Navarro as the WVU DC seeks to limit the senior quarterback.
2. Establish the Run
Spot the ball! Rich Rodriguez is back in Morgantown, and he wants to establish the running game early and often, regardless of who the opponent is. It is an added bonus to have a running back as talented as Jahiem White in the backfield. While West Virginia’s offensive line still serves as one of the biggest question marks on the young season for WVU, establishing the run in the first road game of the season is a key to victory for the Mountaineers. West Virginia has to find a way to get Jahiem White into the open field for some big chunk plays. If they are unable to, Ohio just might knock off the Mountaineers one week before the Backyard Brawl in Morgantown.
3. Don’t Beat Yourself
Four first-half fumbles – three lost to the opponent – characterized an ugly first half for the Mountaineer offense in Week 1 against Robert Morris. As 30+ point favorites, West Virginia took just a 10-3 lead into halftime before winning the game 45-3. Against anyone else on WVU’s 2025 schedule, including Ohio, four first-half fumbles would’ve likely meant bad news and an insurmountable hill to climb. Rich Rodriguez-coached teams preach taking care of the football and avoiding mental mistakes. West Virginia’s performance will have to be cleaned up if they wants to head home to Morgantown as a 2-0 football team to start the season.