This week, as the West Virginia Mountaineers host their third annual Coal Rush game, the environment will be a bit different than it was for previous editions of the event. That's because the two previous Coal Rush games were nighttime affairs, while on Saturday, the Mountaineers will kickoff against the Wildcats at Noon.
This is disappointing for a lot of fans, who prefer the all-black uniforms and the blackout crowd theme be used for a night game. However, this week's early kickoff does offer one significant advantage for the Mountaineers.
Arizona will be playing way earlier than they're used to during Week 6 against West Virginia
Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time, and during this time of year they're actually three hours behind Morgantown due to how the state handles Daylight Savings Time. That means that when the Wildcats take the field for Saturday's game, it will be right around 9:00 AM local time for their players.
No team is usually accustomed to playing or practicing that early in the morning, and even though Arizona made the trip a day early to Morgantown in an attempt to adjust to the time difference better, it will still be difficult for their players to get ready to play that early in the day. Especially given the fact that they typically practice during what is evening time for West Virginia's players.
This gives the Mountaineers the perfect chance to get off to a hot start on Saturday and punch the Wildcats in the mouth, because there is a good chance Arizona's players will likely not be fully awake and alert by the time the game will start.
If the Mountaineers can take advantage of the opportunity it could be a major boon for the team on Saturday, and give them an extra edge as they look to get back on track after consecutive losses to start the season.
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