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Three lessons from No. 8 Penn State’s 34-12 win over West Virginia
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Three lessons from No. 8 Penn State’s 34-12 win over West Virginia

1: Hiccups at the beginning of the season

While not ideal on the road against a power conference opponent, the Nittany Lions overcame some early miscues that are common in first-game situations, and especially common with new coordinators on both sides. The defense settled in fairly quickly and took advantage of West Virginia’s own mistakes. The offense, however, took a little longer to get going.

It’s certainly fortunate for Penn State that they have a defense reliable enough to give the offense time to adjust to its environment.

2: Wallace may be healthy

With a final stat line of 5 receptions for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns, what we already knew before the season was confirmed: Harrison Wallace III is the man at the receiver spot, and now we just have to see who can step up as the second option. So far, it looks like Omari Evans is staking a claim at number two.

3: No weather delay shenanigans

As soon as the weather delay was announced, flashbacks to 2017 for the Nittany Lion contingent disappeared. The Nittany Lions would not have a repeat of their game against Michigan State, however, as they came out strong, scoring on their first drive of the second half, holding West Virginia to a three-and-out shortly thereafter, and then deciding the game for good early in the fourth quarter.

BONUS: Rate these games

I don’t often tell you what to do with your lives, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that #Unrivaled is just a slogan. Let’s appreciate all of Penn State’s rivalries, big and small. As uneven as they may be, rivalries are what make college football what it is, and Penn State has plenty of historic ones. Who knows when Penn State will play West Virginia again, so let’s appreciate the past two years for what they were: a chance for the Nittany Lions to breathe new life into a piece of their history.