Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in the comments.
ROAD TEST
West Virginia moved to 1–0 with a win over Robert Morris, but Rich Rodriguez used his weekly press conference to point
out that the trip to Ohio will be a different challenge. The defending MAC champions pushed Rutgers to the wire in their opener, and are preparing for one of the biggest crowds in Peden Stadium history.
Rodriguez emphasized that the week is about handling the uncomfortable parts of the game. The Mountaineers will have to deal with a long bus ride, the small visitor’s locker room, and a quarterback in Parker Navarro who can beat teams with both his arm and his legs. Navarro accounted for four touchdowns at Rutgers and will be the focus of West Virginia’s defensive plan.
The opener left plenty to clean up as the Mountaineers lost three fumbles in the first half, a stretch Rodriguez said cost valuable snaps for backups and made ball security a top priority this week.
For a program still building their identity, the Ohio trip is a chance to see how they respond away from home against a proven opponent. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. Saturday with the game broadcast on ESPNU.
MOUNTAINEER ROUNDUP
- Darrian Lewis is looking for payback this week. The Akron native lost four times to Ohio while playing for his hometown Zips, and now he gets another shot as a Mountaineer. Lewis and fellow transfers Fred Perry and Derek Carter Jr. have all faced Bobcats QB Parker Navarro before, and they’ll be leaned on as WVU tries to snap Ohio’s 17–1 run at Peden Stadium.
- Ohio coach Brian Smith knows what’s coming Saturday. He called Rich Rod’s Mountaineers “fast, physical, and built on the run” after watching the opener, and said WVU’s tempo will be a major challenge.
- No. 6 WVU men’s soccer return home Wednesday night for a top-15 showdown with No. 13 Gardner-Webb. The Mountaineers are unbeaten through three matches, fresh off a scoreless draw at Akron, and Marcus Caldeira and Thijs Veldhorst just swept the Sun Belt weekly awards. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Dick Dlesk on ESPN+ and U92.
- Speaking of, The DA has a feature on Marcus Caldeira, who just keeps adding to his Mountaineer legacy. The senior forward scored career goals No. 30 and 31 against La Salle, and Dan Stratford says he has a chance to go down as one of the most decorated players in program history.
- Ryan Leach is the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week after firing a school-record 17-under to win the Island Resort Collegiate in Michigan. Leach’s second career victory also helped the Mountaineers post a program-best 55-under team score.
- The Pride has a new home. WVU’s marching band cut the ribbon on a $1.6 million practice field last week, complete with turf lined to match Milan Puskar Stadium. The Med Fields site also adds lighting and easier access to campus, and the proposed name — Don Wilcox Field — honors the late director who built “The Pride of West Virginia” into a 300-member powerhouse.
MOUNTAINEER PROS
- Ryan Bergert will get the start for the Royals as they take on the Angels tonight. Bergert has been a bright spot through his first 64 big-league innings, posting a 2.67 ERA with solid strikeout stuff.
- The Titans are signing Kyzir White after his career-best year in Arizona. White racked up 137 tackles in 2024 and will start out on Tennessee’s practice squad before competing with Cedric Gray and James Williams Sr. for a spot next to Cody Barton.
- JJ Wetherholt was just ranked the No. 2 prospect in baseball by The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, and he’s looked every bit the part at Triple-A with an OPS over 1.000. St. Louis has yet to call him up, but the WVU product is viewed as the club’s second baseman of the future and could debut as soon as Opening Day 2026.
AROUND THE LEAGUE (AND BEYOND)
- Ohio State is back on top of the AP poll for the first time since 2015, jumping to No. 1 after knocking off preseason No. 1 Texas. LSU and Miami both climbed into the top five, Florida State rejoined at No. 14, and Alabama tumbled all the way to No. 21 — its lowest ranking since 2008.
- Deion Sanders defended his clock management and staff on Tuesday, while also announcing five-star freshman QB JuJu Lewis will see the field against Delaware.
- Two Vanderbilt players are part of a new class action lawsuit against the NCAA, pushing for athletes to get five full seasons of competition instead of four. Linebacker Langston Patterson and defensive lineman Issa Ouattara are among 10 athletes filing the case, which could impact eligibility rules across Division I.
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