Penn State–West Virginia football rivalry

Penn State–West Virginia football rivalry
First Meeting	October 15, 1904
Last Meeting	October 24, 1992
Next Meeting	September 2, 2023
Meetings	59
Series	Penn State leads, 48–9–2

The Penn State–West Virginia football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Penn State Nittany Lions and West Virginia Mountaineers. Penn State leads the series 48–9–2.

Series history

In 1904, West Virginia traveled to University Park to face Penn State for the first time. Penn State won 34–0. West Virginia traveled to University Park for 1905, 1906, 1908, and 1909 games against Penn State; all losses. In 1923, after a 13-year hiatus, the two schools met again at Yankee Stadium in New York City. The result was a 13–13 tie.

In 1925, the first game of the rivalry was played at Old Mountaineer Field in Morgantown. It was also West Virginia's first victory of the rivalry, 14–0. Six years later in 1931, the next game was also played at Morgantown, resulting in another Mountaineer victory. Nine years later, 1940, the next game was played at Penn State, a Nittany Lion victory. In 1941, the Lions won again 7–0.

In 1942, the Mountaineers won at home 24–0. Penn State won the next year 32–7, but West Virginia beat them at home in 1944, 28–27. The next six matchups up to 1952 were all Penn State victories.

In 1953 and 1954, West Virginia upset Penn State at "New Beaver Field", the Nittany Lions' home since 1909, 20–19 and 19–14. In 1955 West Virginia won at home 21–7. From 1956 to 1983, Penn State went 27–0–1. Penn State had consecutive victories over some of West Virginia's greatest quarterbacks, such as Oliver Luck and Penn State-transfer Jeff Hostetler. Joe Paterno also became coach of Penn State in 1967, while Don Nehlen became coach of West Virginia in 1980.

In 1984, West Virginia won for the first time since 1955 in Morgantown, with a 17–14 upset. However, Penn State won the next three. In 1988, under lead of Mountaineers' legend Major Harris, West Virginia won 51–30, en route to an undefeated regular season, making them the only team to score more than 50 points on any Joe Paterno coached Penn State squad. Penn State followed up by winning the last four.

Future

The schools announced on September 19, 2013, that they would renew the series with two games in 2023 and 2024, one each in State College and Morgantown.^[1]

Game results

Penn State victories are shaded ██ blue. West Virginia victories are shaded ██ Mountaineer blue. Ties are white.

Date	Site	Winning team		Losing team		Series
October 15, 1904	State College, PA	Penn State	34	West Virginia	0	Penn State 1–0
November 25, 1905	State College, PA	Penn State	6	West Virginia	0	Penn State 2–0
November 23, 1906	State College, PA	Penn State	11	West Virginia	0	Penn State 3–0
October 24, 1908	State College, PA	Penn State	12	West Virginia	0	Penn State 4–0
November 13, 1909	State College, PA	Penn State	40	West Virginia	0	Penn State 5–0
October 27, 1923	New York, NY	Penn State	13	West Virginia	13	Penn State 5–0–1
November 14, 1925	Morgantown, WV	West Virginia	14	Penn State	0	Penn State 5–1–1
November 21, 1931	Morgantown, WV	West Virginia	19	Penn State	0	Penn State 5–2–1
October 12, 1940	State College, PA	Penn State	17	West Virginia	13	Penn State 6–2–1
November 15, 1941	State College, PA	Penn State	7	West Virginia	0	Penn State 7–2–1
October 31, 1942	Morgantown, WV	West Virginia	24	Penn State	0	Penn State 7–3–1
October 30, 1943	State College, PA	Penn State	32	West Virginia	7	Penn State 8–3–1
October 28, 1944	State College, PA	West Virginia	28	Penn State	27	Penn State 8–4–1
October 25, 1947	State College, PA	Penn State	21	West Virginia	14	Penn State 9–4–1
October 16, 1948	State College, PA	Penn State	37	West Virginia	7	Penn State 10–4–1
November 5, 1949	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	34	West Virginia	14	Penn State 11–4–1
November 11, 1950	State College, PA	Penn State	27	West Virginia	0	Penn State 12–4–1
October 27, 1951	State College, PA	Penn State	13	West Virginia	7	Penn State 13–4–1
October 11, 1952	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	35	West Virginia	21	Penn State 14–4–1
October 31, 1953	State College, PA	West Virginia	20	Penn State	19	Penn State 14–5–1
October 16, 1954	State College, PA	West Virginia	19	Penn State	14	Penn State 14–6–1
October 22, 1955	Morgantown, WV	West Virginia	21	Penn State	7	Penn State 14–7–1
October 27, 1956	State College, PA	Penn State	16	West Virginia	6	Penn State 15–7–1
November 2, 1957	State College, PA	Penn State	27	West Virginia	6	Penn State 16–7–1
November 8, 1958	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	14	West Virginia	14	Penn State 16–7–2
October 31, 1959	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	28	West Virginia	10	Penn State 17–7–2
October 29, 1960	State College, PA	Penn State	34	West Virginia	13	Penn State 18–7–2
November 11, 1961	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	20	West Virginia	6	Penn State 19–7–2
November 10, 1962	State College, PA	Penn State	34	West Virginia	6	Penn State 20–7–2
October 26, 1963	State College, PA	Penn State	20	West Virginia	9	Penn State 21–7–2
October 24, 1964	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	37	West Virginia	8	Penn State 22–7–2
October 23, 1965	State College, PA	Penn State	44	West Virginia	6	Penn State 23–7–2
October 22, 1966	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	38	West Virginia	6	Penn State 24–7–2
October 21, 1967	State College, PA	Penn State	21	West Virginia	14	Penn State 25–7–2
October 5, 1968	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	31	West Virginia	20	Penn State 26–7–2
October 11, 1969	State College, PA	Penn State	20	West Virginia	0	Penn State 27–7–2
October 31, 1970	State College, PA	Penn State	42	West Virginia	8	Penn State 28–7–2
October 30, 1971	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	35	West Virginia	7	Penn State 29–7–2
October 28, 1972	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	28	West Virginia	19	Penn State 30–7–2
October 27, 1973	State College, PA	Penn State	62	West Virginia	14	Penn State 31–7–2
October 26, 1974	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	21	West Virginia	12	Penn State 32–7–2
October 11, 1975	State College, PA	#10 Penn State	39	#9 West Virginia	0	Penn State 33–7–2
October 23, 1976	Morgantown, WV	Penn State	33	West Virginia	0	Penn State 34–7–2
October 22, 1977	State College, PA	#10 Penn State	49	West Virginia	28	Penn State 35–7–2
October 29, 1978	Morgantown, WV	#2 Penn State	49	West Virginia	21	Penn State 36–7–2
October 27, 1979	State College, PA	Penn State	31	West Virginia	6	Penn State 37–7–2
October 25, 1980	Morgantown, WV	#13 Penn State	20	West Virginia	15	Penn State 38–7–2
October 24, 1981	State College, PA	#1 Penn State	30	West Virginia	7	Penn State 39–7–2
October 23, 1982	Morgantown, WV	#9 Penn State	24	#13 West Virginia	0	Penn State 40–7–2
October 22, 1983	State College, PA	Penn State	41	#4 West Virginia	23	Penn State 41–7–2
October 27, 1984	Morgantown, WV	#18 West Virginia	17	#19 Penn State	14	Penn State 41–8–2
October 26, 1985	State College, PA	#3 Penn State	27	West Virginia	0	Penn State 42–8–2
November 1, 1986	Morgantown, WV	#2 Penn State	19	West Virginia	0	Penn State 43–8–2
October 31, 1987	State College, PA	#18 Penn State	25	West Virginia	21	Penn State 44–8–2
October 29, 1988	Morgantown, WV	#7 West Virginia	51	Penn State	30	Penn State 44–9–2
November 4, 1989	State College, PA	#16 Penn State	19	#13 West Virginia	9	Penn State 45–9–2
November 3, 1990	Morgantown, WV	#24 Penn State	31	West Virginia	19	Penn State 46–9–2
October 26, 1991	State College, PA	#8 Penn State	51	West Virginia	6	Penn State 47–9–2
October 24, 1992	Morgantown, WV	#14 Penn State	40	West Virginia	26	Penn State 48–9–2

References

↑ "WVU, Penn State to renew football series". The Journal. September 19, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013.

Penn State Nittany Lions football

Venues	Old Main Beaver Field New Beaver Field Beaver Stadium (1960–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Alabama Maryland Michigan State Minnesota Ohio State Pittsburgh Syracuse West Virginia

Culture & lore	Nittany Lion "Fight On, State" Penn State Blue Band Angleball Uplifting Athletes Joe Paterno statue Nebraska–Penn State, 1982

People	Head coaches All-Americans Statistical leaders

Seasons	1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

National championship seasons in bold

West Virginia Mountaineers football

Venues	Mountaineer Field (1924–1979) Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium (1980–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Marshall Maryland Penn State Pittsburgh Syracuse Virginia Tech

Culture & lore	The Mountaineer West Virginia University Mountaineer Marching Band "Take Me Home, Country Roads"

People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders

Seasons	1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Big Ten Conference football rivalries

Conference	Illinois–Northwestern Illinois–Ohio State Illinois–Purdue Indiana–Michigan State Indiana–Purdue Iowa–Minnesota Iowa–Nebraska Iowa–Wisconsin Maryland–Penn State Michigan State–Penn State Michigan–Michigan State Michigan–Minnesota Michigan–Ohio State Minnesota–Nebraska Minnesota–Penn State Minnesota–Wisconsin Nebraska–Wisconsin Ohio State–Penn State

Non-conference	Alabama–Penn State Colorado–Nebraska Illinois–Missouri Indiana–Kentucky Iowa–Iowa State Johns Hopkins–Maryland Maryland–Navy Maryland–Virginia Maryland–West Virginia Miami–Nebraska Michigan State–Notre Dame Michigan–Notre Dame Missouri–Nebraska Nebraska–Oklahoma Northwestern–Notre Dame Notre Dame–Purdue Penn State–Pittsburgh Penn State–Syracuse Penn State–West Virginia

Big 12 Conference football rivalry games

Conference	Baylor–TCU Baylor–Texas Tech Bedlam Series (Oklahoma–Oklahoma State) Texas–Texas Tech Red River Showdown (Oklahoma–Texas) Kansas–Kansas State Iowa State–Kansas State TCU–Texas Tech Oklahoma State–Texas Tech

Non-conference	Arkansas–Texas Battle of the Brazos (Baylor–Texas A&M) Border War (Kansas–Missouri) Iowa–Iowa State Iowa State–Missouri Missouri–Oklahoma Nebraska–Oklahoma SMU–TCU TCU–Texas A&M Texas A&M–Texas Tech Texas–Texas A&M Friends of Coal Bowl (Marshall–West Virginia) Maryland–West Virginia Penn State–West Virginia Syracuse–West Virginia Virginia Tech–West Virginia Backyard Brawl (Pittsburgh–West Virginia)

Penn State Nittany Lions rivalries

Football	Alabama Maryland Michigan State Minnesota Ohio State Pittsburgh Syracuse West Virginia

Basketball	Bucknell Pittsburgh

Other	Bucknell (Lacrosse) Lehigh (Wrestling)