West Virginia had plenty of bodies available for its season-opening 31-24 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday, and the participation numbers showed just how deep the Mountaineers’ gameday pool was.
The Mountaineers dressed 116 players for the home opener, a number that would normally look impossible against the NCAA’s 105-player roster limit. That cap still exists, but teams can go beyond it with Designated Student Athletes. West Virginia used that flexibility to get through its first game of the regular season with a massive sideline group.
The dress list broke down to 53 players on offense, 56 on defense and seven on special teams. West Virginia will be able to keep using an uncapped gameday roster for its next two games, since there is no limit for home games or non-conference matchups. The restrictions come later in Big 12 play, when the visiting team is limited to 74 players while the home team remains uncapped.
A year after opening last season with a win over FCS Robert Morris to move to 1-0 for the first time since 2020, the Mountaineers beat the first FBS opponent on their schedule for the first time since 2018.
By the counts gathered and combined for the game, though the numbers are not always exact and often get corrected, 63 players saw action against Coastal Carolina. Pro Football Focus charted snaps for 21 offensive players, 30 defensive players and 12 on special teams, leaving 54 dressed players who did not get into the game.
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WVU Already Has A Few Early Problem Spots Fans Will Notice
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