Beau Pribula is hardly an unfamiliar face around West Virginia, and now he’s the guy the Mountaineers have to contain.
He showed up in Penn State’s two meetings with WVU in 2023 and 2024, and he was also a quarterback the previous West Virginia staff pushed hard for out of high school. The current staff had him on its radar too, which is why defensive coordinator Zac Alley spoke about Virginia’s QB1 with plenty of familiarity.
“He’s a really good runner. He can get out on the perimeter.
He throws the ball well. There’s like a misdemeanor that they don’t throw the ball.
Like, I wouldn’t throw the ball if I didn’t have to either. And in neither of their first two games they didn’t have to, so it doesn’t really matter," Alley said.
"I think he’s got a great arm. I think he’s a good decision-maker.
I mean, we looked at him in the portal when he came out to fit us here too, so I have a lot of respect for him."
That run-first approach has defined Virginia’s start. Through two games, Pribula has been limited to 25 pass attempts, a reflection of how often the Cavaliers have leaned on the ground game. When things are going the way they want, that’s the direction they want to keep going, including with Pribula taking off himself.
His first season as a full-time starter came a year ago at Missouri, and the passing numbers were solid on the surface: 67% completions, nine interceptions, 11 touchdowns. PFF had him down for eight big-time throws and 12 turnover-worthy plays, a reminder that there was volatility mixed in with the production.
For WVU, the assignment is clear. Keep him boxed in.
Make him work from the pocket when he wants to run. Force him back inside instead of letting him turn the corner and reach the edge, because that’s where the damage can pile up.
In Virginia’s one-sided win over NC State, Pribula ripped off four runs of 10 yards or more, added three designed runs of at least 15 yards, and forced two missed tackles.
“You got to account for all 11,” said WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez. "They're going to play with all 11 with him, and he's a big, physical runner.
He's got experience, so I don't know if you're going to trick him or anything like that. I think part of the biggest key, maybe, in simple terms, is just getting off blocks, and you've got to be able to tackle.
Schematically, too much is made out of that. Defensively, when you're really good, you're in position, but you're getting off blocks and getting people down on the ground, and that's going to be key to tackling him."
In Other News...
Zac Alley Just Put West Virginias Biggest Defensive Concern On Blast
Communication is now the first thing West Virginias defense has to clean up, and defensive coordinator Zac Alley made that point clear after the recent game. For a unit that has spent the early part of the year trying to find consistency, Alley said the biggest issue was not a lack of effort so much as getting the call to travel cleanly from the sideline to the field and back among the players once the offense started shifting looks.
The challenge ahead is sharper than just lining up correctly. Alley pointed to formation changes and motion as the moments that exposed the problem, which means the Mountaineers will spend the coming stretch focused on anticipating what is coming instead of reacting late. If that communication improves, so does the chance for the defense to look like a unit playing with confidence rather than one constantly sorting out the details. [Read more 🡒]
Backyard Brawl Is Getting A Stage WVU Fans Will Love
West Virginias basketball presence in the Pittsburgh area is getting a bigger platform, with Mountaineers players, coach Ross Hodge and athletic director Wren Baker helping promote the inaugural Hope Gas Backyard Basketball Classic. Set for Dec. 9, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena, the event brings together four Division I programs in one building and gives the region a rare, full-day showcase of local college hoops.
For WVU fans, the centerpiece is exactly the kind of stage the Backyard Brawl can thrive on. The doubleheader will feature Pitt, West Virginia, Duquesne and Robert Morris, with the Pitt-WVU matchup serving as the headliner in a setting designed to make the rivalry feel even bigger. It is another reminder that this series can still command attention well beyond the usual calendar date, and this one already has the makings of a marquee trip for Mountaineer supporters. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Suddenly Has A D-Line Problem After Darius Wiley Blow
West Virginias defensive front took a major hit in the season opener when Darius Wiley suffered a lower-body injury against Coastal Carolina and later underwent successful surgery. Rich Rodriguez said Wiley is done for the season, and the recovery timetable stretches well beyond this fall, leaving the Mountaineers to adjust quickly on a unit that already had little room for error.
Emerson Joy, Wilnerson Telemaque and Brandon Caesar are among the players now being asked to absorb more of the workload, and the question is how much the line can hold up while the roster reshuffles around such a significant absence. For a defense trying to settle in early, losing a piece like Wiley so soon forces West Virginia to find answers on the fly, and the ripple effect could linger deep into the year. [Read more 🡒]