Youngstown State @ West Virginia preview

Justin Crawford came to West Virginia with high expectations and the junior did not disappoint in his debut. Crawford seeks a second 100-yard outing as the Mountaineers host FCS member Youngstown State on Saturday.

Filling in for injured starter Rushel Shell in last week's 26-11 victory over Missouri, Crawford ran for 101 yards on 21 carries and added five catches. In two seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College, Crawford ran for 3,161 yards - 6.7 per carry - and 30 touchdowns and earned Spalding's NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year last season. “I’ve hinted at it that he’s a good player and I think he’s just getting started,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen told reporters this week. “He’s competitive, he’s shifty and he’s got great ball skills. Shell finished with 90 yards before departing with a cramp, including a 23-yard TD in the first quarter, as the Mountaineers piled up 241 yards on the ground.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports. LINE: None.

ABOUT YOUNGSTOWN STATE (1-0): The Penguins, led by ex-Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, are coming off a 45-10 victory over Duquesne in their opener, outgaining the Dukes 610-222. Junior signal-caller Ricky Davis was impressive in his first career start, completing 12-of-16 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns while running for 74 yards on 10 carries. Senior Jody Webb ran for 96 yards on seven carries to become the 19th player in school history to run for at least 2,000 yards in a career. Tevin McCaster led the Penguins with 107 yards rushing on seven attempts, while Martin Ruiz had 89 yards on 11 carries.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (1-0): Quarterback Skyler Howard, who played through a rib injury and completed 23-of-35 passes for 253 yards and an interception, is expected back at full strength. Senior Daikiel Shorts Jr. had eight catches for a career-high 131 yards. The defense, which last season tied for third in FBS with just nine rushing touchdowns allowed, ranked second nationally with 23 interceptions and finished 13th in third-down defense, did yield 462 yards to Missouri, but 185 of that came in the fourth quarter when the outcome was already decided.

EXTRA POINTS

1. West Virginia beat Youngstown 27-6 in 1938 in the only other contest between the teams. The Penguins are 1-10 against Power 5 schools and have never played a Big 12 team.

2. Despite the solid win over Missouri, the Mountaineers' offense committed three turnovers and had four drives stalled inside the red zone, leading to short field goals by K Mike Molina.

3. West Virginia better hope Howard can play all the way because backup QBs William Crest lost a fumble and Chris Chugunov threw an interception in limited action.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 44, Youngstown State 17