WVU Fan Takeover Could Be the X-Factor That Breaks Ohio’s Home Field Edge

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Anthony Halkias | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 8:29 AM ET

When the West Virginia Mountaineers travel to Athens, Ohio, it won’t feel like an away game. At least that is what many are expecting. WVU may technically be the road team, but the Mountaineer faithful should travel well, considering Peden Stadium is not a far trip for the majority of WVU fans.

The WVU fan base is one of the most underrated in all of sports. Give them a drivable road game, and they'll show up in numbers. For Rich Rodriguez and his team, this should be a nice boost against a very dangerous Group of Six team. This is likely the last game WVU will even be favored in for the foreseeable future, buo Of course, a lot can change as a season goes on. From here on out, the schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Mountaineers, so getting a win in Athens is pivotal for this group.

https://t.co/OxUVdAyq71
— WVU Sports (@WVUSports) September 4, 2025

The WVU Sports X account trolled the Ohio X account a little bit on Thursday. Ohio made a post to announce the fact that they would have a sold-out crowd when WVU comes to town Saturday.

WVU Sports sent back a subtle, but direct message with a smirking emoji. That was the WVU account’s way of nicely saying that the Mountaineer fan base is a big reason for the sold-out game.

Rodriguez got his team off to a nice start, beating Robert Morris 45-3 at home. Now, Rich Rod and company will look to ride the momentum of that first win into Ohio — a team that just took Rutgers to the wire.

Parker Navarro is a dual-threat quarterback who can move the rock. Slowing him down and containing him is a must if West Virginia wants to escape with a win and move to 2-0. Having the crowd advantage, or at the very least, a near 50/50 split, is a small but helpful aspect of this game. It’s a game of inches after all.

This article first appeared on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: