```html
Mountaineers welcome former Southern Conference foe in home opener
Homecoming for Mountaineer standouts
It will be a homecoming of sorts Saturday when the West Virginia University football team opens its 2023 season against Coastal Carolina.
The Chanticleers are led by coach Jamey Chadwell, who was the Mountaineers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-21. Chadwell led the Chanticleers to the Sun Belt Conference championship last season.
Familiar faces
Several former Mountaineers are now on the Coastal Carolina roster, including quarterback Grayson McCall, who started for WVU in 2021.
McCall threw for 2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 600 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Other former Mountaineers on the Coastal Carolina roster include wide receiver Sam James, running back A’Varius Sparrow and defensive lineman Dante Stills.
Scouting the Chanticleers
Coastal Carolina is coming off a 11-2 season in which they won the Sun Belt Conference championship.
The Chanticleers are led by a high-powered offense that averaged 36.1 points per game last season.
The defense is led by Stills, who was a First Team All-Sun Belt selection last season.
Mountaineers looking to bounce back
The Mountaineers are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 season in 2022.
Neal Brown is entering his fifth season as head coach at WVU.
The Mountaineers are led by quarterback JT Daniels, who transferred from Georgia in 2022.
Daniels threw for 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
The Mountaineers also have a talented running back in CJ Donaldson, who rushed for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
Prediction
The Mountaineers are a 6.5-point favorite over the Chanticleers.
The Mountaineers should be able to win this game if they can control the tempo of the game and force the Chanticleers to make mistakes.
```
Comments