The Smoking Musket
Changing The Culture Of West Virginia Sports
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Wait… Is WVU Women’s Soccer Really This Good?
Photos by Emma Lentz I don’t want to overreact four games into the season. Actually, never mind. This is West Virginia sports. Getting excited early is basically part of the deal. WVU women’s soccer is 4-0, ranked No. 7 in the country and has given Mountaineer fans plenty to be excited about already. The Mountaineers […]
Official WVU Football Depth Chart for Coastal Carolina
There is a lot of ORs in here, but it’s better than nothing. The biggest takeaway for me is that there will be several Freshman that will have a big impact on this team. Kevin Brown stands alone at the Left Tackle spot. Amari Latimer is 2nd in the Running Back room. Cam Torbor (Redshirt […]
Why West Virginia has the Best Fans in the Country
We asked followers of The Smoking Musket Twitter/X account to respond with a number between 0 and 100 that represented their excitement level for the upcoming football season. This is the result: I didn’t know what to expect when I started this poll, but I have to say I’m surprised that the number was this […]
Get the best of The Smoking Musket on the new SB Nation app
It’s a big day for The Smoking Musket. Today, the SB Nation app is live, and it’s the best way to follow the Mountaineers. You can download it by searching SB Nation for iOS or Android. A year ago we made some big changes to our community, including offering fewer ads and the addition of […]
It’s Finally Game Week
After months of camp reps, depth chart speculation, and way too many hours spent theorizing about backfield rotations, it’s here. It’s officially game week. West Virginia opens the 2026 season Saturday at noon against Coastal Carolina at Milan Puskar Stadium, and I don’t think I’m the only one who’s had this date circled for a […]
Mountaineer Memories
There’s something in the air when August comes around. Is it hot humid weather? Maybe it’s the sounds of the insects, or birds, or the angle of the sun? But it’s something. The memories come flooding back. Two-a-days, sweating, those god-awful morning conditioning runs. I thought I had gone out for track! 8-220’s, 4-440’s, 2-880’s […]
Coming Home: Alexis Bordas is ready to represent West Virginia
There is always something a little different about seeing a West Virginia kid put on the Old Gold and Blue. And for Alexis Bordas, that opportunity is finally here. The Wheeling native is coming home after spending her freshman season at Duquesne, where she quickly showed she could score at the college level. Now, instead […]
10 Reasons to be Optimistic for the 2026 Football Season
The Year 2 Bump In Rich Rodriguez’s entire head coaching career he has only had back to back losing seasons twice: Glenville State in 1990-1991 and Michigan in 2008-2009. His average win total for Year 2 in all of his coaching stops combined is 7. In his first stop at WVU, he went from 3-8 […]
A Season We Will Remember
Mountaineer fans, I don’t say this lightly: this is the year. Not “the year we might sneak into a bowl game” or “the year we’re building something.” This is the year you tell your kids about someday. Let me tell you why. The Backfield Nobody Wants to Face Let’s start with the obvious. Cam Cook […]
A New Era for The Smoking Musket
For nearly two decades, The Smoking Musket has been a home for Mountaineer fans to celebrate the wins, agonize over the losses, debate the coaching hires, and share in all the chaos that comes with being a WVU fan. Now, just in time for an undefeated, “Return the Glory,” “They Know What’s Coming and Still […]
The Smoking Musket is looking for a new site manager and writers
If you’re reading this, we’re assuming you love West Virginia. We are looking for a new site manager at The Smoking Musket, as well as additional writers. If you already spend a good amount of your days talking about West Virginia athletics, then this might be a perfect opportunity to take that passion to the […]
West By Pod — A WVU Football Podcast: Mountaineers Open the 2026 Season Against a Coastal Carolina Team in Complete Rebuild Mode
We’re kicking off our EDGE analysis series — our breakdown of every team on the West Virginia schedule, starting with the opener: Coastal Carolina. The EDGE framework: Exodus (who left), Dudes (who’s back), Gains (who they added), Expectations (what the vibes are heading into the season). Powered by RedCircle In this episode Listen on Apple […]
It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye
Nineteen years ago, someone decided to start a blog about the West Virginia Mountaineers. Today, after a decade as site manager, I’m writing my last post for the site that grew out of that decision. I’ve been sitting on this for a while, trying to figure out how to say it. The path forward for […]
West By Pod — A WVU Football Podcast: Big 12 Media Day Takeaways, the 2026 Schedule, and Everything Else We Missed
We’re back. It’s been about six months since we recorded an episode — and there’s a lot to catch up on. Powered by RedCircle In this episode Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major platforms. Follow us on Twitter @smokingmusket, @wvstatsguy, and @GameDayShorts. If you’re interested in sponsoring West By Pod, drop […]
Unreasonable Doubt: 2000s WVU Point Guard Draft With Mountaineer Paul
We’re still a long way from basketball — but there’s a non-conference schedule update worth getting into, a moment happening right now with Country Roads that feels worth talking about, and Mountaineer Paul from Locked On West Virginia is here to do a fantasy draft of WVU point guards from the 2000s. Powered by RedCircle Subscribe […]
First Look: Utah
Game Vitals When: Friday, November 27, 2026 | 9PM EST Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah Series Record: Utah leads the all-time series 3-0. The two teams have only met once since the Utes joined the Big 12, last season when the Utes beat the Mountaineers 48-14 in Morgantown. 2025 Record: 11-2 (7-2 Big […]
First Look: Houston
We’re on the home stretch of our look at all 12 opponents on WVU’s 2026 schedule. Here’s our First Look at Houston. Game Vitals When: Saturday, November 21, 2026 Where: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia Series Record: The series is tied 1-1. Both meetings have been played in Houston — the Mountaineers lost 41-39 […]
First Look: Kansas
We’re on the home stretch of our look at all 12 opponents on WVU’s 2026 schedule. Here’s our First Look at Kansas. Game Vitals When: Saturday, November 14, 2026 Where: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia Series Record: WVU leads the all-time series 11-3. The Mountaineers have won eight of the last nine, but Kansas […]
Unreasonable Doubt: Catching up on the Mountaineers
We’re back after an extended break. The basketball desert is real and Best Virginia isn’t in TBT this summer to help get through it — but there’s enough to catch up on. Powered by RedCircle Subscribe Now! Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Music RSS In this episode Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major platforms. Follow us on […]
First Look: Texas Tech
Every Tuesday and Thursday-ish through late June, we’re working through all 12 opponents on WVU’s 2026 schedule. You can thank Brendan Sorsby for delaying this one. Here’s our First Look at Texas Tech Game Vitals When: Saturday, November 7, 2026 Where: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, Texas Series Record: Texas Tech leads the all-time series 8-7. […]
Steve Sabins wins 2026 Mike Martin National Coach of the Year
West Virginia baseball coach Steve Sabins has been named the 2026 Mike Martin National Coach of the Year, as voted by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association. Sabins is in his second year leading the Mountaineers and has the team in Omaha for the first time in program history, after sweeping Cal Poly by a […]
College World Series: Here’s how West Virginia could make a run in Omaha
WVU baseball has never been to Omaha. That changes this afternoon when the Mountaineers take the field against Troy at Charles Schwab Field in their first ever College World Series — and West Virginia isn’t just happy to be there. They’re there to win the whole thing. The Mountaineers are built in a way that […]
First Look: TCU
Every Tuesday and Thursday through late June, we’re working through all 12 opponents on WVU’s 2026 schedule. Here’s our First Look at TCU Game Vitals When: Saturday, October 24, 2026 Where: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas Series Record: WVU leads the all-time series 8-6. The Mountaineers have won four of the last six […]
First Look: Cincinnati
Every Tuesday and Thursday-ish through late June, we’re working through all 12 opponents on WVU’s 2026 schedule. Here’s our First Look at Cincinnati Game Vitals When: Saturday, October 17, 2026 Where: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia Series Record: WVU leads the all-time series 18-3-1. The Mountaineers have won both meetings since the series resumed […]
First Look: Arizona
Every Tuesday and Thursday through late June, we’re working through all 12 opponents on WVU’s 2026 schedule. Here’s our First Look at Arizona Game Vitals When: Saturday, October 10, 2026 Where: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia Series Record: WVU leads the series 1-0. The only meeting came in 2024, where the Mountaineers won 31-26 […]
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