Virginia and West Virginia are finally back on the same field in a regular-season football game, and Saturday night’s meeting in Charlotte comes with both teams sitting at 2-0. The wait has been a long one - 41 years, to be exact - even though the schools are only 235 miles apart as the crow flies.
There’s some history to the matchup beyond the calendar, too. The last time they met was in the 2022 Continental Tire Bowl, when Virginia rolled to a 48-22 win in Charlotte. A handful of players on either roster were even alive for that, but there is at least one meaningful coaching connection in the game: Virginia head coach Tony Elliott played receiver at Clemson, where Rich Rodriguez - now in his second season of his second stint at WVU - was his offensive coordinator.
The game will also be both teams’ first trip away from home, and their first appearance in an NFL stadium. For an early-season non-conference game, the setting gives it a little extra weight. WVU fans may not care much for the Cavaliers having played “Take Me Home Country Roads” over the loudspeakers during their opening win over NC State, but that’s the sort of side issue the internet can fight over.
The real battle starts on the ground. Rodriguez has always wanted to run it, and through two games the Mountaineers have done exactly that.
Michael Hawkins Jr. leads WVU with 199 rushing yards on 26 carries, while Cam Cook has added 194 yards on 40 attempts. Both have found the end zone three times, including Cook’s 72-yard burst against Coastal Carolina and Hawkins’ 71-yard run against Tennessee-Martin last week.
Virginia, though, has been stingy against the run. The Cavaliers have given up just 131 total rushing yards through two games, a 2.4-yard average, and a big reason is the experience up front on their defensive line.
That could matter even more if West Virginia keeps pushing tempo and goes without a huddle, which would make it tougher for John Rudzinski to rotate fresh linemen. It would matter even more if defensive tackle Jason Hammond, who hurt his elbow against Norfolk State, can’t go.
The concern for West Virginia is what happens when opponents force the ball into the air. Coastal Carolina and Tennessee-Martin both found room downfield, with the Mountaineers allowing five completions of 23 yards or more against Coastal Carolina and two more last week. WVU is giving up 271.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 123rd among 138 FBS teams.
The Mountaineers have still generated seven sacks, but if Virginia can keep Beau Pribula clean, the Cavaliers should have chances to attack that secondary. Pribula has been sharp so far, completing 21 of 25 passes through two games, and this matchup offers a chance to build chemistry with a receiving group that has been Virginia’s biggest unknown.
That receiver room may look different depending on the status of Rico Flores Jr., who is dealing with a sore hamstring. His availability is unclear, and if he can’t play, Virginia will need more from Jacquon Gibson, Kam Courtney, Da’Shawn Martin and Ty’Lyric Coleman. If Flores does suit up, this would be the right night for him to make his Virginia debut.
Neither side has really been tested yet, and both have been at their best in the first half. West Virginia hasn’t allowed a first-half point, outscoring Coastal Carolina and Tennessee-Martin 52-0 before halftime. Virginia has been just as efficient early, taking 17-0 and 28-3 leads into the break against NC State and Norfolk State.
With both teams starting fast, the opening punch may decide a lot. In a matchup like this, getting there first could be everything.
In Other News...
Virginia Gets An Early Chance To Prove Something In Charlotte
Virginia gets an early measuring-stick game in Charlotte this week, meeting West Virginia at Bank of America Stadium in the Dukes Mayo Classic with both programs still unbeaten. It is the kind of nonconference showcase that can tell a lot about where a team really stands, and for Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers, the setting adds an extra layer of intrigue. Virginia has talked about its preparation and the value of playing in a venue with this kind of stage, where the margins tend to show up fast.
For the Cavaliers, this is also the first of two scheduled trips to Charlotte against the Mountaineers, which gives the matchup a little more staying power than a one-off neutral-site date. Virginia has reason to want a cleaner showing in Bank of America Stadium this time around, and the meeting arrives early enough in the season to shape how the rest of the schedule is viewed. A win would not settle anything, but it would offer a sharp answer to a basic question Virginia is trying to answer for itself right now. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces A Serious Defensive Test Before West Virginia Kickoff
Virginias defense is heading into its next nonconference matchup with a different kind of stress test, one that has Tony Elliott focused on more than just the final score. West Virginia brings an efficient, high-tempo offense that can make a defense work from snap to snap, with quarterback Michael Hawkins and running back Cam Cook both giving the Mountaineers production on the ground and keeping the pace moving.
For a Virginia unit that has looked solid in earlier games, the challenge is about sustaining that level while adjusting to a style that does not give much time to breathe. The Cavaliers are also dealing with a likely defensive tackle injury that adds another layer of uncertainty up front, just as they prepare for an opponent built to press that weakness quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Former Virginia Standouts Are Already Forcing Bigger NFL Roles
Week 1 is hardly enough time to draw sweeping conclusions, but several former Virginia standouts wasted no time making themselves part of the conversation at the next level. Olamide Zaccheaus filled in as Atlantas emergency quarterback and running back, Malik Washington led Miami in targets while also helping on special teams, and Malachi Fields made his NFL debut with the Giants and came away with two catches.
The most intriguing early returns may belong to the players who flashed more than one way to help. Jonas Sanker led the Saints in tackles and came close to adding a score, while Dontayvion Wicks found the end zone for Philadelphia, a reminder that Virginias recent NFL pipeline is already producing players who can push for bigger jobs. For a program that has spent years trying to turn college production into pro staying power, that kind of first-week impact is a welcome sign. [Read more 🡒]