Michael Hawkins Jr. put West Virginia on his back and walked away with a signature win.
Hawkins ran for three touchdowns, threw for two more and powered the Mountaineers past No. 25 Virginia, 38-27, in the Duke's Mayo Classic on Saturday night in Charlotte, N.C. He finished 10 of 17 for 190 yards through the air and piled up a career-high 123 rushing yards on 18 carries, the kind of dual-threat night that kept Virginia chasing all evening.
West Virginia’s offense had plenty of help. DJ Epps turned three catches into 92 yards and two touchdowns, while Cam Cook churned out 123 yards on 30 carries. The result pushed the Mountaineers to 3-0 for the first time since 2018.
Virginia got strong production too, but not enough late. Jekail Middlebrook ran for 75 yards and scored both on the ground and as a receiver for the Cavaliers, who fell to 2-1 after leading 14-7 after the opening quarter. Beau Pribula went 21 of 33 for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
The game swung for good in the final minutes of the third quarter. With 12 seconds left in the period, Hawkins hit Epps for a 21-yard touchdown that gave West Virginia a 28-21 edge. Virginia had a chance to answer immediately, but the drive ended in frustration with a third-down sack by Ashton Woods and a missed field goal.
West Virginia then widened the gap in the fourth. Hawkins broke loose for a 5-yard touchdown run with 5:24 remaining, and Jack Cassidy added a 21-yard field goal after the two-minute warning to make it 38-21. Virginia trimmed the margin when Pribula found John Rogers for a 2-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left.
The Cavaliers opened the scoring on their first possession, going 12 plays and 62 yards before Middlebrook finished it off with an 8-yard run. West Virginia answered fast when Hawkins hurdled into the end zone on a 13-yard run to tie it 7-7. Xavier Brown then ripped off a 47-yard touchdown run with six seconds left in the first quarter to put Virginia back in front.
Hawkins kept coming. Early in the second quarter, he connected with Epps on a 29-yard touchdown to even things again, then delivered a 42-yard pass to Epps on the final drive before halftime. Hawkins finished that march himself with a 15-yard scramble with 26 seconds left, sending West Virginia to the break up 21-14.
Virginia answered in the third quarter when Pribula hit Middlebrook on a 1-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 21-21. A 26-yard catch by Rico Flores Jr. on fourth-and-10 kept that drive alive, but the Cavaliers could not keep pace once West Virginia seized control late.
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Virginia's First Loss Exposed A Problem Fans Won't Ignore
Virginias first loss of the season came with a jolt, as No. 25 Virginia fell 38-27 to West Virginia in the Dukes Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium. The Cavaliers had to contend with a Mountaineers team that looked sharper in key moments and carried the edge under Rich Rodriguez, whose squad moved to 3-0 after handling the stage from start to finish.
The bigger concern for Virginia was how quickly the game tilted once West Virginia found its rhythm offensively. Michael Hawkins was the engine throughout the afternoon, keeping the Cavaliers under pressure with a mix of passing and running production that made the Mountaineers difficult to contain. For a Virginia team trying to establish itself early in the season, this was the kind of loss that raises questions beyond the final score, especially with the margin for error already shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Just Relived A Problem Cavaliers Fans Know Too Well
Virginias non-conference meeting with West Virginia ended with many of the same frustrations Cavaliers fans have seen before, as the Mountaineers controlled the game in a 38-27 loss for Tony Elliotts team. West Virginia was better on the ground, better in total yards and steadier in key moments, while Virginias offense never found enough rhythm to keep pace for long stretches.
The bigger concern was how often Virginia was put on its heels. The Cavaliers defense allowed 437 yards, and West Virginias Michael Hawkins Jr. kept the pressure on throughout with a performance that tilted the game in the Mountaineers favor. Virginia also struggled to sustain drives, converting only six of 16 third downs, which left too many possessions ending without the answers needed to change the flow. [Read more 🡒]