CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Michael Hawkins put together the kind of night that changes the temperature around a program. The West Virginia quarterback piled up 313 yards of total offense and accounted for five touchdowns as the Mountaineers knocked off No. 25 Virginia 38-27 on Saturday night in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at the Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium.
West Virginia is now 3-0 under second-year coach Rich Rodriguez, and Hawkins has been central to every bit of that start. The transfer, who started five games at Oklahoma over the previous two seasons before arriving in January, kept the Mountaineers moving with his legs and his arm against a Virginia team that came in unbeaten.
Hawkins threw two touchdown passes and ran for three scores, finishing 10 of 17 for 190 yards. On the ground, he added 123 yards on 18 carries. He had already delivered two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown in the first half, then came back with the throw that swung the game for good.
Late in the third quarter, Hawkins found D.J. Epps for his second touchdown pass of the night, giving West Virginia the lead it would not surrender.
Virginia still had one more chance to answer. The Cavaliers drove to the 13, but a sack pushed them back to the 22 and Will Bettridge’s 41-yard field goal try sailed wide right with 9:13 left.
West Virginia made sure there would be no late escape. Hawkins led a 78-yard drive after the miss and capped it himself with a 5-yard run at the 5:24 mark to put the game away.
For Virginia, the loss dropped the Cavaliers to 2-1 and marked their second defeat in Charlotte in the last 10 months. They also lost 27-20 to Duke in the 2025 ACC title game in December at the same stadium.
The Cavaliers had not trailed all season until late in the first half Saturday, but they still appear to be in the mix as an ACC title contender. Their league schedule does not begin until Oct. 3 at Florida State.
West Virginia opened the season with wins over Coastal Carolina, 31-24, and UT Martin, 52-7, and now has a win over a ranked opponent to match its early momentum. The Mountaineers will host Oklahoma State on Saturday.
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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 🡒]
Virginia Let This Rival Game Slip Away In A Hurry
West Virginia had Virginia in a game with plenty of emotion and even more urgency, and the difference came down to a quarterback who kept finding answers. Michael Hawkins Jr. was sharp from the start in the Dukes Mayo Classic, throwing two touchdown passes and repeatedly creating problems with his legs as the Mountaineers handed No. 25 Virginia a 38-27 loss and spoiled a chance to build on an early-season ranking.
Virginia, now 2-1, had its moments but could never quite wrestle control back once the game began tilting West Virginias way. The Mountaineers improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2018, a sign of how much momentum they are carrying, while the Cavaliers are left sorting out what slipped away in a rivalry setting that moved fast and turned into a familiar kind of frustration. [Read more 🡒]