Michael Hawkins Jr. was the difference in West Virginia’s win over Cincinnati, and he showed it in every possible way.
The quarterback piled up a massive line: 25 completions on 33 attempts for 464 yards, three passing touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 26 carries for 77 yards and two more scores on the ground.
He has flashed arm talent all year, but this was the game where he answered the question people had been asking: could he win one with his arm if he had to? Against Cincinnati, the answer was yes.
The biggest shift wasn’t that Hawkins stopped using his legs. It was how he used them.
Instead of taking off the moment pressure showed up, he bought time to throw. One of the clearest examples came in the fourth quarter on a third-and-3, when he scrambled left, then right, and let it fly downfield to a streaking DJ Epps.
The pass hit perfectly for a 32-yard gain, and the drive eventually ended with a touchdown to tie the game.
West Virginia also got the defensive stop it needed when it mattered most.
That doesn’t mean the defense suddenly turned into a finished product. The same issues that have followed this unit all season were still there.
But with the game tied in the fourth quarter, the defense had to get the ball back to Hawkins and the offense with a chance to win, and it did exactly that. It also shut down an attempted fake punt that could have buried the Mountaineers in what has felt like a cursed season at times.
The second half settled into the kind of back-and-forth shootout WVU has seen before this year, with neither defense able to consistently get off the field. That was the same script against Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Arizona, and all three ended in losses because West Virginia blinked first.
This time, the defense finally made the play that kept the game alive. There is still plenty to clean up on that side of the ball, but winning changes the picture quickly.
Rich Rodriguez’s play calling deserves plenty of credit, too.
If someone had said before kickoff that Cincinnati would finish with more than 600 yards of total offense and West Virginia would be held to 134 rushing yards, it would have sounded like a bad sign for the Mountaineers. Instead, Rodriguez leaned into the passing game and opened things up in a way that stood out. He used Michael Hawkins in the RPO game, forced Cincinnati to choose its poison, and Hawkins kept making them pay.
The intermediate passing game was a major part of it, giving playmakers room to work after the catch. Rodriguez also found another way to get Cam Cook involved when the run game wasn’t there. A screen to Cook turned into a touchdown, even though he had been nearly erased as a runner all day.
The biggest snap came with the game tied 42-42 and 1:48 left. Facing a third-and-9 from their own 2-yard line, West Virginia needed something huge, and Hawkins delivered a deep ball to 6-foot-5 receiver Prince Strachan.
Strachan hauled it in for 41 yards despite what should have been a pass interference flag. Two plays later, Hawkins went back to Strachan for another 39 yards to push the Mountaineers into field-goal range.
In Other News...
WVU Put Up 45 But These Grades Exposed Bigger Problems
West Virginias offense gave plenty to like through seven games, and the Pro Football Focus grades back up what showed up on Saturdays. DJ Epps and Ryan Ward were among the brighter spots on that side of the ball, giving the Mountaineers some needed production as the season moved into its second half. Even with the offense carrying more of the load, the grades painted a broader picture of a team still trying to sort out where its strengths really are.
The deeper issue was on the other side of the ball, where the offensive line and several defensive groups drew lower marks. Injuries on the defensive line have only added to the strain, while linebackers and safeties have had a hard time holding up in pass coverage. For West Virginia, the concern is not just about one bad showing, but whether those breakdowns are becoming a pattern the staff has to solve quickly. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Finally Broke Through But One Concern Isn't Going Away
West Virginia finally snapped its skid Saturday with a 45-42 win over Cincinnati, a result that gave the Mountaineers their first victory since Sept. 19 and pushed them to 4-3. It was the kind of needed response that can steady a team in midseason, especially with Mike Hawkins Jr. delivering one of the biggest passing days of the year and DJ Epps doing major damage downfield.
Mike Hawkins Jr. was nearly unstoppable, completing 25 of 33 passes for 464 yards and three touchdowns while adding 77 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. Epps was just as central to the offense, catching eight passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, but even in a breakthrough win, the way West Virginia won made clear there is still plenty to sort out moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Already Has One Early Issue Ross Hodge Can't Ignore
The first real test of the Ross Hodge era for West Virginia came in an exhibition against Maryland, and it exposed both the promise and the problems this group will have to work through before the games start counting. The Mountaineers pushed the Terrapins into overtime, which at least offered a glimpse of the competitiveness Hodge wants, but it also showed a team still sorting out its identity after a long offseason of change.
For a staff trying to build habits early, the details mattered as much as the result. There were encouraging individual moments, including from the Butler transfer and other key players, but the larger takeaway was harder to miss: this roster already has an issue that cannot wait until midseason to get addressed. With the opener ahead, Hodge has a useful teaching tape and a clear reminder that exhibition success is only part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]