West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is collecting national recognition at a pace that matches his production on the field. On Tuesday, Hawkins was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, while Kentucky defensive back Jordan Castell took home the defensive honor.
The award comes on the heels of a monster showing in West Virginia’s 45-42 win over Cincinnati, a game that put Hawkins squarely in the national spotlight. The redshirt sophomore piled up 464 passing yards and three touchdown throws, then added 77 more yards on the ground along with two rushing scores. That effort made him the first quarterback in Mountaineer history to post at least 450 passing yards and 75 rushing yards in the same game.
Hawkins’ numbers have turned him into one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the Big 12. Even with West Virginia sitting at 4-3 overall, he has been the engine of the offense all season long. He leads all FBS quarterbacks with 749 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, a stat line that drives home just how much damage he can do as both a passer and runner.
This is also not Hawkins’ first time earning Walter Camp recognition this year. He won the same weekly honor in September after his breakout performance against Virginia, a sign of how quickly he has moved into the conversation among the nation’s most electric quarterbacks.
With the Big 12 season moving into its second half, Hawkins has become a weekly headline. West Virginia still has ground to make up in the standings, but the Mountaineers have a weapon who can light up just about anybody, and after another record-setting afternoon, the rest of college football is paying attention.
In Other News...
Rich Rodriguez May Be Closing In On Big Defensive Changes
West Virginias defensive problems have been impossible to ignore, and Rich Rodriguez has spent the past stretch digging into them with his staff. The Mountaineers have lacked a clear defensive identity, which has pushed Rodriguez to stress the basics and demand more urgency from his players as the unit tries to find some stability.
Zac Alley already trimmed the call sheet to just 12 defensive plays for the most recent game, a sign that simplification was part of the answer, at least on paper. Even with that adjustment, the inconsistency has continued, and the upcoming bye week could give Rodriguez another window to make bigger changes if the staff decides the current approach is not enough. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Mourns A Loss That Hits Far Beyond WVU
The loss of West Virginia businessman Ike Morris is being felt well beyond the boardroom. Morris, who built a wide-ranging business portfolio that included Waco Oil & Gas Co., Inc. and Waco Foods LLC, was also known in the state for his philanthropy and for the personal ties he formed along the way, including a close relationship with West Virginia head football coach Rich Rodriguez.
Rodriguez released a statement mourning Morris death, a reminder that some figures matter to the Mountaineers community for reasons that reach past the sidelines. For WVU, this is the kind of news that lands as much in the heart as it does in the headlines, because Morris influence in West Virginia ran through business, charity and the people who knew him best. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Still Has Two Big Problems Heading Into TCU
Rich Rodriguez spent part of the buildup to TCU doing what coaches often do when the tape has been uneven: acknowledging both the challenge ahead and the issues at home. He praised TCUs defense and made clear West Virginias own defensive play still needs work, even as he pointed to players such as Zac Alley and Carsten with the expectation that theyll keep improving as the season moves forward.
The matchup now carries more than the usual Big 12 weight for the Mountaineers, because Rodriguez also took a broader view of what conference championship games mean and how much they matter. For West Virginia, though, the immediate concern is simpler and more urgent: the team has to tighten up on one side of the ball before TCU exposes the same problems again. [Read more 🡒]