Mike Hawkins Jr. walked away from the weekend with one of the biggest games in the Big 12, but not with the league’s weekly offensive award.
The West Virginia quarterback torched Cincinnati in a 541-yard, five-touchdown performance, finishing 25 of 33 for 464 passing yards and three scores while adding 77 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on 26 carries. It was the kind of stat line that usually puts a player right at the front of the conference conversation.
Instead, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week nod went to BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier.
Bachmeier had a strong outing of his own in BYU’s win over No. 2 Notre Dame, going 23 of 36 for 224 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
He also ran for 45 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. But Hawkins’ day was on another level, especially when it came with the pressure of finishing a game.
West Virginia needed him to deliver in the biggest moment, and he did exactly that on the drive that decided it. Facing a 3rd and 9 from his own 2-yard line, Hawkins helped steer the Mountaineers into position for the winner. Two deep completions of 40 yards each to Prince Strachan pushed WVU into field goal range, and Jack Cassidy drilled the walk-off kick through the uprights.
"The nice part about it is, he's still going to keep getting better and better," WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said about his quarterback on his radio show Monday night. "I'm really excited about the way he's coming along.
He's faced new challenges every week. One of his best traits, and I saw it in the spring, is that he has a certain level of decisiveness, even before he learned the whole system.
You can see that coming, and his confidence continuing to grow. There's a lot we can do, and he's not holding us back.
We got new guys up front, and we've got young guys at wideout, but Mike can handle a lot. The exciting part about it is I think we can do more and more with him, and he's got two more years.
We want to continue to grow with him. His best football is still out in front of him."
The Mountaineers got the result that mattered most, but Hawkins’ production still turned heads. With his latest big day, he now ranks fifth in the Big 12 in passing with 1,519 yards, a total that also places him 40th among FBS quarterbacks.
In Other News...
Former Oklahoma QBs Are Creating An Uncomfortable Reminder For Sooners Fans
Michael Hawkins has given West Virginia a jolt this season, and for anyone watching from Norman, there is a familiar sting to the way he has done it. The former Oklahoma quarterback has been productive as a passer and as a runner, even leading the nation in rushing touchdowns, while helping the Mountaineers stay in the thick of things at 4-3.
The reminder gets a little more uncomfortable when Jackson Arnold enters the picture. Another former Sooners quarterback, Arnold has also found his footing at UNLV with solid work through the air and on the ground, and he has played a part in the Rebels' recent success as well. For Oklahoma fans, seeing both quarterbacks move on and win elsewhere is the kind of storyline that lingers long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Is Bracing For A Very Different WVU Defense
TCU is spending the week preparing for a West Virginia team that looks different on both sides of the ball than what the Horned Frogs may have seen earlier this season. In his pregame press conference, Sonny Dykes pointed to a Mountaineers offense that can push the tempo, threaten defenses on the ground and through the air, and force opponents to play fast without much breathing room.
What has also caught TCUs attention is the shape of West Virginias defense. Dykes described it as young, but still physical and aggressive, the kind of unit that can create problems even when the numbers have not always shown it consistently. Michael Hawkins Jr. also came up as a player the Frogs will have to account for, with Dykes calling him athletic and difficult to defend, another reminder that this matchup comes with more moving parts than a simple glance at the standings might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Cooks Next Decision Could Change West Virginias 2026 Outlook
Mike Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook have given West Virginia a look that feels familiar in the best possible way, with the quarterbacks dual-threat production and Cooks steady surge on the ground drawing obvious comparisons to the Pat White and Steve Slaton era. Hawkins has more than 1,500 passing yards and 700 rushing yards, while Cook has climbed to fifth nationally in rushing yards, giving the Mountaineers a backfield pairing that has made the offense harder to defend and the future easier to imagine.
Cooks next move may end up shaping more than just his own draft stock. He could return for another college season, but he is also drawing attention as a possible day-three NFL pick, and the evaluation around him is not clean-cut thanks to questions about age, workload and speed. For West Virginia, the decision matters because keeping that kind of backfield threat intact would go a long way toward defining what the 2026 offense can become. [Read more 🡒]