West Virginia’s offense is leaning hard on the ground game through four games, and the split is starting to look extreme even by Rich Rodriguez’s standards.
The Mountaineers are running the ball 78% of the time in 2026, with just 22% of their plays coming through the air. That’s a major shift from Rodriguez’s previous stops as a play-caller, and it’s raising questions about whether the offense is doing enough to help itself.
There’s no mystery about why the run game keeps showing up. Cam Cook is a dynamic back, and Hawkins is an elite runner too.
WVU has already shown it can pile up yardage on the ground, including more than 330 rushing yards and 29 first downs in the loss to Oklahoma State. But the issue is what happens when the Mountaineers don’t mix in enough passes to keep defenses honest.
Against Oklahoma State, West Virginia threw just six passes in the first half. The Cowboys adjusted by loading the box, and the run game lost some of its punch.
WVU averaged 6.2 yards per carry in the first half, then dropped to 3.9 in the second half. That’s still respectable, but it wasn’t enough to keep Oklahoma State guessing.
This isn’t to say Rodriguez has never been run-heavy. His career numbers show plenty of ground emphasis:
Glenville State (1996): 42% run | 58% pass
Tulane (1997-98): 56% run | 44% pass
Clemson (1999-2000): 60% run | 40% pass
West Virginia (2001-07): 70% run | 30% pass
Michigan (2008-10): 61% run | 39% pass
Arizona (2012-17): 57% run | 43% pass
Ole Miss (2019): 63% run | 37% pass
UL Monroe (2021): 58% run | 42% pass
Jacksonville State (2022-24): 66% run | 34% pass
West Virginia (2025): 62% run | 38% pass
West Virginia (2026): 78% run | 22% pass
That last number stands out. Even Rodriguez’s first West Virginia run, which leaned heavily on the run, sat at 70/30. This group is well beyond that.
Part of the problem appears to be pass protection. True freshman Kevin Brown and Carsten Casady have both struggled, and the two tackles combined allowed 12 pressures against Oklahoma State. Hawkins only dropped back 32 times, so those pressures came fast.
The receiving corps also isn’t helping enough. The routes, as described, are often too deep, which makes it harder for Hawkins to get the ball out quickly.
The quick game could help here: bubbles, slants, drags, quick hitches, quick outs and RPOs with screens attached. The idea is simple - force defenses to defend the whole field and create easier throws for Hawkins.
That matters because the idea that Rodriguez is hiding from the pass doesn’t fit the numbers. Hawkins entered the Oklahoma State game leading the nation in big-time throws at 17% and in yards per completion at 18.3, while completing 68% of his passes.
He can throw the ball. The issue is not whether he can do it, but whether the offense is giving him enough chances to do it in a way that works.
The current setup is putting West Virginia behind the chains too often. Three of Hawkins’ first six passes against Oklahoma State came on third down.
Four of his first eight were on third down. His average third-down passing distance for the night was 7.5 yards, which is a tough spot for any offense, especially one that isn’t throwing much to begin with.
That workload is adding up for Hawkins, too. In Rodriguez’s first stint at West Virginia, Pat White averaged 13.8 carries in 2006 and 15.2 in 2007.
Hawkins is at 18 carries per game through one-third of the season, and against FBS opponents that number jumps to 22. Even if it settles into the 18-20 range, that is still a heavy load.
The bigger point is that West Virginia may be leaving offense on the table. The run game is good, but the passing game needs more volume, more rhythm and more variety if the Mountaineers want to get the most out of Hawkins and the offense as a whole.
Rodriguez has a real chance to turn the program around quickly with Hawkins at quarterback. The defensive problems are obvious. So is this one.
In Other News...
West Virginia Faces A Bigger Defensive Concern Than One Bad Loss
West Virginias loss to Oklahoma State was not the kind you can pin on one bad quarter or one lopsided stat sheet. The Mountaineers actually had some encouraging numbers on defense and put up a strong rushing total, but the film still told a more troubling story. The new defensive scheme was supposed to help unsettle an opponent that likes to push the ball, yet Oklahoma State found too many ways to hit big plays and keep the pressure on.
What made the defeat sting was how often West Virginia let those chances slip through its hands. Missed tackles piled up, explosive plays came too easily, and the staff admitted the game plan simply did not work as intended. For a team trying to build momentum, the bigger concern is not just the result itself, but whether the defensive issues exposed in this one are tied to a deeper problem than a single rough afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Fans Get A Coal Rush Twist They Werent Expecting
West Virginias October 10 matchup with Arizona now has a start time and a national TV home, and it comes with an early kickoff that should give Mountaineer fans plenty of time to settle in. The Big 12 announced the game will kick at 12 p.m. ET in Morgantown and air on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max, adding another layer of visibility to a nonconference meeting that already carries some curiosity.
Arizona arrives with a little momentum after improving to 3-1 with a win over Washington State, while West Virginia will be trying to build on the familiarity of a series that has been played only once before. The Mountaineers won that 2021 meeting 31-26, and this years game lands in the middle of a busy stretch for the Wildcats, who will turn around and face Cincinnati in a late kickoff the following week. [Read more 🡒]
Mountaineers Around The NFL Are Giving WVU Fans Plenty To Track
Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season gave West Virginia fans plenty of familiar names to watch, with eight former Mountaineers appearing in games and five of them opening in the starting lineup. Geno Smith had the biggest statistical day of the group, working efficiently for the New York Jets by completing 31 of 37 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns, while Rasul Douglas contributed for the Washington Commanders with three tackles and a pass breakup.
Around the league, the rest of the Mountaineers alumni turned in a mix of snaps, roles and availability that kept WVU followers checking box scores well beyond Sunday afternoon. Some were active in different capacities, while others landed on reserve or inactive lists, a reminder that the Mountaineers NFL footprint remains spread across multiple teams and situations as the season gets moving. [Read more 🡒]