West Virginia’s season opener ended the way Mountaineer fans wanted, with “Take Me Home, Country Roads” ringing out after a 31-24 win over Coastal Carolina. The result put WVU at 1-0, but Rich Rodriguez made it clear afterward that the performance came with plenty of rough edges.
Rodriguez started by crediting the atmosphere in Morgantown, especially the crowd’s whiteout for Pat White’s special day. He called the environment “fantastic” and said the Mountaineer Maniacs were “phenomenal,” adding, “Just a great atmosphere. Hats off to West Virginia fans and the fans that came here and created a good atmosphere.”
From there, the head coach drew a sharp line between the two halves. West Virginia, he said, was sharp early and sloppy after halftime.
“Really felt coming out of the first half, we played really well in all three phases. In the second half, we stunk; we didn’t do anything good.
Not really happy about that, but it’s hard to win. I don’t know what the results in any games were today, but you can see in the last week what’s happened in college football in some games.
Credit to those guys. They played hard, and their quarterback made a lot of plays for them.
We got a lot to work on.”
He expanded on that split later, saying the Mountaineers were efficient and disciplined before the break, then fell apart after it.
“In the first half, we played good football. Smart football and executed.
Second half, we played bad football and didn’t execute. I don’t want to say it’s a lesson learned; hell, I’ve had 300-some games, but for our players, they’ll learn from it.
Our guys are really conscientious, but we’ll get what we demand. There’s a couple things; I’m not going to go into detail, but there were some things that were really frustrating in the second half that we did not get corrected, and that falls on me.”
Rodriguez also addressed some individual performances. On offense, he said he would need to review the film before fully grading the line, but he liked what he saw from Kevin, noting, “To start as an offensive lineman as a true freshman is really rare. And I thought Kevin looked like he played pretty good.”
At quarterback, Rodriguez said the game situation limited how much Scotty could be used, but praised Mike’s explosiveness and growth potential.
“It was really close, and I think have two starters with him and Scotty. I’d like to have played Scotty, but the flow of the game, the second half, we had no possessions hardly.
But Mike showed some explosive stuff in practice and made a lot of plays. There’s a few mistakes that he would take back; I’m sure he would tell you, but I think he’s going to grow out of every game because he’s a very conscientious guy and knows that we can play better as a unit on offense.”
Rodriguez was also asked about an injury, but said he wasn’t in a position to give any medical update.
“I’m not a medical person, and it was a tough injury there, but he’s in great hands with our medical staff. I haven’t heard anything.”
In the run game, he said there was effort but not much room to operate, especially after halftime. He praised the physicality and said Amari Latimer also earned valuable snaps.
“Yeah, I thought he ran pretty hard. There wasn’t a lot of holes in there in the second half.
He’s a competitive guy. You could see he was straining for some yards.
He’s a good football player, and it was good to get Amari (Latimer) some reps too. I thought he ran pretty hard.
There’s a lot that we can clean up in our run game.”
He finished by highlighting special teams, which he felt were mostly solid despite one poor punt late.
“I thought our special teams played pretty well. The last pooch punt wasn’t Bryan’s best, but I thought he punted well.
I was really proud of Jack (Cassidy). He was in a close battle, and I thought he kicked off great, and he kicked field goals.
The special teams, I thought, did a nice job today.”
In Other News...
WVU Passing Game Takes An Early Hit Before The Opener
West Virginias passing game will open the season without one of its key pieces, as wide receiver Prince Strachan is set to miss the opener against Coastal Carolina because of a shoulder injury. Rich Rodriguez said Strachan is expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks, which forces the Mountaineers to make an early adjustment at a position group that was already worth watching heading into Week 1.
Jaden Bray has been moved into the X role, while John Neider will start at Z, giving the staff a different look right out of the gate. For a WVU offense trying to find rhythm early, the setback is a reminder that the first depth-chart decisions of the season can change fast, and the opener may offer a first glimpse at how the receivers respond to the shuffle. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Suddenly Has A Big Darius Wiley Concern
West Virginias season opener against Coastal Carolina brought an early defensive concern when Darius Wiley left the field injured and had to be carted off. The extent of the issue was not immediately clear afterward, and the Mountaineers still had not offered an official diagnosis by the end of the game.
Wiley entered the 2026 season as a notable addition to West Virginias defense, which makes the uncertainty around his status especially important for a unit that was counting on him to help set the tone up front. For now, the Mountaineers are left waiting for more clarity on a player who was supposed to be part of their defensive answer this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Pat White Is About To Get A West Virginia Honor Fans Love
West Virginia is set to add another name to its wall of honors before the 2026 season opener against Coastal Carolina, with Pat Whites jersey number being retired in a ceremony that figures to hit home for a fan base that still remembers his days as the face of the program. White will become the seventh Mountaineer football player to have his number retired, a fitting marker for a quarterback whose college career included plenty of the kind of big-game moments that made him one of the most beloved players in school history.
There is also a modern wrinkle attached to the tribute, with senior wide receiver Jaden Bray wearing No. 5 this season with Whites permission. It gives the number a current presence while the school prepares to formally honor one of its most iconic players, and it adds a little extra intrigue to a fall that already has a ceremonial feel around Morgantown. [Read more 🡒]