Rich Rodriguez is already seeing the West Virginia offense he had in mind start to take shape, and the numbers back up the feeling.
Just three games into the season, WVU is sitting atop the Big 12 in rushing yards per game and ranks third nationally at 264.0. Mike Hawkins Jr. has been central to that surge, too, leading the nation in yards per completion at 18.3. For a program that had no clear offensive identity nine months ago, the shift has been dramatic.
Rodriguez said Monday night on his radio show that the confidence is growing, but he’s not ready to call it finished.
“Yeah, I got more confidence," WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said on his radio show Monday night about the offense. "Ever since camp, I’ve had confidence, but I hadn’t seen it in the games consistently like I saw sometimes in practice.
There were moments in practice I’m like, man, this really looks like how it’s supposed to look. Even in this past game there there were a couple times like, man, that didn’t look how we practiced.
So I still think there’s a lot of growth to do, and part of it is because a lot of them are new and starting for the first time in our system, but we took steps against a quality opponent, a veteran team, to give us more confidence.”
That’s the key with this group: the ceiling is obvious, but the chemistry is still being built. Hawkins has already shown he can protect the football while also threatening defenses with his legs, and that matters when you’re pairing him with Cam Cook, one of the top running backs in the country.
Before the season, there was plenty of buzz around Hawkins’ potential, Epps’ dynamic skill set, the rebuilt offensive line, and Cook’s track record. Now that the games are here, the early returns are validating a lot of that optimism.
And the offense still has room to grow. Freshman running back Amari Latimer, redshirt freshman wide receiver TaRon Francis, and USC transfer wide receiver Prince Strachan, who has just returned from injury, are all pieces that can deepen the rotation and force defenses to account for even more.
Rodriguez made it clear that the goal isn’t to pile on new wrinkles just because the offense has found some success. He wants the staff to tighten the execution first.
“Here’s what happens: you win a game, and you have your plays, and all of a sudden you’re like, ‘Okay, now we can do more.’ And that’s probably the worst thing you can do," Rodriguez said.
"Instead of adding more stuff that you could do, let’s find out what we didn’t execute well. If it’s not something we can execute, let’s throw it out because we’ve got a whole lot of plays that we want to use going forward.
A lot of it will look similar to the fans, but it’s different in smaller ways. There’s a lot more offensively that we need to do, and that we’re going to have to do to win conference games.”
That’s where WVU stands right now: explosive, still evolving, and only beginning to tap into what Rodriguez believes this offense can become.
In Other News...
WVU's Biggest Home Night In Years Comes With Real Stakes
West Virginia is getting one of those home nights that can define a season, and there is more riding on it than atmosphere alone. Milan Puskar Stadium is set for a major prime-time setting, and the Mountaineers are trying to turn a strong start into something bigger by staying perfect through the opening stretch and putting themselves back into the AP Top 25 conversation.
Rich Rodriguez has pointed to the energy around the program and the value of protecting home field, which makes this one feel less like just another September game and more like a measuring stick. For a team still trying to prove its early momentum is real, a night game in front of that crowd offers a chance to keep building and a reminder that the next step has to happen where West Virginia is supposed to be toughest to beat. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Injury Outlook Suddenly Looks Better Heading Into Oklahoma State
West Virginias injury picture is starting to clear up just in time for a trip to Oklahoma State, and that matters for a team that took a few hits in the recent game against Virginia. Rich Rodriguez said Nick Krahe will be limited in practice but is expected to play, while Jaden Bray is dealing with a hip bruise and should be back soon. The outlook is also encouraging for Ball, who is expected to play after being knocked out, giving the Mountaineers a little more stability as they try to manage the week.
There is even more room for optimism at running back, where Martavious Boswell and Talley are expected to be available. On the perimeter, Prince Strachan should see his role grow after being used sparingly last week, which could give West Virginia another option as it heads into a matchup that can use every healthy body it can get. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Knows Exactly What Awaits West Virginia Under The Lights
Oklahoma State is heading into one of the more charged environments in the Big 12, with Eric Morris already framing the trip to Morgantown as the kind of test that can turn a game on its head after dark. Morris had plenty of respect for what Rich Rodriguez is building at West Virginia, and he singled out quarterback Mike Hawkins as a dynamic presence in an offense that has grown noticeably since last season. For the Mountaineers, that is the sort of public praise that usually comes with a warning label.
The challenge for the Cowboys, Morris said, is not just the crowd or the setting, but staying clean with communication and tackling against a run game that can punish any lapse. West Virginia has shown enough improvement to make opponents prepare differently, and under the lights at home the margin for error gets even thinner. It is the kind of matchup where the details matter from the first snap, and Oklahoma State clearly knows it is walking into a place that rewards precision more than bravado. [Read more 🡒]