West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez spent Tuesday afternoon touching on a little bit of everything as the Mountaineers prepare for No. 25 Virginia, and the biggest theme was a familiar one: the details matter.
On his offensive line, Rodriguez said the group is still settling in with a lot of new faces, though he likes where it is trending after two games.
"Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a lot of new starters up front. Nick Krahe is the only returning guy that's starting, and he's at a different position.
But I think they've played pretty well for the most part. It's a hard-working group.
I thought before the season we might have 10, maybe 11 guys we'd feel comfortable with, and after two games I think we're getting closer to having 10, 11 guys we're comfortable with at any time to play during the game.
"They don't make any mistakes. I saw a quote from (Norfolk State head coach) Michael Vick, and he said, 'They make you earn every blade of grass that you get with how disciplined they are.'
And they are. They're very well-coached.
They'll be in the right spot where they are supposed to be. Very rarely do you see something bust out for a big play because they're a pretty experienced group that knows how to play."
Rodriguez also pointed to the challenge Virginia presents defensively, saying the Cavaliers force opponents to account for everyone on the field and do the little things well.
"You got to account for all 11. They're going to play with all 11 with him, and he's a big, physical runner.
He's got experience, so I don't know if you're going to trick him or anything like that. I think part of the biggest key, maybe, in simple terms, is just getting off blocks, and you've got to be able to tackle.
Schematically, too much is made out of that. Defensively, when you're really good, you're in position, but you're getting off blocks and getting people down on the ground, and that's going to be key to tackling him."
There was also an update on one of the off-field situations Rodriguez is monitoring.
"I think his hearing has been moved to Thursday. The venue has been changed to Indiana. I think it was going to be somewhere in another state, so supposedly we may know something about him on Thursday."
In addition, Rodriguez said Talley remains sidelined for now.
"Talley is still out. He may be back in a week, maybe two weeks, before he's ready to go."
He closed with a measured assessment of his secondary, which he said has been fine overall even if the unit hasn’t hit the standard he wants yet.
"It's been okay. It's not been like, 'Oh my gosh, the secondary is not doing well.'
Some of the big plays we've given up were containment issues or something like that, but it hasn't been that bad. My expectations are always going to be high, and our defense did have a shutout; it's just I didn't think we played as well against that team as I think we're capable of."
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WVU Could Finally Add A Needed Weapon Against Virginia
West Virginia came out of the UT Martin game in good shape, and that alone gave Rich Rodriguez a little more room to breathe heading into a bigger test against Virginia. The Mountaineers are still trying to settle in offensively, but the possibility of getting wide receiver Prince Strachan into the mix offers a timely lift for a group that could use another proven target as quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. continues to build rhythm with the passing game.
Strachan has been practicing with limited contact, and his status for the Virginia game may hinge on how he handles the next stretch of practices. If that goes well, West Virginia could finally add another weapon to an offense that already needs every available piece, especially with the Mountaineers looking to sharpen the connection between Hawkins and a deeper receiver rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Jahiem White Is Already Reopening An Old WVU What-If
Two weeks after his return to the field, Jahiem White is already stirring up one of those old West Virginia questions that never really goes away. Now playing for North Texas under Neal Brown, White opened his season with 61 rushing yards and a touchdown against Indiana, then followed it with a 124-yard, one-score outing that pushed him past 2,000 career rushing yards.
For Mountaineers fans, the pull is obvious. White was already the programs 27th all-time leading rusher before a season-ending knee injury interrupted his time in Morgantown, and his latest run of production only adds fuel to the sense that WVU once had a back capable of being much more than a steady contributor. The what-if is back on the table, even if the answer will have to wait. [Read more 🡒]
Mountaineers NFL Pipeline Faces One Early Reality Check
Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season gave West Virginia plenty to track, with eight former Mountaineers seeing action and four of them cracking starting lineups for their clubs. It was the kind of opening weekend that keeps a fan base connected long after Saturdays in Morgantown are over, because the pro game offers a running referendum on how the pipeline is holding up. The results, spread across multiple games, also showed just how different those NFL roles can look from player to player.
Some former Mountaineers came away with meaningful snap counts and stat lines, while others had more limited opportunities in their season debuts. A few more were listed on reserve, the injured list or inactive for the weekend, a reminder that the first week of September rarely tells the whole story. For West Virginia, the larger takeaway is less about one box score than the early shape of a pro footprint that could change quickly as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]