West Virginia walked out of Saturday night with plenty to like, even if the performance wasn’t spotless. The Mountaineers had some messiness up front on offense, and there are certainly things they’ll want to clean up, but the overall picture was a good one.
The biggest takeaway was hard to miss: the quarterback looks like a star in the making. He was poised in the pocket, didn’t flinch when protection broke down, and kept finding a way to make plays.
He also showed he can throw receivers open, including DJ Epps on a couple of occasions. But the trait that stands out most is his ability to escape trouble.
One snap in particular summed it up - on 2nd & 10, Virginia brought pressure quickly off the right side, he slipped the rush, and then threw it away instead of taking a sack. A year ago, that play likely would have turned into a 3rd & 18 for WVU.
There was one rough moment late, when the targeting play at the end of the game was described as a bad football play and one he’d like to have back. Still, for most of the night, Taylor played with real physicality and looked locked in coverage. If that level carries into Big 12 play, West Virginia should feel good about what it has on the perimeter in the pass game.
Ashton Woods also keeps building momentum. He’s now put together two strong games in a row, and over the last two weeks he’s posted 12 tackles, five pressures, five stops, and three hurries. Among the surprises so far, he stands out as the biggest one.
This game mattered because the first two weeks didn’t tell the whole story. Those were games West Virginia was expected to win, and it was fair to wonder how much could really be learned from them.
Against Virginia, though, the Mountaineers showed they’re a tough, physical group that doesn’t fold when things get uncomfortable. That’s the kind of performance that has fans believing in the program again.
There was also a note of caution on the offensive line. The talented true freshman gave up four pressures Saturday night, which was two more than anyone else on the unit.
That doesn’t signal a collapse. It looks more like a freshman working through the growing pains that come with the job.
The feeling here is that he’ll be fine, and that this was just a small step back rather than anything more serious.
In Other News...
Tony Elliott Just Confirmed How Dangerous West Virginia Really Looked
Mike Hawkins Jr. gave West Virginia the kind of opener that can change the mood around a program in a hurry. In a 38-27 win over No. 25 Virginia, the Mountaineers quarterback hit 10 of 17 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, then added 123 rushing yards and three more scores to power an offense that looked far more explosive than many expected entering the night.
Virginia coach Tony Elliott came away impressed enough to say so, and his comments only sharpened the sense that West Virginias defense under Zac Alley was part of the story too. Elliott pointed to how the Mountaineers controlled the game and took away quarterback Beau Pribulas legs, a detail that matters because it suggests West Virginia was not just winning with one hot hand, but showing the kind of structure that can make opponents uncomfortable for a long time. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs Upset Win Looks Even Bigger After What The Grades Show
West Virginias upset of No. 25 Virginia already looked like a tone-setting win, but the postgame grades gave it even more weight. The Mountaineers handled business in a 38-27 victory, and the performance sheet from Pro Football Focus offered a clearer picture of why the result felt so convincing: quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. was graded as the highest-rated quarterback in the country through Week 3.
The win also featured strong work from the other side of the ball, with linebacker Ashton Woods and cornerback Nick Taylor drawing especially good marks. For a West Virginia team trying to build something early in the season, those kinds of individual showings matter as much as the final score, because they hint at a defense and a quarterback room that may be settling in at the right time. [Read more 🡒]
WVU's Fast Start Now Faces A Big 12 Test Fans Know Too Well
West Virginias encouraging start got a real boost with the win over No. 25 Virginia, a result that gave the Mountaineers some early momentum heading into the heart of the schedule. Now the focus shifts to the Big 12 opener, where Oklahoma State arrives as the kind of conference opponent that can quickly tell a team what it really has.
For WVU, this is the familiar part of the calendar where the tone changes fast. The broadcast details and the records are all part of the setup, but the bigger backdrop is the history between these teams, which has usually made this matchup feel bigger than a single September or October game. Fans know the drill by now: a promising start means little unless the Mountaineers can carry it into the league grind and handle one of the Big 12 tests that has given them trouble before. [Read more 🡒]