West Virginia leaned on a big day from Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook to keep its ground game rolling, and the numbers around the Mountaineers’ offense keep stacking up.
In Saturday’s matchup with Iowa State - the 13th meeting between the teams and the first since 2024 - West Virginia continued a stretch of physical, productive football on the ground. The Mountaineers have now topped 140 rushing yards in 45 of their last 55 games, and they’ve reached 200 rushing yards as a team in five straight games for the first time since 2007.
Hawkins and Cook were again the driving force. The quarterback and running back each went over 100 rushing yards for the third straight game, matching a feat West Virginia last saw from Pat White and Steve Slaton in 2006, from Oct.
14-Nov. 2.
They also became the first WVU quarterback-running back pairing to both hit 100 rushing yards in a game four times in a season since White and Slaton in 2007.
Hawkins delivered one of the most complete games of his season, finishing 11-of-23 for 227 passing yards with two touchdowns while also running for a career-high 149 yards on 20 carries and two scores. He became the first Mountaineer quarterback to reach 10 rushing touchdowns in a season since Garrett Greene had 13 in 2023, and he’s now the sixth quarterback in program history to hit that mark. His 11 rushing touchdowns through the first five games are the most by a WVU quarterback in program history, and he became the first Mountaineer QB to score a rushing touchdown in five straight games since Pat White in 2007.
Cook kept his own run going, finishing with 142 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. It was his second game this season with at least two rushing scores, and he has now topped 120 rushing yards in all but one game this year. Dating back to the start of the 2025 season, he sits No. 1 among active FBS running backs in rushing yards with 2,311.
West Virginia also got a strong day through the air from DJ Epps, who caught four passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. It was his second 100-yard receiving game of the season. Cyrus Traugh added one catch for 33 yards and a touchdown, hauling in the first score of his career on a 33-yard strike in the first quarter.
On defense, Cam Torbor paced the group with a career-high 10 tackles, including three solo stops, and added a career-best two tackles for loss. Ben Cutter followed with nine tackles, five solo, while also recording his first sack of the season and a tackle for loss. It was the first time in his career that he has posted eight or more tackles in back-to-back games.
Isaiah Patterson finished with seven tackles and grabbed an interception for the second straight game. Nate Gabriel added four tackles and picked up his second sack of the season.
The Mountaineer defense has now logged multiple sacks in 22 of its last 35 games, and West Virginia has recorded at least four tackles for loss in 43 of its last 51 games. Since 2019, the Mountaineers have produced 43 games with 400 or more yards of total offense.
There were also firsts and milestones elsewhere on the roster. Offensive lineman Josh Aisosa made his first start on offense, while safety Matt Sieg made his first start on defense. The total number of first-time starters in 2026 now stands at 26.
West Virginia’s captains for the game were Ben Cutter, Macguire Moss and Josh Sapp.
In the kicking game, Jack Cassidy was perfect on all six PAT attempts. Bryan Hansen punted five times for 215 yards, averaging 43 yards per punt, with a long of 52 and three punts downed inside the 20.
In Other News...
WVUs Defensive Collapse Is Raising Bigger Questions Than Fans Expected
West Virginias defensive struggles are no longer just a bad stretch, theyre becoming a real problem for a program trying to find stability in conference play. The Mountaineers have given up plenty of yardage and too many explosive plays in recent games against Iowa State and Oklahoma State, and the concern goes beyond one rough afternoon or one busted coverage. With the defense sitting last in total defense among Power Four teams, the numbers are starting to match what has looked obvious on the field.
Zac Alley and Rich Rodriguez are both under the microscope now, because the issues keep pointing in two directions at once: execution and roster talent. West Virginia has also had trouble against first-year head coaches this season, which only adds to the sense that opponents are finding answers faster than the Mountaineers are. The deeper question is whether this is simply a correction period for a young unit, or a more serious sign that the defensive foundation is not where it needs to be. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Defense Has A New Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Pro Football Focus latest grades gave West Virginia fans a familiar kind of snapshot, one that showed a defense still searching for answers after a recent game. The numbers pointed to a unit that had trouble finishing plays, with tackling angles and overall disruption becoming recurring issues, even as the offense had its own uneven day up front.
The bright spots on defense were limited to linebacker Isaiah Patterson and safety JaCorey Thomas, the only Mountaineers who really stood out in the grading. Elsewhere, West Virginia managed only eight pressures, and the offensive line also had its hands full despite a strong rushing total, leaving the bigger concern less about one bad sequence than about whether the front seven can start looking more consistent. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Still Has One Thing Keeping This Season Alive
West Virginias season has been carried, at least in part, by an offense that has given opposing coaches plenty to worry about. Michael Hawkins and Cook have formed one of the more productive quarterback-running back pairings in the Big 12, and the Mountaineers have leaned on that attack to stay in games even when other parts of the team have sputtered. Add in solid special teams, and there is still enough there to give West Virginia a fighting chance on a weekly basis.
Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers made it clear this week that defending West Virginia is no easy task, especially with Hawkins in the mix. The defensive issues remain real, and they continue to put pressure on the Mountaineers to keep finding answers on offense. For now, though, that side of the ball is the reason the season still has life. [Read more 🡒]