West Virginia’s offensive line took a hit Monday night, and it’s one that could reshape the final stretch of the regular season.
Rich Rodriguez said on his radio show that starting right guard Amare “Bubba” Grayson will miss the last three games, though there is still a path for him to return if the Mountaineers reach the postseason. Rodriguez called it “a blow” and pointed to a high ankle issue that may require “the tightrope procedure they call it.”
“That hurt us a little bit,” Rodriguez said when asked about Grayson going down. “He’s going to have that high ankle, maybe the tightrope procedure they call it.
So he’s got a chance if we’re in a bowl game to maybe play in that, but for the next three games he’ll be out. That’ll be a blow.
The good thing about Nick Krahe Nick can play a bunch of positions, so we can move Nick over to left guard like we did at the end of the (Texas Tech) game and Josh Aisosa can play either side as well and we got some other guys.”
That leaves West Virginia with some shuffling to do up front. Aisosa and Nick Krahe both split time between the guard spots after Grayson left the Texas Tech game, and that setup is the most likely starting point heading into the week. Which one lands on the left side and which one settles in on the right will come down to what offensive line coach Rick Trickett sees in practice.
Grayson’s absence matters because he’s been one of the Mountaineers’ most effective linemen. Pro Football Focus had him graded as West Virginia’s second-highest-rated offensive lineman, trailing only center Wes King.
Aisosa has already shown he can handle the job. His best moment may have come in the win over Virginia, when he stepped in for a banged-up Nick Krahe. He also turned in what looked like his strongest outing as a Mountaineer against Texas Tech, especially in the run game, where he consistently climbed to the second level and kept defenders from slipping through and wrecking running lanes.
Another possibility is Jacksonville State transfer Cam Griffin, who has spent multiple years with Rick Trickett and has earned his trust. Griffin brings real flexibility, having lined up at all five spots along the offensive line during his career.
In Other News...
West Virginia Has A Bigger Problem Than The Texas Tech Loss
The Texas Tech loss stung because it looked like the kind of game West Virginia needed to turn a corner, but the bigger issue is still hanging over the program. The offense has taken a step forward from last season, giving the Mountaineers something to build on, yet the defense remains the worst in college football and continues to overshadow any progress on the other side of the ball.
So even as the staff tries to sort out the present, there is plenty going on behind the scenes. West Virginia is in ongoing contract discussions with Mike Hawkins, while also keeping an eye on the development of his brother, Maliek, and trying to add more help through the transfer portal. The loss to Texas Tech may fade, but the roster questions and defensive fixes are the real test now. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Hawkins Jr. Just Took WVUs Offense To Another Level
West Virginias trip to Texas Tech turned into the kind of offensive track meet that can make a box score look almost fictional. In the 16th meeting between the programs, the Mountaineers saw a game built on big plays and even bigger numbers, with 101 total points and 892 yards of offense in the first half alone, the most in a half since 2004. Michael Hawkins Jr. was at the center of it all, scoring three rushing touchdowns while Cam Cook piled up 149 yards on the ground and Taron Francis added 169 receiving yards.
For West Virginia, the result was more than just another wild Big 12 shootout. Hawkins night pushed the offense into a different gear and came with program-record production, a sign that the Mountaineers may have found a new level of explosiveness at the right time. The only question now is whether this was a one-night eruption or the start of something more sustainable as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Has One Game Left To Settle Its Bowl Fate
West Virginia heads into its final regular-season game with the kind of simple math every team wants this time of year: beat Kansas, get to six wins, and lock up bowl eligibility. Until then, the Mountaineers are stuck in the middle ground at five wins, with their postseason picture still taking shape as various outlets continue to slot them into different bowl possibilities.
Those projections have ranged from matchups against teams such as Auburn, Army and Arizona State, a reminder that the destination can change quickly depending on how the final weekend shakes out. For West Virginia, though, the bigger issue is still right in front of it, because the Kansas game will determine whether the bowl chatter turns into something concrete or stays in the realm of speculation. [Read more 🡒]