West Virginia’s second game turned into the kind of blowout that lets a coaching staff empty the bench, and Rich Rodriguez finally got the kind of late-game runway he wanted.
After being frustrated by the way the Mountaineers finished the second half against Coastal Carolina, Rodriguez watched WVU seize control early against UT Martin and keep it. By the early part of the third quarter, the second string had already taken over, and the rotation kept rolling all the way down into third- and fourth-string territory.
In all, 82 players saw the field for West Virginia on offense and defense Saturday. The snap counts show just how deep the staff went to get work for as many bodies as possible.
At quarterback, Mike Hawkins Jr. handled the heaviest load with 32 snaps, followed by Scotty Fox Jr. at 15, Jyron Hughley at 10, Max Anderson at 5 and Max Brown at 3.
The backfield was spread around as well. Cam Cook led the running backs with 21 snaps, while Amari Latimer logged 17 and Martavious Boswell 14. Lawrence Autry and Darius Morant each got 8.
At receiver, John Neider topped the group with 32 snaps. Taron Francis played 25, DJ Epps 23 and Jaden Bray 22.
Cyrus Traugh finished with 18, Armoni Weaver-Bomar with 15, Robert Oliver with 13, Kedrick Triplett with 9, Malachi Thompson and Keon Hutchins with 7 apiece, and Brad Mossor, Landon Drumm and Charlie Hanafin each with 3. Greg Wilfred saw 2.
Tight end and fullback also featured a broad mix. Josh Sapp led the tight ends with 16 snaps, while Xavier Anderson and Cam Ball each had 14, Kade Bush had 13, Ryan Ward 8, Sam Hamilton 3 and Carter Zuliani 2. Kayden Luke was on the field for 5 snaps at fullback.
Up front, the offensive line rotation was extensive. Kevin Brown, Nick Krahe, Wes King, Amare Grayson and Carsten Casady each played 32 snaps. Lamarcus Dillard, Josh Aisosa, Devin Vass and Malik Agbo each logged 25, Cam Griffin had 15, Landen Livingston 10, Aidan Woods, Trevor Bigelow and DeShawn Woods each had 8, Raymond Kovalesky and Andreas Hunter each had 5, and Camden Goforth and Rhett Morris each played 3.
The defensive line saw heavy work for several players, too. Nate Gabriel led the way with 39 snaps, just ahead of Corey McIntyre Jr. at 38. KJ Henson played 32, Zeke Durham-Campbell 31, David Afogho 30, Emerson Joy 28, Taylor Brown 22, Will LeBlanc 16 and Yendor Mack 7.
At edge, Harper Holloman was the busiest with 34 snaps, followed by Jeremiah Johnson at 13 and Tobi Haastrup at 9.
Linebacker snaps were spread across six players, with Isaiah Patterson and Cam Torbor each making major contributions. Patterson played 34, Cam Torbor and Ben Cutter each had 29, Jason Hall Jr. 24, Ashton Woods 20 and Tyler Stolsky 10.
The secondary rotation was just as wide. Chams Diagne led all corners with 49 snaps, Keyshawn Robinson had 42, Jaire Rawlison 21, ChaMarryus Bomar 16 and Nick Taylor 15.
At nickel/safety, Geimere Latimer played 44 snaps, Miles Khatri 15 and Maliek Hawkins 7. At safety, Kamari Wilson led the group with 37, Andrew Powdrell had 30, Matt Sieg 28, Kameron Reddic 24, Da’Mare Williams 17 and Tim Roberson 3.
In Other News...
WVUs 2-0 Start Feels Real In One Area And Risky In Another
West Virginias 2-0 start comes with the kind of early-season contrast that usually tells you plenty about where a team is headed. The Mountaineers have not opened a year this well since 2018, and the biggest reason is obvious enough: the offense looks far more dangerous, averaging 41.5 points a game. Michael Hawkins Jr. has given the unit a lift with strong work both throwing and running, and Jack Cassidy has been flawless so far, which is the sort of quiet stability teams love to have when games tighten up later in the fall.
The uneasy part is on the other side of the ball, where West Virginia has had trouble getting off the field on third downs. Even so, the defense has kept a valuable habit from last season by continuing to create turnovers, which has helped soften some of the strain when drives start to extend. For a team trying to prove this fast start is more than a good two weeks, the offense looks ready for the moment. The question is whether the defense can match it when opponents start making those long possessions count. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Finally Gets A Virginia Rematch With Something To Prove
West Virginia and Virginia are finally set to renew a series that has been dormant for 24 years, and both teams arrive unbeaten at 2-0. It gives the matchup a little extra edge beyond the regional familiarity, especially with the Mountaineers carrying some early-season momentum into a meeting that will feel a lot bigger than a routine nonconference game.
For West Virginia, this is also a chance to keep building toward a milestone start, with the program eyeing a perfect opening stretch it has not reached in a long while. The historical backdrop only adds to the appeal, since the past results between these programs have given each side a little something to remember, and the radio details make clear this is one of those old-school games that still carries enough name value to travel. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia's Blowout Still Left Two Roster Concerns Hanging
West Virginias 52-7 rout of UT Martin was the kind of September win that usually leaves a staff feeling pretty good about the day. The Mountaineers were deep enough to get 115 players in uniform, 95 of them into the game, and the heavier snap distribution reflected a blowout that let the roster expand well beyond the usual core. It also moved the Mountaineers to 24-0 against FCS opponents and gave them a 2-0 start to the season.
Even so, the afternoon did not come without a couple of concerns that will linger into the next week. The defense had to keep going after Darius Wiley went down with a leg injury, and the running back room was again missing freshman Chris Talley, who sat out for the second straight game with a hamstring issue. In a game with so many players getting on the field, those two absences stood out because they point to depth questions that are harder to ignore once the margin is no longer so comfortable. [Read more 🡒]