Football is back, and West Virginia opened the new season with a 31-24 win over Coastal Carolina. And if the Mountaineers are looking for a headline from this one, they got it immediately from Cam Cook.
Cook needed just one play to announce himself, bursting for 72 yards on the game’s first snap and nearly scoring on the run. One play later, he finished the job.
By halftime, he had already piled up 119 yards and two touchdowns, while averaging 7.9 yards per carry. That was the kind of start that grabs the whole building.
Rich Rod clearly wanted to lean on the run game and let Cook set the tone, but when Hawkins did throw it, the results were sharp. On West Virginia’s second scoring drive, Hawkins was perfect on third down, going 3-for-3 and capped it with a 49-yard touchdown to Armoni Weaver-Bomar.
He looked comfortable, decisive, and confident with the ball. The second half told a different story, though, as Rich Rod pulled back on the passing game, which left Hawkins with a final line that probably could have been stronger.
There will be a better gauge in a couple of weeks against Virginia, but there was plenty to like here.
Kamari Wilson also made his presence felt fast. In an era where transfers often need time to settle in, Wilson wasted no time bringing a physical edge.
He delivered a pair of heavy hits, including one on third down early in the game just before West Virginia forced a turnover on downs in the red zone. If wearing No. 8 is going to mean something on that defense, Wilson is making a case to carry that standard.
The Mountaineers, though, let things tighten up after building a 24-0 lead. Bryan Hansen flipped field position with a huge punt that traveled more than 70 yards and was downed at the one, but the defense squandered it with penalties that eventually helped Coastal Carolina get a touchdown. Deuce Bailey found soft coverage and made it count.
On offense, the identity was obvious: run first, throw later. The issue was how often the passing game seemed to wait until third down. That predictability made a game that should have stayed comfortable a lot closer than it needed to be.
Up front, West Virginia’s line showed real promise in the first half. It wasn’t complete domination, because the backs and Hawkins had to create a lot of their own yardage by making people miss, but the group held up well enough to be encouraging.
The second half was a different story. Coastal Carolina started getting better push and was regularly meeting Cook and company at or behind the line of scrimmage.
The unit is clearly better than it was a year ago, but it still has work to do.
Two areas that were major concerns entering the season still look like work in progress: pass rush and coverage. When West Virginia sent extra pressure, it was able to bother Deuce Bailey.
But with three or four rushing, the pressure didn’t feel consistent enough. Whether the corners were too far off or simply getting beat, the end result wasn’t what WVU wanted to see.
Bailey finishing with 373 passing yards was not a good sign for that side of the ball.
There was at least one clean special teams win. Western Kentucky transfer Jack Cassidy handled kickoffs well and didn’t allow Coastal Carolina a single return. For a program that has had trouble driving kickoffs through the back of the end zone for years, that was a welcome change.
In Other News...
WVU Snap Counts Exposed One Trust Issue Fans Will Notice
West Virginias latest snap counts offered a clear look at how the staff is sorting out its rotation, and the picture was pretty straightforward on offense. The starting offensive line never came off the field, while 21 players saw action on that side of the ball, a sign the Mountaineers are still leaning heavily on their first group even as they work through the early part of the season.
The defense was more fluid, with 30 players getting in the game and the rotation shaped in part by the injury to defensive lineman Darius Wiley. Even so, the distribution of snaps suggests there are still roles up for grabs, and the way those defensive reps continue to settle will tell a lot about which players the staff trusts most when the games tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Offensive Grades Just Clarified Who Drove The Coastal Carolina Win
Pro Football Focus latest game grades offered a clearer look at how West Virginia pieced together its win over Coastal Carolina, and the offensive numbers pointed straight toward a balanced effort. Michael Hawkins earned the top grade on the unit at 79.5, a sign he was efficient in the role he was asked to play, while the Mountaineers also got meaningful support from their running backs and offensive line.
The grading breakdown also showed how much the context of the game mattered, with Hawkins performance tied closely to the way the offense was called and executed around him. Armoni Weaver-Bomar also showed up well in the charting, though his grade came on limited snaps, leaving a few interesting questions about which offensive pieces might carry more weight going forward. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Already Has A Few Early Problem Spots Fans Will Notice
West Virginias latest game offered an early look at where the Mountaineers are already getting steady play and where the rough edges still show up. The Pro Football Focus grades point to a few bright spots, with quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. and defensive lineman Nate Gabriel standing out among the better performers as both sides of the ball were put under the microscope.
Carsten Casady at right tackle and tight end Ryan Ward were among the lower-graded players, which is the kind of detail that tends to matter when a team is still sorting out its identity. For a WVU staff trying to build consistency, those evaluations can be just as useful as the positives, since they hint at which spots are stabilizing and which ones may need attention before the tests get tougher. [Read more 🡒]