West Virginia will have to wait at least another week for Chris Talley, and that keeps the Mountaineers searching for another running back to grab hold of the No. 3 job.
Talley is still working back from a tweaked hamstring, and Rich Rodriguez said the freshman is not ready yet.
"Talley is still out," head coach Rich Rodriguez said earlier this week. "He may be back in a week, maybe two weeks, before he's ready to go."
That absence matters. Talley earned the RB3 spot in camp over JUCO addition Martavious Boswell and fellow freshman Lawrence Autry, thanks in large part to the kind of big-play burst that made him stand out.
West Virginia viewed him as one of the fastest, most explosive backs in the room, and when he gets back, he may have to win that role again from Boswell. Either way, he figures to be part of the rotation.
Talley’s high school production gives a pretty clear picture of why the staff likes him so much. As a senior at Whitehaven HS in Tennessee, he ran for 1,317 yards and 17 touchdowns on 120 carries, good for 11 yards per tote.
Jay Boulware has been just as bullish on him. The running backs coach said, "He’s got something special, man.
And I said it from the day that I first saw him on the field. He’s smooth.
He kind of glides. He’s got speed.
He understands how to get down low and finish runs. And he’s fearless.
He’ll go in there and run…I mean, he’s just got something to him that I really like."
With Talley sidelined, Boswell got his first taste of action in West Virginia’s win over UT Martin and handled eight carries for 31 yards, including a long run of 11. It wasn’t a breakout performance, but the burst showed up right away.
The issue is that when things happen that fast, the run can get ahead of itself before blocks are fully set. The ability is obvious; Boswell just needs more snaps so the game can slow down for him.
Autry is another option, and he picked up two carries for nine yards in the blowout against the Skyhawks. His game is more about power and north-south running, closer to the Cam Cook and Amari Latimer style than pure speed.
For now, West Virginia will keep leaning on Cook and Latimer in the run game, with QB Mike Hawkins Jr. also part of that equation. But with the Mountaineers facing eight straight games to open the season, getting a third back to emerge is going to matter.
In Other News...
Virginia Just Handed West Virginia Fans A New Reason To Clap Back
Virginias football account gave West Virginia fans something to chew on this week when it posted a hype video with the caption Defend our state ahead of the teams meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. The clip leaned into regional landmarks and history, and even without the usual rivalry buildup, it landed like a shot across the bow for plenty of Mountaineer supporters watching from afar.
The reaction online showed how quickly a neutral matchup can pick up edge when one side frames it as more than a game. West Virginia and Virginia are not locked into a traditional rivalry, but moments like this can give a regional meeting a little extra bite, especially when fans on both sides read the message as a territorial challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Saw Something In WVU's Win Fans Will Love
Rich Rodriguez had plenty to like after West Virginia handled the kind of game that can turn on one possession, and he seemed especially pleased with the way his team finished. Against a ranked opponent, the Mountaineers leaned on effective running plays late and showed the kind of poise coaches want to see when a lead has to be protected, not chased.
The other part Rodriguez pointed to was how the defense settled in after a rough start and started delivering the stops that changed the feel of the game. He also singled out Michael Hawkins for the way he has grown through his third game, praised Jaden Bray for his explosive plays, and noted DJ Epps for his competitive edge and timely catches, a sign there may be even more to like as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Just Gave Fans A Reason To Dream Bigger
West Virginias season got a much-needed jolt in Charlotte, where the Mountaineers handled No. 25 Virginia 38-27 at Bank of America Stadium. It was the kind of non-conference win that can travel well beyond one afternoon, giving a program looking for traction a marquee result against a ranked opponent and a clearer sense of what it can be when things click.
Michael Hawkins Jr. was the catalyst, doing damage both through the air and on the ground as West Virginia found ways to put pressure on Virginia all game. The victory gave the Mountaineers their third win of the season and offered the Big 12 a notable out-of-conference boost, while also leaving West Virginia with a little more room to imagine what the rest of the year could still become. [Read more 🡒]