West Virginia didn’t leave much room for debate on Saturday. The Mountaineers rolled past UT Martin 52-7 at Milan Puskar Stadium, and the offense spent the afternoon looking every bit like a unit ready to make noise.
Michael Hawkins Jr. was the headline. He threw two touchdown passes, ran for two more, and did it with the kind of poise that makes the whole operation feel more dangerous.
He wasn’t just escaping pressure and freelancing; he looked composed, read the field well, and punished defenders when he decided to tuck it and go. That’s the kind of dual-threat performance that changes how a defense has to play you.
The ground game, though, didn’t fully match the scoreboard. West Virginia took care of the football - no fumbles, and the pass protection held up well enough to keep Hawkins comfortable - but the rushing attack didn’t consistently turn into the kind of explosive force this offense can be.
Amari Latimer did flash on his touchdown run, showing off the size and speed that stand out immediately. DJ Epps also brought a different burst to the backfield.
And Ryan Ward drew strong praise as a tight end with a real chance to be one of the best in the Big 12 this year, though how much he gets to show off will depend in part on the run game around him.
Up front, the offensive line earned a solid grade for its protection work. Hawkins was kept clean for most of the day, and that matters.
But in the run game, the line didn’t consistently generate the kind of push that turns a good afternoon into a dominant one. Outside of Latimer’s run, some solid carries from Cam Cook, and Hawkins’ 71-yard touchdown scamper, there wasn’t a steady stream of open lanes.
On the other side of the ball, the pass rush had its moments, but the run defense and coverage issues were hard to ignore. The defensive line got enough pressure to count as a positive, yet UT Martin found too much room on the ground.
The linebackers had trouble in space and were too easy to reach at the second level. And the secondary had the roughest afternoon of the bunch, giving up too many easy completions and too many open receivers.
If that doesn’t improve before Virginia, it’s going to be a problem.
Special teams, at least, gave West Virginia a clean sheet. The kicking was steady, the coverage units did their jobs, and there weren’t any mistakes to clean up there.
From a coaching standpoint, the offense was sharp from the opening snap. The staff put playmakers in space, kept the pressure on, and even with backups in the game, the attack didn’t lose its edge.
But the defensive concerns are now a two-game trend. Coastal Carolina found success through the air and on the ground, and UT Martin did too, even in a 45-point loss.
So yes, 52-7 is a statement. The offense backed it up.
Hawkins backed it up. The defense, not so much.
In Other News...
Zac Alley Just Put West Virginias Biggest Defensive Concern On Blast
Communication is now the first thing West Virginias defense has to clean up, and defensive coordinator Zac Alley made that point clear after the recent game. For a unit that has spent the early part of the year trying to find consistency, Alley said the biggest issue was not a lack of effort so much as getting the call to travel cleanly from the sideline to the field and back among the players once the offense started shifting looks.
The challenge ahead is sharper than just lining up correctly. Alley pointed to formation changes and motion as the moments that exposed the problem, which means the Mountaineers will spend the coming stretch focused on anticipating what is coming instead of reacting late. If that communication improves, so does the chance for the defense to look like a unit playing with confidence rather than one constantly sorting out the details. [Read more 🡒]
Backyard Brawl Is Getting A Stage WVU Fans Will Love
West Virginias basketball presence in the Pittsburgh area is getting a bigger platform, with Mountaineers players, coach Ross Hodge and athletic director Wren Baker helping promote the inaugural Hope Gas Backyard Basketball Classic. Set for Dec. 9, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena, the event brings together four Division I programs in one building and gives the region a rare, full-day showcase of local college hoops.
For WVU fans, the centerpiece is exactly the kind of stage the Backyard Brawl can thrive on. The doubleheader will feature Pitt, West Virginia, Duquesne and Robert Morris, with the Pitt-WVU matchup serving as the headliner in a setting designed to make the rivalry feel even bigger. It is another reminder that this series can still command attention well beyond the usual calendar date, and this one already has the makings of a marquee trip for Mountaineer supporters. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Suddenly Has A D-Line Problem After Darius Wiley Blow
West Virginias defensive front took a major hit in the season opener when Darius Wiley suffered a lower-body injury against Coastal Carolina and later underwent successful surgery. Rich Rodriguez said Wiley is done for the season, and the recovery timetable stretches well beyond this fall, leaving the Mountaineers to adjust quickly on a unit that already had little room for error.
Emerson Joy, Wilnerson Telemaque and Brandon Caesar are among the players now being asked to absorb more of the workload, and the question is how much the line can hold up while the roster reshuffles around such a significant absence. For a defense trying to settle in early, losing a piece like Wiley so soon forces West Virginia to find answers on the fly, and the ripple effect could linger deep into the year. [Read more 🡒]