West Virginia’s shootout loss to Texas Tech came with the kind of PFF grades you’d expect after a game like that: the offense held up, and the defense took a beating.
Mike Hawkins Jr. was the clear headliner for the Mountaineers on offense, earning an 88.5 grade. He was 3/3 on 20+ yard passing attempts for 148 yards and a score, and he also went 6/8 on throws that went beyond the sticks. Hawkins kept giving West Virginia a real shot to win, and he did more than enough on his end.
The rest of the offensive skill group had a solid night behind him. TaRon Francis led the wideouts with an 88.8 grade, while Prince Strachan posted a 79.5.
Cyrus Traugh checked in at 70.5, followed by John Neider at 59.8, DJ Epps at 59.6, Keon Hutchins at 56.0, and Jaden Bray at 55.3. At running back, Cam Cook graded out at 73.3, Amari Latimer at 63.3, and NaQuari Rogers at 60.0.
Tight end Ryan Ward finished at 64.8, with Cam Ball at 59.2 and Josh Sapp at 56.2. Up front, Josh Aisosa led the line at 73.9, then came Wes King at 64.9, Amare Grayson at 63.8, Kevin Brown at 62.5, Nick Krahe at 59.4, and Cartsen Casady at 56.8. The line had its issues in protection, giving up nine pressures and two sacks, and Krahe in particular had a rough outing, arguably his worst as a Mountaineer since he became a starter.
On the other side of the ball, the grades tell the story just as bluntly. K.J.
Henson was the top performer up front with a 77.1, and linebacker Isaiah Patterson followed with an 80.6. Henson had four pressures and multiple big stops, including some behind the line of scrimmage.
Beyond that, there wasn’t much to celebrate. Corey McIntyre Jr. posted a 61.8, Yendor Mack a 60.7, Zeke Durham-Campbell a 59.3, Nate Gabriel a 57.3, Taylor Brown a 50.5, and Will LeBlanc a 43.6. At edge, David Afogho finished at 50.3 and Harper Holloman at 48.9.
The linebacker group was mixed after Patterson. Tyler Stolsky graded at 62.5, Jason Hall Jr. at 55.6, Ashton Woods at 55.2, Cam Torbor at 49.0, Miles Khatri at 45.1, and Ben Cutter at 36.7.
In the secondary, Andrew Powdrell led the corners with a 65.4, while Nick Taylor came in at 58.1. Chams Diagne posted a 31.3 and Keyshawn Robinson a 28.8. At safety, Kamari Wilson graded at 69.5, Kameron Reddic at 64.0, Matt Sieg at 45.2, and JaCorey Thomas at 38.4.
The defense as a whole was a rough watch, especially in the back end. The secondary repeatedly gave up explosives in ugly fashion, and the problems weren’t just about being out of position. They also weren’t making plays on the ball.
In Other News...
WVU Wasted A Historic Night In A Loss Fans Will Hate
West Virginias trip to Texas Tech turned into one of those maddening Big 12 shootouts that leaves everyone exhausted and none the happier for it. In a game packed with offense and little margin for error, the Mountaineers were part of a first half that produced more than 892 yards of total offense, and Mike Hawkins Jr. still managed to carve out a place in the school record book by setting the program mark for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season.
Even with that kind of individual milestone, the result is what will sting most. West Virginia fell 53-48 after defensive breakdowns and a handful of critical late plays swung the finish in Texas Techs favor, turning a historic night for Hawkins into a loss the Mountaineers will be replaying for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Hawkins Jr. Is Giving West Virginia One Huge Reason To Worry
Mike Hawkins Jr. has already put his name alongside one of the most recognizable figures in West Virginia football, and he did it in a way that keeps changing the conversation around the Mountaineers. With 19 rushing touchdowns through nine games, he broke Pat Whites mark for the most rushing scores by a West Virginia player in a single season, a reminder of just how central he has become to the offense.
The bigger issue for West Virginia is what comes next. Hawkins has a chance to keep climbing the record book and potentially set a standard for a non-service academy quarterback that would draw national attention, but only if he remains in Morgantown. For a program that wants to build real momentum, his future with the Mountaineers may be every bit as important as what he has already done on the field. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Let An Upset Slip Away In One Brutal Stretch
West Virginia had Texas Tech on the ropes in a game that kept swinging from one sideline to the other, with big plays, penalties and defensive stands all tilting the odds in real time. ESPNs win probability chart told the story as much as the scoreboard did, showing the Mountaineers in position to pull off an upset before the games tempo and chaos started to work against them.
The frustration afterward was less about one single mistake than about a brutal stretch in which the momentum they had built slipped away almost all at once. West Virginias coach addressed it after the game, and the postgame discussion centered on how quickly a high-scoring win can disappear when a few critical snaps turn the other way. [Read more 🡒]