West Virginia’s schedule is already giving plenty of clues about what’s ahead, and Week One offered a mixed bag of results for the Mountaineers’ future opponents.
The first test on the calendar, Coastal Carolina, spent Saturday in Morgantown getting knocked back early before making things uncomfortable later. West Virginia jumped out to a 24-0 lead, but the second half flipped the script.
The Mountaineers’ offense stalled completely, while Coastal Carolina found room to move the ball up and down the field. The comeback effort came up short, and WVU opened with a 31-24 win.
A few weeks later, on September 26, Oklahoma State hit an early stumble that undercut whatever optimism was floating around Stillwater. The Cowboys gave the ball away four times and got into chase mode fast, even going for it on fourth down six times and converting only two. Tulsa took advantage of the extra chances and walked away with a 24-10 win.
Iowa State handled its opener without much drama, rolling past Southeast Missouri 38-10. Jaylen Raynor was productive in every direction, throwing for two touchdowns and adding two more on the ground.
Cincinnati may have turned its quarterback situation into something real on opening weekend. JC French, a Georgia Southern transfer, finished 10-of-14 for a touchdown and also ran for 52 yards and three scores in a 34-15 win over Boston College. That kind of dual-threat punch can change a game in a hurry.
Texas Tech had a much cleaner result than the process suggested. The Red Raiders won 33-10, but their offense left a lot on the table, stringing together a stretch that went turnover, field goal, field goal, field goal, field goal, punt when they probably should have been running away with it.
Kansas made its statement against an FCS opponent on Friday night, jumping to a 30-0 halftime lead in a 51-6 win over Long Island. New quarterback Isaiah Marshall went 14-of-19 for 246 yards and added 49 rushing yards to the mix.
Houston also opened with a win, though it got a little tense late. The Cougars built a 26-7 cushion and seemed headed for a comfortable night, but Oregon State clawed back to 26-20 early in the fourth quarter before a Weigman goal-line plunge helped settle things down in a 33-20 victory.
Utah was another team that looked sharp on offense. Devon Dampier threw three touchdown passes, Byrd Ficklin added two more as the backup, and the Utes averaged more than seven yards per carry in a 66-14 win over Idaho on Thursday night.
Earlier in the schedule, Tennessee-Martin’s new quarterback Tate Surber got a look and finished 16-of-23 for 222 yards, but the Skyhawks’ running game did the heavy lifting. They averaged nearly six yards per carry and scored six rushing touchdowns in a 42-7 win.
West Virginia will keep tracking these opponents as the season unfolds, with matchups coming against Coastal Carolina on September 5, Oklahoma State on September 26, Iowa State on October 3, Cincinnati on October 17, Texas Tech on November 7, Kansas on November 14, Houston on November 21, and Utah on November 27.
In Other News...
WVU Added A New DB But One Key Question Still Looms
West Virginia added another defensive back to its future plans this week when former Georgia defender JaCorey Thomas committed to join the program beginning in the 2026 season. Thomas got a look with the Carolina Panthers at rookie minicamp after going undrafted, but he did not sign an NFL contract, leaving his next stop pointed toward Morgantown instead.
For the Mountaineers, the move adds more depth to a position group that never stops needing it, even if Thomass exact timetable on the field is still unsettled. His arrival does not push anyone out of the current rotation, and the remaining question is when, not whether, he will actually suit up once he gets to campus. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs Defensive Breakthrough Came With One Immediate Concern
West Virginia opened the season with the kind of defensive performance Zac Alley had been chasing, squeezing Coastal Carolina on the ground and sending constant heat at the quarterback. The Mountaineers produced 39 pressures, their most in Alleys 13 games, a notable jump for a defensive line that entered the year with plenty of inexperience and still managed to look disruptive from the start.
The problem for West Virginia is that the breakthrough came with a major health scare attached. Darius Wiley went down with a lower-body injury during the game and had to be carted off the field, leaving the Mountaineers waiting for an update on his condition. For a defense that finally flashed the activity and edge it wanted, the next question is whether it can keep that momentum if Wiley is forced to miss time. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Hawkins Jr. Showed WVU More Than Just Running Ability
Mike Hawkins Jr. arrived in his first game at quarterback and gave West Virginia more than the burst plays that tend to get the most attention. He completed 11 of 14 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown while also carrying the ball 20 times for 103 yards and another score, showing a mix of vision, athleticism and composure that helped steady the offense when it needed it most.
The second half was less smooth for the Mountaineers, but the issues around Hawkins were not really about Hawkins. Penalties, a fumble and some predictable play-calling slowed the offense down, which left the debut with a little more frustration than the opening script suggested. Still, the larger takeaway for WVU was clear: Hawkins did not just flash as a runner, he showed he can handle the full job. [Read more 🡒]