By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – Well, that was closer than anyone expected. On Saturday afternoon, the West Virginia Mountaineers survived a fierce comeback by the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, 31-24. After taking a 24-0 lead into halftime, WVU sputtered offensively, failing to put the game away early. While this has raised concerns for many fans, there is both and good that can be taken into their week two matchup with UT-Martin.
Today, I am going to share my initial overreactions to WVU’s victory on Saturday. This will be a weekly article throughout the 2026 season.
Without further ado…
- Michael Hawkins was good, but how good can he be?: Going into Saturday, everyone knew that Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins would be the starting quarterback. Fans and media members alike have shared their enthusiasm for his potential all offseason. For the most part, he lived up to that enthusiasm with 235 total yards and 2 total touchdowns. However, I will proceed with caution with this enthusiasm. Not because I doubt his skills, but the sample size is still small. I want to see him string together consecutive solid performances.
- Cam Cook is who we thought he was: Right out of the gates, Jacksonville State transfer Cam Cook ran through the Coastal Carolina defense. Toting the rock 30 times for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, we can only expect his production to increase. Barring anything unforeseen, Cook should have one of the best seasons for a WVU running back in recent memory.
- I don’t think the offensive line was the issue: WVU’s offense was stuck in neutral for almost the entire second half. Though that is enough to make fans uneasy, I believe there are many reasons this occurred. I want to make it clear that no, I do not believe the offensive line was the issue. Coastal’s defense simply adjusted while Rodriguez stubbornly kept play-calling vanilla. The offense will be just fine moving forward.
- Defense…woof: This is where I’ll get negative. After a solid first half, WVU’s defense completely fell apart in the second half. Even with the WVU defensive line churning out one of the best performances of this week, per Pro Football Focus, the concerns with the secondary became apparent. Giving up 373 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns to Coastal Carolina will not excite anyone. Instead, it will make fans fearful of what will happen through conference play. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley has his work cut out for him in what could be his make-or-break season – especially with the fanbase.
- I’ll leave you with this: This is a long season. The team you see in week one is never the same one in the season finale. Rich Rodriguez has made a career of successfully adjusting throughout the season. This year will be no different. The Mountaineers will be fine.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
