Rich Rodriguez Takes Blame for WVU’s Preparation: ‘It Starts With Me’

ATHENS, Ohio – It’s no secret WVU underperformed in its 17-10 loss to Ohio on Saturday. Head coach Rich Rodriguez took accountability in the postgame press conference, saying he felt the team was under-prepared.

“I’m just very disappointed. It starts with me,” Rodriguez said. “I told the guys I failed them this week. I thought we had a good week of practice, thought we were ready to play and we weren’t. We didn’t execute. A lot of things to work on.”

Part of WVU’s struggles came while attempting to contain graduate quarterback Parker Navarro, who finished with 110 rushing yards, 247 passing yards and one passing touchdown. However, WVU forced him to throw three interceptions.

Rodriguez had high praise for him after the game.

“He’s phenomenal. I was a big worry coming in that he had everybody covered and, you know, there there were times where we kept him from going outside, but he ducked inside and scrambled,” Rodriguez said. “And he’s just a phenomenal playmaker, and there’s no question. He’s pretty dynamic.”

Defense was the bright spot for WVU. On top of the three picks, the unit forced four punts, allowed only five third-down conversions on 14 attempts and three sacks.

“They played hard and played well enough for us to win, but when you lose, everybody loses and  we’re gonna take this and learn as much as we can,” Rodriguez said.

WVU has a notorious opponent set for next weekend, when it hosts the Pitt Panthers for the Backyard Brawl, the final meeting between the two until 2029. With a rivalry game approaching, Rodriguez emphasized the need to put the Ohio loss behind them.

“Whether you win or lose, after 24 hours, you gotta move on,” Rodriguez said. “I think the biggest thing we gotta do with the losses, and the wins, but the losses you gotta learn as much as you can from it. Like, everybody. I mean, players, coaches, and everybody in the club.”

Kickoff against Pitt is set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 at Milan Puskar Stadium.

Find more coverage of WVU Football and Rich Rodriguez at WV Sports Now.

For a related story, WVU Football Fans React to Poor Offensive Showing Against Ohio.