Takeaways: Does the Coastal Carolina Win Really Feel Like a Win for WVU?

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A win is a win, and that’s something Rich Rodriguez and his star players all harped on after Saturday’s game. However, WVU’s season-opening win over Coastal Carolina was a tale of two halves and left Mountaineer fans unsure how to feel about the rest of the season.

Now that the dust has settled on West Virginia’s 31-24 victory over Coastal Carolina, a few things are already becoming clear. The 2026 Mountaineers should be more exciting than last year’s team. They also have a higher ceiling. But at the same time, and as Rodriguez throughout his postgame press conference, this team has a lot to work on if it has any hope of even sniffing contention in the Big 12.

• Michael Hawkins legitimatized his win in WVU’s quarterback competition. While far from perfect – he missed spots and made mental mistakes in the second half – he also showed flashes of being an elite dual-threat. Hawkins completed 11-of-14 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown pass. He added 103 yards off 20 carries and another score with his legs.
• Cam Cook can cook, but his big game wasn’t without holes. Cook ignited his West Virginia career with a 72-yard burst down the sideline on the first offensive play of the game. But he failed to ever record a run of over 10 yards again. Cook finished with 142 yards on 30 rushing attempts with a pair of touchdowns. He mentioned Coastal Carolina making life more difficult on him and the offensive line in the second half by stacking the box.
• Jaden Bray had four receptions for 29 yards, proving to make a difference for the offense as a whole.
• Amari Latimer showed promise with six carries for 32 yards.
• Defensively, the defensive line up front was solid and held Coastal to only 52 yards on the ground. However, the secondary is the concern, again, and as expected, letting Deuce Bailey 373 yards and three touchdowns, with a significant amount in the second half, on them.

All in all, West Virginia played well enough to beat Coastal Carolina, but that same effort would’ve likely led to a loss against most Power Four foes, certainly on their schedule and inside the Big 12. But Rodriguez knows that, so much so that he told the media he was going to meet with his staff immediately following his postgame press conference to clean it all up.

Fortunately for WVU, they have another tune up-like game next week, as they’ll welcome UT Martin to Morgantown for a 1:00 pm ET kickoff. What follows is the true test for the 2026 Mountaineers, and that will then start with a neutral site matchup against Virginia at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Find more coverage of Rich Rodriguez and the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.