Takeaways: West Virginia Needs to Continue Momentum From Signature Win

CHARLOTTE – There’s no reason to downplay the significance of WVU’s win over Virginia in Charlotte. It provided Rich Rodriguez a signature win early in his second tenure. It showcased Mountaineer Nation as a fanbase. It even proved doubters wrong to the point it earned West Virginia votes in major polls.

Capping off an undefeated non conference slate against a ranked opponent is the kind of momentum that could lead to WVU making 2026 a special season. However, the performance also wasn’t perfect by any means and what happens in conference play does matter more in this College Football Playoff era.

The Fans Assisted the Win

• As they always do, WVU fans showed up on a big stage. Significantly outnumbering any Virginia faithful, WVU fans were loud and engaged all throughout the day and night, solidifying Charlotte as a West Virginia South.

Hawkins’ Speed Was Too Much to Handle

• Mike Hawkins’ speed was the difference maker, earning him national recognition. Not only does he fit Rodriguez’s system, but the Cavaliers just couldn’t catch up to the dual-threat signal caller. He was deadly running to the outside and was able to turn plays that would’ve likely been short or no gains with most other quarterbacks into big plays. He completed 10-of-17 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns through the air and then added 123 yards on 18 carries and three more scores on the ground.
• West Virginia’s offensive held their own in the battle of the trenches. Two penalties on Kevin Brown, including a tripping call that killed a WVU drive, exposed the inexperience of the true freshman. He can’t make mistakes like that again if he’s going to keep starting on a team that believes it can contend this season. Nick Krahe’s injury and status will be something to watch.
• Cam Cook continues to run hard and muscle his way through defenders. He racked up 123 yards of his own 30 carries for an average of 4.1 per touch.

Defensive Played Hard, Yet Still Has Room to Grow

• Zac Alley’s defense had their best showing of the season, and even in a while dating back to last year. He dialed up an aggressive approach that led to causing Beau Pribula more fits than their three sacks indicated.
• Isaiah Patterson made a name for himself as “Hard Edge” among WVU fans, leading the team with 12 tackles and dong it with a giant cut on his face.
• Fortunately for WVU, Pribula didn’t try to pick apart the secondary until forced into passing late in the game. The jury remains out on how the Mountaineer secondary will handle a strong passing attack.
• After solid showing in the first two games, the WVU defensive line did crack a bit and allowed 157 yards on the ground, most notably a 47-yard burst through the line by Xavier Brown. The line and linebacker level did clamp down and hold steady as the game progressed.
• Overall, Alley has to be pleased with the effort through all four quarters against a solid offense.

What’s Ahead?

As great as the vibes are around the current Mountaineers, a big early-season win will lose its luster if the season goes down the drain from here. West Virginia has another test on deck, with Oklahoma State traveling to Morgantown to face WVU under the Milan Puskar Stadium lights. And while WVU may be a slight favorite, the Cowboys have proven they can beat anyone when they’re on top of their game.

West Virginia and Oklahoma State will battle in a prime-time matchup on Saturday night. Kickoff is set from Milan Puskar Stadium for 7:30 pm ET.

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