Rich Rodriguez and the new look West Virginia Mountaineers started the season in the win column on September 5. Fueled by an explosive first half, the Mountaineers had just enough left in the tank to edge past Coastal Carolina 31-24.
After scoring 24 points in the first half, WVU looked like a completely different team in the second half. The offense managed just one late touchdown, while the Chanticleers nearly mounted a comeback after scoring 24 points. Read more: Five takeaways from WVU’s Week 1 win over Coastal Carolina.
Nonetheless, it is only Week 1 and the Mountaineers secured their first win of the season. Here are five takeaways from the game.
Cam Cook will be a dominant force
If Cam Cook’s opening 72-yard run was not enough to get you excited, let me be the first to tell you that West Virginia hit the transfer portal jackpot with him.
Cook started his West Virginia career with 142 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. That amount of volume is what stands out to me. Rodriguez has already shown his hand that he plans to pound the rock with Cook at the forefront of it.
After leading the NCAA in rushing yards last season, Cook has a strong chance to repeat that feat this year. With Rodriguez calling the plays, it is safe to say that Cook can expect 20-30 carries every game.
Despite the offensive line struggling at times in the second half, Cook looked good the whole game. He showed how hard it is to bring him down to the ground, and despite not having elite speed, he proved he is tough to catch once he gets to the second level.
With him at the helm of what looks to be a three-headed monster in West Virginia’s backfield, Rodriguez will be able to run his offense to its full potential.
Three-headed rushing attack
In terms of the rushing attack, Week 1 showed that West Virginia is more than just a one-man army. Michael Hawkins Jr. and Amari Latimer combined for 135 rushing yards.
Hawkins in particular looked comfortable with the ball in his hands. Rodriguez called a ton of qb designed runs, and you can figure that will be a common theme this season.
The Oklahoma transfer showcased just how fast he is and how dangerous he can be in the open field. I believe he has a good shot at reaching the 1000-yard mark on the ground this season.
Related: We watched two different WVU Football teams Saturday
Hawkins continuously ran all over the field and was a consistent threat even in obvious passing situations. The only mistake he made with his legs is when he fumbled on the goal line after trying to extend for the touchdown.
There is nothing to worry about with that turnover. That is a type of fumble that you quickly learn from and do not let happen again.
With Hawkins and Cook sharing a backfield, and Latimer sprinkled in, this is shaping up to be a dangerous team on the ground.
True freshmen prove they belong
It is rare you see a true freshman starting on the offensive line in college. It is even more uncommon to see it happen at the tackle spot.
However, true freshman Kevin Brown proved he belongs on the field after his performance on Saturday. Brown did not look overwhelmed in front of the big crowd, instead he played extremely well.
The former four-star recruit did not make any clear egregious mistakes. I am sure when the coaching staff watches the tape there will be plenty of things to fix, but during the game he certainly held his own.
After that performance on Saturday, Brown will certainly stay on the field. Another freshman, Matt Sieg also looked like he played well given his inexperience.
While he was quiet on the statsheet, tallying just one tackle, Sieg seemed to be all over the field. He also contributed on special teams after returning a kick for 19 yards.
Both of these freshmen are going to be a lot this year and should develop at a fast rate.
The secondary is still an issue
Last season, one of the glaring weaknesses on the field for West Virginia was the secondary. Week after week, that group struggled to stop anything deep down the field.
The Mountaineers opened this season by allowing Coastal Carolina’s quarterback Deuce Bailey to throw for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Most of that also came in the second half.
WVU’s front seven played extremely well. The defensive line looked fast and athletic, managing to get into Bailey’s face a lot.
However, the secondary crumbled in the second half. Bailey continuously carved up West Virginia’s defense as he nearly led an improbable comeback.
The Chanticleers also had two receivers record over 80 receiving yards.
For the sake of everyone, I hope West Virginia’s defense can get everything figured out. The Mountaineers look to have a much more efficient offense compared to last season.
Now it is just time for the defense to take some much-needed positive strides.
The excitement is back
There is no doubt last season was a disappointing year. However, the team was not destined to be that good anyway.
A completely new roster and a new coaching staff is not a recipe for success right away. And now after one game into the second year of Rodriguez, you can start to feel a little more excitement around the program
Maybe some of that has to do with Pat White getting his jersey retired, or just the fact football is finally back. However, the Mountaineers put together a much more efficient and exciting brand of football on the field against Coastal Carolina.
Related: Hawkins Jr., Cook provide early spark
The offense looks to have the pieces together to rush for 200-plus yards every game. Meanwhile, Hawkins has a good enough arm to still have a strong presence in the passing attack.
I know the Mountaineers slowed down in the second half, but overall I am impressed with how they looked on Saturday.
At the very least, the Mountaineers will be a lot more fun to watch this season. However, I still think that is going to equate to a few more wins as well.
They certainly need to figure out their issues in the secondary, but the efficiency and big-play potential they showed in the first half was not a fluke.
The Mountaineers have the pieces in place to be one of the best offenses in the Big 12. They will just have to figure out how to put together two strong halves of football.
