MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU Football (3-0) enjoyed its biggest win of the season for about 24 hours.
After taking down No. 25 Virginia, 38-27, in Charlotte, head coach Rich Rodriguez and the Mountaineers quickly turned their attention toward Oklahoma State and the start of Big 12 play.
Rodriguez said Monday the win over Virginia showed some growth from a team that has plenty of new faces, especially in how it handled adversity. Read more: Rich Rodriguez turns the page to Oklahoma State as WVU prepares for Big 12 play.
West Virginia opened the game with a three-and-out before Virginia scored on its opening possession. Still, Rodriguez said he never felt his team lose focus.
“I never sensed any kind of looking at the scoreboard at any time,” Rodriguez said.
That maturity will be tested again Saturday when Oklahoma State comes to Morgantown.
Rodriguez described the Cowboys as a well-coached team that does not make many mistakes defensively. He also pointed to Oklahoma State’s ability to keep opponents in front of them.
“They’re in the right spot, you know, well coached,” Rodriguez said. “They always have a good plan for every kind of scheme you’re doing.”
A different challenge
Oklahoma State enters the matchup with a 2-1 record, having lost its season opener to Tulsa before responding with a dominant win over Oregon. Most recently, OSU blanked Murray State.
Rodriguez said the Cowboys’ performance against Oregon stood out to him, especially considering how quickly they responded to the opening loss.
“They come out the next game and just from the jump, jump all over Oregon,” Rodriguez said.
The Cowboys also bring a fast-paced offense, something Rodriguez believes will challenge West Virginia’s defensive front.
Related: Weekend wins set up “big fight feel” for WVU vs. Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State’s quarterback Drew Mestemaker has been getting the ball out quickly, making it difficult for opposing defenses to generate pressure. Rodriguez said the quarterback averages around 1.8 seconds before getting rid of the football.
“He doesn’t take sacks,” Rodriguez said. “He gets rid of the football.”
That puts even more pressure on West Virginia’s defensive line, which is still trying to find its best combination following the season-ending injury to Darius Wiley.
Wiley underwent surgery after suffering a significant injury against Coastal Carolina. Rodriguez said the surgery went well, although Wiley could require another procedure and could face a recovery of more than a year.
“Losing Wiley hurt because he was probably in our most productive DN,” Rodriguez said.
West Virginia used more defensive linemen than it had in previous games against Virginia, and Rodriguez said the group is still trying to determine which players give the Mountaineers the best chance to get pressure without constantly blitzing.
That could be especially important against Oklahoma State’s tempo.
Injury updates
While Wiley will remain out, Rodriguez provided mostly positive injury news heading into Saturday.
Offensive lineman Nick Krahe, who missed several series against Virginia, will be limited in practice this week but is expected to play.
Tight end Cam Ball was knocked out of the Virginia game but is also expected to be available Saturday.
Bray, who is dealing with a hip bruise, will be limited early in the week but should be ready to go.
With Krahe out against Virginia, Josh Aisosa got an influx in snaps. Rodriguez said he was impressed with the young offensive lineman’s performance and the progress he has made over the last two months.
Kevin Brown is still developing as a true freshman starting on the offensive line.
Rodriguez acknowledged Brown had a couple of penalties against Virginia but said the freshman is playing solid football.
“He’s a tough guy, loves football, and he’ll keep getting better and better,” Rodriguez said.
Prince Strachan’s role expected to increase
Rodriguez also expects to see more from wide receiver Prince Strachan this weekend.
Strachan was working his way back into the lineup against Virginia and saw limited action. With a full week of practice now behind him, Rodriguez expects his role to grow against Oklahoma State.
“He’s a big physical guy and a good football player,” Rodriguez said.
The Mountaineers will also keep leaning on their running game.
Cam Cook has been a major part of the offense through the first three games, and Rodriguez said he does not spend much time worrying about the number of carries his running backs receive during a game.
Cook has been the most experienced option in the running back room, with the other backs developing within the offense.
Rodriguez said that could eventually allow West Virginia to spread the workload more evenly, but for now, the Mountaineers will keep feeding the players who are producing.
Hawkins still growing
One of West Virginia’s biggest developments through the first three games has been the growth of quarterback Michael Hawkins.
Rodriguez said Hawkins’ confidence is consistently improving. He added the sophomore is becoming better at anticipating what comes next in the offense.
That includes more than simply recognizing the next play call. It also offers Hawkins beginning to offer suggestions based on what he sees on the field.
“You can see his confidence is growing,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez believes that part of Hawkins’ development will progress throughout the season.
Hawkins may have multiple years remaining in the program. Because of that, Rodriguez sees the quarterback eventually going from simply anticipating what the offense is going to run to helping shape what plays the Mountaineers run.
For now, though, the focus is on Oklahoma State.
West Virginia enters the matchup 3-0 after knocking off a ranked Virginia team, but Rodriguez does not want his team looking too far ahead.
The Mountaineers have already moved on from the celebration and are back to treating the week like the beginning of camp.
“The conference games are the ones that are most important,” Rodriguez said.
And for West Virginia, that next chapter begins Saturday night in Morgantown.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Milan Puskar Stadium. Be sure to check out The Mountaineer Tailgate pregame show on 100.9 The Torch or any of its affiliate stations. It can also be streamed on JFMN.TV.
