It was another tough Saturday in Mountaineer land, as West Virginia (2-3, 0-2) fell to the Utah Utes (4-1, 1-1), 48-14. WVU Head Coach Rich Rodriguez kept the postgame press conference short. Read more: Short and (Not so) Sweet: Rich Rodriguez Postgame Comments Following 48-14 Loss
Initial Comments
“[It’s] embarrassing how we just failed to execute… didn’t have anything that was really good. Coaching wasn’t good, playing wasn’t good, they [Utah] didn’t even punt one time.”
Rodriguez was visibly displeased after the Mountaineers’ second consecutive loss in blowout fashion. Rightfully so, as Utah’s only flaw was giving up an interception, which didn’t even benefit WVU in the long run.
Plain and simple, almost nothing worked. Despite that, the veteran head coach reassured his belief in the team’s willingness to get up.
Related: WVU Suffers 2nd Straight Blowout Conference Loss, Falls 48-14 to Utah
Still No Quit
 “I don’t think anyone in that locker room will lay down or quit. It’s my job to make sure we get this going in a better direction because we got four days before we play another good team at their place. We’ll work hard and get it fixed in a hurry.” Rodriguez said.
The turn-around is shorter than usual this week, as the Mountaineers will have to travel to Provo, Utah, for a Friday night showdown. BYU will welcome WVU for a Big 12 battle at 10:30 p.m. EST on October 3.
Learning Moments
Redshirt freshman QB, Khalil Wilkins, stepped in after Jaylen Henderson was benched. Wilkins showed flashes of potential in his limited performance.
He [Wilkins] competed well for a young guy. it’s his first action. I thought he ran hard. A couple throws he would like to have back. Missed a couple easy ones there, but I was proud of the way he competed. ” Rodriguez said.
Despite the all-around misfire in terms of execution as a team, Rodriguez is determined to find learning moments in the film.
Shifting Pieces
“Kimo was out [in the first half]. Donovan went in [at right guard], and we wanted to get Malik some reps [at right tackle], see what he could do. He’s a pretty good player. We’re not done finding the right combinations.” Rodriguez said.
The offensive line was a revolving door on Saturday, with the aforementioned substitutions playing a factor in the game. The line has struggled all year long, but Rodriguez insists that these questions will be worked out. After all, the season doesn’t hit the halfway point until Friday.
Game Day Photos
Check out the game day photos below. Click on any photo to enlarge it.
Final Takeaways
The majority of the postgame press conference with Rodriguez was a downer. What else can you expect after that performance?
Regardless, the coaching staff will have a short week to try and right the ship before the hefty road challenge. Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation.
