Around this time last year, I put together a weekly series called Tale of the Tape, highlighting each opponent on WVU Football’s schedule. What started as a way to fill slow summer days turned into a bit of a passion project.
It is time to go back down the rabbit hole, starting with the opener against Coastal Carolina. The release date of this one is a bit abnormal, so expect most entries to come out on Fridays leading up to the season. Read more: Tale of the Tape 2.0 – Coastal Carolina.
The Mountaineers kick off the second year of head coach Rich Rodriguez’s second stint on September 5 with a home contest against CCU. The Chanticleers will make the trip up the East Coast with hopes of spoiling the party.
Brief matchup history
WVU has only played Coastal one time on the gridiron, shutting out the Chanticleers in a 31-0 rout. The 2026 meeting takes place one day past the 16-year mark since the only other meeting (September 4, 2010).
Mountaineer legend Geno Smith had an efficient day at the office on that day, finishing 20/27 for 216 yards. Smith added two touchdowns and threw one pick.
It was Noel Devine who stole the show, with the running back picking up 111 yards and a touchdown. Devine broke open for a 39-yard rumble, making up 35% of his total yards on one carry.
Jock Sanders added 31 yards on one carry, putting him over 100 yards on the day after combining his eight catches and 71 yards to the total. Tavon Austin had one of his “quiet days”, with five snags for 90 yards.
WVU outgained the Chanticleers 400 yards to 186. It honestly should have been an even bigger win for the Mountaineers.
Those stars are far removed from their days wearing the old gold and blue, so it is this generation’s turn to try and impress.
Related: Rich Rodriguez builds for future with top-30 2027 recruiting class
On Coastal Carolina
CCU has only had an official team since 2003, but has made quite the impact since joining the ranks. The Chanticleers joined the Sun Belt after years of dominating the Big South. Coastal won three consecutive Big South titles beginning in just its second year as a program. They finished with seven of those titles before jumping to the Sun Belt Conference in 2017.
The Chanticleers have held their own in the SBC as well, winning the conference title in 2020. CCU added an SBC East Division championship in 2022.
Coastal enters the 2026 season with a first-year head coach, Ryan Beard, after firing Tim Beck. Beard takes over after the two-season Beck era, where CCU finished 6-6 in both seasons.
Coastal comes into the matchup with plenty of question marks surrounding the roster. At least expect Missouri State transfer QB Deuce Bailey to be their guy. The redshirt freshman from Bowling Green, Kentucky, completed 23 of 47 pass attempts in 2025, throwing two touchdowns with no picks. He added a touchdown on the ground as well. Coaches seem to be sold on Bailey, but nothing is set in stone this early.
Dominic Knicely and Jevon Edwards will presumably act as the two-headed monster in the backfield, as they are the top returning backs from last year. The pair combined for 756 yards and four touchdowns.
The three aforementioned Chanticleers are presumably game-changers.
Setting the tone
The first game of the season never reveals the full potential of a team, or lack thereof, but it can tell you quite a bit. WVU opened the 2025 season, when the Mountaineers finished 4-8, with a 49-3 win. On one hand, you saw stars doing what they can do. On the other, several of those standouts also ended their season two weeks later thanks to injuries.
This will be a much tougher test than Robert Morris was in the opener a year ago. It will also (likely) be a scorcher. A noon kickoff in Week 1 is never ideal. Hopefully fans and players are not subject to the same conditions from the 2024 season opener against Penn State, where horrendous heat met torrential downpours.
Regardless, football season is slowly creeping up. Tale of the Tape 2.0 returns this Friday with a quick glance at the Week 2 matchup between WVU and UT Martin.
Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation for more WVU Athletics content, including ongoing coverage from the 2026 Men’s College World Series. Staff writer Brendan Statler is still on location in Omaha, Nebraska, as WVU Baseball makes one last push for its first national title.
Related: Mountaineers battle but fall 5-2 in Game 6 of CWS
Related: Mountaineers reflect on first CWS loss
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