Alright fam, let’s talk about it.
52-7. That’s not a football score, that’s a statement. West Virginia went into Milan Puskar Stadium and made sure UT Martin knew exactly what kind of afternoon it was going to be from the jump. And look, I know it’s an FCS opponent, I know the argument that’s coming in the comments before I even finish typing this sentence. But the players don’t get to pick who’s on their schedule, they just get to decide how they handle it. And WVU handled it. Now let’s break it down
the way we always do, position by position, because a 45-point win can hide some things if you’re not paying attention. I was paying attention.
Quarterback: A+
I’m not going to overthink this one. Michael Hawkins Jr. is a problem. Two touchdown passes, two rushing touchdowns, and he’s doing it with an accuracy and a calmness that makes you believe this passing game is about to take off. He’s not just running for his life back there either. He’s seeing the field, he’s making the right read, and when he decides to keep it and go, defenders are grabbing air. A true dual threat. That’s an A+ and I’m not budging off it.
Running Backs: B+
This is where I want to be honest with y’all instead of just riding the scoreboard. The running back room did what they were supposed to do in terms of protecting the football. Zero fumbles. Pass protection was solid, which matters more than people realize because that’s what lets Hawkins sit back there and pick teams apart. I wanted to see more explosiveness out of the run game itself. I wanted to see that group take over the game on the ground the way I know this offense is capable of. It didn’t fully show up Saturday. Good, not great. Amari Latimer show a lot of explosion on the touchdown run, his size and speed is crazy.
Wide Receivers & Tight Ends: A+
DJ Epps looked like a different type of athlete out there. That explosiveness shows up on tape and it shows up in the scoreboard. And can we talk about Ryan Ward for a second? I think that young man has a chance to be one of the best tight ends in the entire Big 12 this year. Now, how much of that gets to shine is going to depend on how well the offensive line handles the run game around him, because a good tight end in this system needs the ground game working too. But the tools are there.
Offensive Line: A-
The line did enough. They gave Hawkins time, they kept him clean, and pass protection was a strength all day. What I didn’t see enough of was that dominant push in the run game that turns good plays into explosive ones. Outside of Amari Latimer’s run, Cam Cook getting some solid carries in, and of course Hawkins breaking off that 71-yard touchdown scamper, we didn’t see the line creating a ton of explosive running lanes. Solid day. Just not the day I was hoping to see from that group.
Defensive Line: C+
Good day rushing the passer. That part I liked. Where it gets shaky is the run defense. We gave up too much room in there, too many lanes for UT Martin to work with on the ground. You can win with pass rush covering for some run defense issues, but it’s not sustainable long term.
Linebackers: C
This is where things start to get concerning for me. Teams were getting to the second level of our defense far too easily. And in coverage, it was rough. Guys were finding grass that shouldn’t have been there. This has to get cleaned up, and it has to get cleaned up fast.
Secondary: D
I’m not going to sugarcoat this one for y’all because that’s not what we do here. The pass coverage was flat out poor. Too many easy completions, too many receivers running free when they shouldn’t have been. If this doesn’t get fixed before the big game this week against Virginia, it’s going to be a long season for this defense. That’s not me being negative, that’s me being honest, and I’d rather tell you the truth now than pretend everything’s fine and then be surprised later.
Special Teams: A
Clean kicking, good coverage units, no self-inflicted wounds. Sometimes the best thing special teams can do is just not give you anything to worry about, and that’s exactly what happened.
Coaching: B-
Offensively, this staff cooked. The game plan attacked from snap one, they found ways to get the ball to their playmakers in space, and even when the backups rotated in, the offense kept its foot on the gas. That’s a credit to how this thing is being run. But defensively, we’re now two games into the season and the same issue keeps showing up. Teams are finding success through the air, and teams are finding room to run. Coastal Carolina did it, and now UT Martin did it too, even in a game we won by 45. Good week for one side of the coaching staff. A wake-up call for the other. That’s a B- for me.
Final Word
Look, a win is a win, and 52-7 is the kind of win that makes a stat sheet look beautiful. Offensively, we are legit. Hawkins is legit. This passing attack has a chance to be special, and the skill guys around him are making plays. But that defense has some real questions to answer, and they’re not going away just because the scoreboard looked good this week. We caught a break with the schedule. We won’t catch one next week.
Virginia is next, and that’s a completely different type of test. Let’s see who we really are.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
