WVU football takes 2-game win streak into much-needed bye week
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West Virginia football headed to Fort Worth and picked up the win over TCU, 24-20, on a last-minute defensive stand. The win handed the Mountaineers back-to-back wins, moving them to 5-3, heading into the long-awaited bye. WVU is one of the few remaining teams in college football who haven't had an open date.
"Played with a little bit of grit," Rich Rodriguez said. "I was concerned that we were a little tired from the eight-straight weeks."
Rodriguez had to play around the fatigue of playing eight straight games and a lot of competitive matchups. The Mountaineers have had four one-score games in the first eight games, and the non-one-score games were close at halftime.
Rodriguez adjusted practices this week because he knew the team would be tired, heading into TCU.
"We shortened practice down a little bit, but you also have so much you got to get ready for," Rodriguez said. "Defensively, we had a lot of new stuff we tried to install right away. You gotta work it."
WVU looked tired at times, according to Rodriguez, especially on offense. The Mountaineers scored 24 points, but were off schedule a few times. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. went 7-for-15 for a season-low 79 passing yards. He also threw his second interception of the year.
Hawkins had a couple of his passes dropped, too. Hawkins threw a beautiful ball to receiver D.J. Epps, which would've been a walk-in touchdown, but he dropped it. The offense had just 272 yards.
"I think on offense we played a little bit that way," Rodriguez said. "They battled through it."
Despite being tired, Rodriguez was pleased with the team's attention on the sideline in the final minutes of the game. TCU was driving down the field down 24-20, and had the ball in the red zone. The defense sacked Horned Frogs quarterback Jaden Craig, and Craig fumbled, which was recovered by linebacker Ben Cutter. The stop closed out the game.
"I know they are a little bit tired," Rodriguez said. "They stayed engaged in the game and made the play to win it."
There's a lot to do from now until WVU's next game on Nov. 7.
Rodriguez talked about how off the field, there'll be a lot of contract negotiations during the bye, trying to get players to stay. One of them is Hawkins, who has two more years of eligibility left. He might not have had the best game throwing, but that hasn't overshadowed his rushing ability and his previous great passing performances.
There's still a lot to fix on the field. The defense, even if it had the game-winning stop, has issues. The Mountaineers allowed 484 yards of offense to the worst offense in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs scored the most points against a Power Four opponent this season against defensive coordinator Zac Alley's defense. The bye can be used to iron out the lingering kinks.
WVU has a lot of tough matchups in the last four games. The Mountaineers play three ranked opponents, Utah, Texas Tech and Houston -- two being on the road. The Utes are one of three undefeated teams left in college football after eight weeks. The bye gives extra preparation for a brutal finish to the season.
"We can grow from this," Rodriguez said. "We are going to have to. We have three ranked teams left out of the four teams that we play. But we have this open date, and we needed this. Give them a couple of days off to reset."
It won't be a reset for just the players. Rodriguez needs the break, too. He had a rough stretch of games to start Big 12 play, where he was the most frustrated he'd been.
After losing three straight games, WVU couldn't have entered the bye any better, winning two straight. The Mountaineers' five wins already topped Rodriguez's last year’s win total of four. The program is on an upward trajectory under Rodriguez.
"Just to be able to sleep, and for my physical wellness," Rodriguez said. "I was physically ill there for a couple of weeks in a row. On an open date, you don't want to go in on a loss. Just makes it seem so long. These two weeks will go by a little faster. Makes my radio show better, too. The following week."