Saturday, October 17
Morgantown, W.Va.
12:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Cincinnati
Photo by: Raquel Rodriguez/Mountaineer Football
United Bank Playbook: Impressive Ground Attacks on Display Saturday
October 14, 2026 11:58 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Two of the top rushing teams in the Big 12 Conference will meet Saturday afternoon at high noon when West Virginia faces Cincinnati in a Homecoming contest at Milan Puskar Stadium.
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The Mountaineers (3-3 and 0-3 in Big 12 play) currently boast the fourth-best rushing attack in the country, averaging 295.5 yards per game, headlined by two of the college football's elite ball carriers.
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Cam Cook ranks third nationally in rushing this week with 793 yards - just 42 yards shy of NCAA leader Dylan Riley of Boise State.Â
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Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is five spots below Cook in eighth place with 692 yards, giving West Virginia its best one-two rushing combo since Steve Slaton and Pat White.
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Throw in coach Rich Rodriguez's play calling and offensive line coach Rick Trickett's oversight of the blocking, and this year's team is recreating the record-setting success the Mountaineers enjoyed on the ground back in the early 2000s.
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WVU ran for a school-record 3,939 yards in 2006, an average of 303 yards per game, to rank third in the country behind just the two service academies that season.
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The school's three-best rushing campaigns happened during a five-year span from 2002-07, and it was also the only period in school history when the Mountaineers had dual 1,000-yard rushers in the same year.
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That occurred twice in 2006 and 2007 when Slaton and White produced the rare feat.
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To give you an idea of what Cook and Hawkins are doing so far, through six games, Cook is on pace to rush for more than 1,500 yards and Hawkins is on schedule to surpass 1,300 yards during a 12-game regular season.Â
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Hawkins is already 16th in school history with 12 rushing touchdowns and needs just six more to equal the school record of 18 established in 1997 by Amos Zereoue and equaled by White in 2006.
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Cook now has his sights set on Slaton's school-record 1,744 rushing yards generated in 2006 with half of the regular season still remaining.
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Like Rodriguez, Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield has had a long history of success running the football at Appalachian State, Louisville and now Cincinnati. Satterfield's offenses have consistently averaged more than 200 yards per game on the ground, and the Bearcats are right on pace this year.
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Notre Dame transfer Gi'Bran Payne ranks ninth in the Big 12 this week with 392 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, and his sidekick Cole Tabb has been the team's home-run threat with 330 yards and an impressive 9.7 yards-per-rush average.
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UC (4-1, 1-1) is getting additional help on the ground from quarterback JC French IV, a Georgia Southern transfer, who has contributed 193 yards and a team-best five rushing touchdowns.
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What is making Satterfield's zone rushing scheme go is an experienced offensive line led by center Taran Tyo and guard Xavier Lozowicki, two NFL prospects who have helped control the line of scrimmage.
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The Bearcats ran for a season-high 418 yards in a 62-10 victory over Western Carolina, but a 271-yard rushing performance three weeks ago in a 31-26 victory over Kansas State is the one worth highlighting.
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Cincinnati averaged 7.1 yards per carry against the Wildcats that day and got three rushing touchdowns from Tabb, who finished with 124 yards on just 11 totes.
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That's a major concern for a West Virginia defense that has struggled mightily stopping teams this season. The Mountaineers have surrendered 44 plays of 20 yards or longer, which is the most among all 138 Division I defenses through a half-dozen games.
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That does not match up favorably against a Bearcat offense that has demonstrated an ability to generate big plays in 2026. While Cincinnati is just 85th nationally in 10-plus-yard plays with 72, its ranking improves dramatically as distances increase.
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The Bearcats are 65th in 20-plus-yard plays; 34th in 40-plus-yard plays and 12th nationally with five plays of 50 yards or longer.
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West Virginia has surrendered 14 plays of 40 yards or longer and four 50-plus-yard plays so far this season.
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Therefore, holding on to the football and consuming the clock to protect the defense will be Rodriguez's No. 1 objective on Saturday afternoon against Cincinnati.
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"We've got some issues to fix (defensively), but I'm excited to watch our guys during the week of practice," he said. "We know what we're doing can be fixed, but it's got to get fixed in a hurry schematically and fundamentally."
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Defensive coordinator Zac Alley indicated Tuesday afternoon that all options are on the table, including player personnel changes.
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West Virginia had the ball for nearly 11 minutes longer than Arizona last Saturday; enjoyed a 104-to-51 advantage in total plays and still lost the game by three touchdowns. Six of the eight 20-plus-yard plays West Virginia surrendered happened in the second half when the Wildcats took control of the contest.
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"Last week, we probably had some more deep shots (open), but we didn't want to take them because we wanted to control the ball and this week, we are going to have to have some patience," Rodriguez noted.
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Meanwhile, Cincinnati will be a well-rested team having enjoyed a break in its schedule last Saturday, which gives them additional time to heal and game plan for the Mountaineers.
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West Virginia has been victimized by trick plays in its most recent losses to Iowa State and Arizona, and the coaching staff is anticipating seeing more of them on Saturday from the Bearcats.
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"You expect to see new things and inevitably you usually don't see a lot of new stuff because they usually just work on their fundamentals, which everybody wants a week for fundamentals," Rodriguez said, adding, "but they do a lot of things formation wise on special teams; I think they will do some new blitzes defensively and then from their offense, we've got to be ready for just about anything."
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In addition to ending their three-game conference skid, the Mountaineers are also looking to snap a seven-game losing streak in Homecoming games. WVU's last Homecoming triumph happened in 2018 when it topped Kansas 38-22.
Rodriguez won all seven of his Homecoming clashes during his first stint at WVU before dropping last year's game to TCU 23-17.
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Cincinnati will be making its 13th visit to Morgantown and its second since joining the Big 12 in 2023. Overall, West Virginia owns an 18-3-1 record against the Bearcats, including a 9-2-1 record in games played in Morgantown.
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UC's last win here came in 2008 in overtime.
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Saturday's game will be televised nationally on TNT, TruTV and HBO MAX with J.B. Long, Mike Golic Jr. and Jared Greenberg on the call.
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Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage begins at 9 a.m. with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading into regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning at 11 a.m. on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com, and the Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.
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Tickets remain on sale through the Mountaineer Ticket Office and can be purchased online by logging on to WVUGAME.com.
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The Mountaineers (3-3 and 0-3 in Big 12 play) currently boast the fourth-best rushing attack in the country, averaging 295.5 yards per game, headlined by two of the college football's elite ball carriers.
Â
Cam Cook ranks third nationally in rushing this week with 793 yards - just 42 yards shy of NCAA leader Dylan Riley of Boise State.Â
Â
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is five spots below Cook in eighth place with 692 yards, giving West Virginia its best one-two rushing combo since Steve Slaton and Pat White.
Â
Throw in coach Rich Rodriguez's play calling and offensive line coach Rick Trickett's oversight of the blocking, and this year's team is recreating the record-setting success the Mountaineers enjoyed on the ground back in the early 2000s.
Â
WVU ran for a school-record 3,939 yards in 2006, an average of 303 yards per game, to rank third in the country behind just the two service academies that season.
Â
The school's three-best rushing campaigns happened during a five-year span from 2002-07, and it was also the only period in school history when the Mountaineers had dual 1,000-yard rushers in the same year.
Â
That occurred twice in 2006 and 2007 when Slaton and White produced the rare feat.
Â
To give you an idea of what Cook and Hawkins are doing so far, through six games, Cook is on pace to rush for more than 1,500 yards and Hawkins is on schedule to surpass 1,300 yards during a 12-game regular season.Â
Â
Hawkins is already 16th in school history with 12 rushing touchdowns and needs just six more to equal the school record of 18 established in 1997 by Amos Zereoue and equaled by White in 2006.
Â
Cook now has his sights set on Slaton's school-record 1,744 rushing yards generated in 2006 with half of the regular season still remaining.
Â
Like Rodriguez, Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield has had a long history of success running the football at Appalachian State, Louisville and now Cincinnati. Satterfield's offenses have consistently averaged more than 200 yards per game on the ground, and the Bearcats are right on pace this year.
Â
Notre Dame transfer Gi'Bran Payne ranks ninth in the Big 12 this week with 392 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, and his sidekick Cole Tabb has been the team's home-run threat with 330 yards and an impressive 9.7 yards-per-rush average.
Â
UC (4-1, 1-1) is getting additional help on the ground from quarterback JC French IV, a Georgia Southern transfer, who has contributed 193 yards and a team-best five rushing touchdowns.
Â
What is making Satterfield's zone rushing scheme go is an experienced offensive line led by center Taran Tyo and guard Xavier Lozowicki, two NFL prospects who have helped control the line of scrimmage.
Â
The Bearcats ran for a season-high 418 yards in a 62-10 victory over Western Carolina, but a 271-yard rushing performance three weeks ago in a 31-26 victory over Kansas State is the one worth highlighting.
Â
Cincinnati averaged 7.1 yards per carry against the Wildcats that day and got three rushing touchdowns from Tabb, who finished with 124 yards on just 11 totes.
Â
That's a major concern for a West Virginia defense that has struggled mightily stopping teams this season. The Mountaineers have surrendered 44 plays of 20 yards or longer, which is the most among all 138 Division I defenses through a half-dozen games.
Â
That does not match up favorably against a Bearcat offense that has demonstrated an ability to generate big plays in 2026. While Cincinnati is just 85th nationally in 10-plus-yard plays with 72, its ranking improves dramatically as distances increase.
Â
The Bearcats are 65th in 20-plus-yard plays; 34th in 40-plus-yard plays and 12th nationally with five plays of 50 yards or longer.
Â
West Virginia has surrendered 14 plays of 40 yards or longer and four 50-plus-yard plays so far this season.
Â
Therefore, holding on to the football and consuming the clock to protect the defense will be Rodriguez's No. 1 objective on Saturday afternoon against Cincinnati.
Â
"We've got some issues to fix (defensively), but I'm excited to watch our guys during the week of practice," he said. "We know what we're doing can be fixed, but it's got to get fixed in a hurry schematically and fundamentally."
Â
Defensive coordinator Zac Alley indicated Tuesday afternoon that all options are on the table, including player personnel changes.
Â
West Virginia had the ball for nearly 11 minutes longer than Arizona last Saturday; enjoyed a 104-to-51 advantage in total plays and still lost the game by three touchdowns. Six of the eight 20-plus-yard plays West Virginia surrendered happened in the second half when the Wildcats took control of the contest.
Â
"Last week, we probably had some more deep shots (open), but we didn't want to take them because we wanted to control the ball and this week, we are going to have to have some patience," Rodriguez noted.
Â
Meanwhile, Cincinnati will be a well-rested team having enjoyed a break in its schedule last Saturday, which gives them additional time to heal and game plan for the Mountaineers.
Â
West Virginia has been victimized by trick plays in its most recent losses to Iowa State and Arizona, and the coaching staff is anticipating seeing more of them on Saturday from the Bearcats.
Â
"You expect to see new things and inevitably you usually don't see a lot of new stuff because they usually just work on their fundamentals, which everybody wants a week for fundamentals," Rodriguez said, adding, "but they do a lot of things formation wise on special teams; I think they will do some new blitzes defensively and then from their offense, we've got to be ready for just about anything."
Â
In addition to ending their three-game conference skid, the Mountaineers are also looking to snap a seven-game losing streak in Homecoming games. WVU's last Homecoming triumph happened in 2018 when it topped Kansas 38-22.
Rodriguez won all seven of his Homecoming clashes during his first stint at WVU before dropping last year's game to TCU 23-17.
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Cincinnati will be making its 13th visit to Morgantown and its second since joining the Big 12 in 2023. Overall, West Virginia owns an 18-3-1 record against the Bearcats, including a 9-2-1 record in games played in Morgantown.
Â
UC's last win here came in 2008 in overtime.
Â
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on TNT, TruTV and HBO MAX with J.B. Long, Mike Golic Jr. and Jared Greenberg on the call.
Â
Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage begins at 9 a.m. with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading into regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning at 11 a.m. on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com, and the Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.
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Tickets remain on sale through the Mountaineer Ticket Office and can be purchased online by logging on to WVUGAME.com.
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| Tale of the Tape | UC (4-1) | WVU (3-3) |
| Points Per Game | 33.8 | 36.3 |
| Points Against | 23.2 | 32.7 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | 230.8 | 295.5 |
| Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game | 141.6 | 163.8 |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 196.8 | 184.8 |
| Passing Yards Allowed Per Game | 260.0 | 297.0 |
| Total Yards Per Game | 427.6 | 480.3 |
| Total Yards Allowed Per Game | 401.6 | 460.8 |
| First Downs For | 102 | 140 |
| First Downs Against | 112 | 132 |
| Fumbles/Lost | 6/2 | 7/6 |
| Interceptions/Return Yards | 4/0 | 4/5 |
| Net Punting | 44.4 | 39.1 |
| Field Goal/Attempts | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Time of Possession | 29:09 | 28:58 |
| Penalties/Yards | 36/332 | 37/309 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 31/64 | 47/94 |
| 3rd Down Conversion Defense | 31/68 | 25/71 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 6/10 | 5/13 |
| 4th Down Conversion Defense | 2/7 | 4/8 |
| Sacks By/Yards Lost | 11/60 | 13/86 |
Players Mentioned
RB
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QB
/ FootballWednesday, October 14
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Tuesday, October 13
