Saturday, September 5
Morgantown, W.Va.
12:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
31
vs
24
Coastal Carolina
Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
Mountaineers Open Season Successfully
September 05, 2026 03:45 PM | Football
UT Martin TicketsWVU 31_Coastal Carolina 24_Final StatsCoastal_Carolina_PostgameNotesWVU_PostgameNotes_vs. CoastalCarolinaCoastal Carolina at West Virginia Postgame QuotesRich Rodriguez Postgame Press ConferenceNate Gabriel Postgame Press ConferenceMichael Hawkins Postgame Press ConferenceCam Cook Postgame Press ConferencePhoto Gallery
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and then held on for a 31-24 season-opening victory over Coastal Carolina today at MIlan Puskar Stadium.
The Mountaineers used 142 yards and two rushing touchdowns from Jacksonville State transfer Cam Cook and an additional 103 from Oklahoma transfer quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. in the triumph - the 195th of Rich Rodriguez's coaching career.
WVU finished with 281 yards rushing on 61 carries, but most of those came in the first half to establish its big lead.
Hawkins also completed 11-of-14 through the air for 132 yards and one touchdown.
"I really thought in the first half we played well in all three phases," Rodriguez said afterward. "But in the second half, we stunk. We did not do anything well."
The Mountaineers (1-0) began the game with a 72-yard Cook run on the first play from scrimmage and scored on four of their first six possessions to take a commanding 24-0 lead at intermission.
The Mountaineers were an impressive eight-of-10 on third down, and the defense limited the Chanticleers to just 114 yards and an average of 4.6 yards on their 26 first-half plays.
Following Cook's 72-yard burst down the near sideline to the Coastal Carolina 3, the senior scored the season's first touchdown on the next play, just 47 seconds into 2026.
Cook's second rushing touchdown late in the second quarter culminated a 17-play, 86-yard march that consumed 6:35 of clock with 13 of those plays coming on the ground.
In between, Hawkins flipped a 49-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Armoni Weaver-Bomar, who hauled the pass in at the 10 and strolled into the end zone, and Jack Cassidy kicked a 38-yard field goal.
Then came the third quarter.
Following an exchange of possessions, the Chanticleers used a 99-yard drive to tally their first points of the afternoon.
Aided by three defensive penalties, including one on third down when the Chanticleers were backed up to their own goal line, Coastal used Deuce Bailey passes of 16 yards to Robby Washington and 13 yards to Colton Hinton to move the ball to the WVU 48.
Four plays later, Bailey eluded pressure to complete a 34-yard touchdown strike to Clayton Coppock Jr.
West Virginia's third quarter consisted of just two three-and-out possessions on offense and five total penalties for 50 yards. Coastal ran 21 plays to West Virginia's six and had a 128-to-23 edge in total yardage.
The Mountaineers regained possession of the football just nine seconds into the fourth quarter when Bailey was sacked by Nate Gabriel and his fumble was recovered by Ezekiel Durham-Campbell, but junior defensive end Darius Wiley suffered a significant leg injury during the scrum to recover the football.
The medical staff was required to bring out a cart to help transport the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, resident off the field.
Another empty WVU offensive possession set up the Chanticleers to cut into West Virginia's lead. Cook was unable to move the sticks on his third-and-short, and his fumble was recovered by Kevin Brown at the WVU 40, requiring the Mountaineers to punt the ball back to Coastal.
Bryan Hansen's short punt bounced out of bounds at the Coastal Carolina 29, giving the Chanticleers plenty of room to use their full playbook. Bailey's short pass out to the left flat was hauled in by Washington, who took it 58 yards to the West Virginia 13.
Two plays later, a scrambling Bailey escaped pressure to complete a 13-yard touchdown pass to Hinton. Nico Cavanillas' second conversion kick reduced West Virginia's lead to 24-14.
WVU's fourth offensive possession of the second half was a little better, as the Mountaineers produced two first downs and consumed nearly five minutes of game time, but the drive stalled at the Coastal 27 when Hawkins was sacked for an 11-yard loss, leading to another Hansen punt.
The Chanticleers (0-1) regained possession at their own 14 with 7:20 remaining, but the Mountaineer defense responded with a stop when Isaiah Patterson's third-down sack of Bailey moved Coastal back 7 yards and forced a Roland Podesta punt from his own end zone.
His punt traveled to the 35, where the Mountaineers regained possession with 5:58 remaining in the game. Three Cook runs got the ball to the 29 where Cassidy set up to attempt a 47-yard field goal with 3:47 left.
His kick was good, but Coastal was whistled for two penalties, the second one on Roman Travis for roughing Cassidy, giving WVU a fresh set of downs at the Chanticleer 14. Two plays later, Hawkins carried the ball in from the 11 and Cassidy's conversion kick made the score 31-14.
That score lasted exactly one minute.
Bailey passes of 27 yards to Hinton and 11 yards to Karmelo English got the ball to WVU's 37, where he again bought time to compete a 37-yard touchdown pass Coppock, Bailey's third touchdown pass of the afternoon.
Coastal Carolina's onside kick attempt with 1:51 remaining bounced out of bounds and West Virginia got possession of the football at the 41.
The Mountaineers were unable to run out the clock, but did force the Chanticleers to use all three timeouts.
Following a touchback on Hansen's punt, the Chanticleers used a personal foul roughing-the passer penalty called on Patterson, and Bailey passes of 17 yards to Tristian Gardner and 33 yards to Jaden Allen-Hendrix for 33 yards to get the football to West Virginia's 20 with 32 seconds still showing on the clock.
Coastal Carolina coach Ryan Beard opted to kick the field goal, a successful 32-yarder by Cavanillas to make it a touchdown game and take his chances on another onside kick.
This one also bounced out of bounds and West Virginia ran out the clock.
Bailey's afternoon consisted of 21 completions in 37 attempts for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Coppock was the game's leading receiver with 83 yards on four receptions.
Coastal was limited to just 52 yards rushing on 27 attempts.
"I do not know what the results were in the games today, but just in the last week, look what has happened in college football in some of these games," Rodriguez pointed out. "But credit to (Coastal Carolina). They played hard, and their quarterback made a lot of plays for them.
"We've got a lot to work on. We'll take the win and correct the mistakes in the next 15 minutes with the coaches (once his press conference is finished)," he added.
The coach conceded afterward that he would have liked to have gotten more players into the game, including sophomore quarterback Scotty Fox Jr., but circumstances in the second half didn't allow it.
Prior to the game, former Mountaineer quarterback and current assistant quarterbacks coach Pat White had his No. 5 jersey retired and his name placed on the wall next to school immortals Sam Huff, Ira Errett Rodgers, Bruce Bosley, Darryl Talley, Major Harris, Chuck Howley and coach Don Nehlen. White's jersey is the eighth to be retired by Mountaiener football, which includes the University-wide retiring of basketball hall of fame player Jerry West's No. 44.
"I thought the crowd was fantastic," Rodriguez said. "It was really neat to see everybody in white for Pat White's special day, and I think the Mountaineer Manaics were phenomenal. Hats off to the West Virginia fans and folks who came here and created a great atmosphere."
An announced crowd of 54,108 attended today's opener.
The Mountaineers remain at home to face Tennessee-Martin next Saturday afternoon at Milan Puskar Stadium.
The Mountaineers used 142 yards and two rushing touchdowns from Jacksonville State transfer Cam Cook and an additional 103 from Oklahoma transfer quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. in the triumph - the 195th of Rich Rodriguez's coaching career.
WVU finished with 281 yards rushing on 61 carries, but most of those came in the first half to establish its big lead.
Hawkins also completed 11-of-14 through the air for 132 yards and one touchdown.
"I really thought in the first half we played well in all three phases," Rodriguez said afterward. "But in the second half, we stunk. We did not do anything well."
The Mountaineers (1-0) began the game with a 72-yard Cook run on the first play from scrimmage and scored on four of their first six possessions to take a commanding 24-0 lead at intermission.
The Mountaineers were an impressive eight-of-10 on third down, and the defense limited the Chanticleers to just 114 yards and an average of 4.6 yards on their 26 first-half plays.
Following Cook's 72-yard burst down the near sideline to the Coastal Carolina 3, the senior scored the season's first touchdown on the next play, just 47 seconds into 2026.
Cook's second rushing touchdown late in the second quarter culminated a 17-play, 86-yard march that consumed 6:35 of clock with 13 of those plays coming on the ground.
In between, Hawkins flipped a 49-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Armoni Weaver-Bomar, who hauled the pass in at the 10 and strolled into the end zone, and Jack Cassidy kicked a 38-yard field goal.
Then came the third quarter.
Following an exchange of possessions, the Chanticleers used a 99-yard drive to tally their first points of the afternoon.
Aided by three defensive penalties, including one on third down when the Chanticleers were backed up to their own goal line, Coastal used Deuce Bailey passes of 16 yards to Robby Washington and 13 yards to Colton Hinton to move the ball to the WVU 48.
Four plays later, Bailey eluded pressure to complete a 34-yard touchdown strike to Clayton Coppock Jr.
West Virginia's third quarter consisted of just two three-and-out possessions on offense and five total penalties for 50 yards. Coastal ran 21 plays to West Virginia's six and had a 128-to-23 edge in total yardage.
The Mountaineers regained possession of the football just nine seconds into the fourth quarter when Bailey was sacked by Nate Gabriel and his fumble was recovered by Ezekiel Durham-Campbell, but junior defensive end Darius Wiley suffered a significant leg injury during the scrum to recover the football.
The medical staff was required to bring out a cart to help transport the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, resident off the field.
Another empty WVU offensive possession set up the Chanticleers to cut into West Virginia's lead. Cook was unable to move the sticks on his third-and-short, and his fumble was recovered by Kevin Brown at the WVU 40, requiring the Mountaineers to punt the ball back to Coastal.
Bryan Hansen's short punt bounced out of bounds at the Coastal Carolina 29, giving the Chanticleers plenty of room to use their full playbook. Bailey's short pass out to the left flat was hauled in by Washington, who took it 58 yards to the West Virginia 13.
Two plays later, a scrambling Bailey escaped pressure to complete a 13-yard touchdown pass to Hinton. Nico Cavanillas' second conversion kick reduced West Virginia's lead to 24-14.
WVU's fourth offensive possession of the second half was a little better, as the Mountaineers produced two first downs and consumed nearly five minutes of game time, but the drive stalled at the Coastal 27 when Hawkins was sacked for an 11-yard loss, leading to another Hansen punt.
The Chanticleers (0-1) regained possession at their own 14 with 7:20 remaining, but the Mountaineer defense responded with a stop when Isaiah Patterson's third-down sack of Bailey moved Coastal back 7 yards and forced a Roland Podesta punt from his own end zone.
His punt traveled to the 35, where the Mountaineers regained possession with 5:58 remaining in the game. Three Cook runs got the ball to the 29 where Cassidy set up to attempt a 47-yard field goal with 3:47 left.
His kick was good, but Coastal was whistled for two penalties, the second one on Roman Travis for roughing Cassidy, giving WVU a fresh set of downs at the Chanticleer 14. Two plays later, Hawkins carried the ball in from the 11 and Cassidy's conversion kick made the score 31-14.
That score lasted exactly one minute.
Bailey passes of 27 yards to Hinton and 11 yards to Karmelo English got the ball to WVU's 37, where he again bought time to compete a 37-yard touchdown pass Coppock, Bailey's third touchdown pass of the afternoon.
Coastal Carolina's onside kick attempt with 1:51 remaining bounced out of bounds and West Virginia got possession of the football at the 41.
The Mountaineers were unable to run out the clock, but did force the Chanticleers to use all three timeouts.
Following a touchback on Hansen's punt, the Chanticleers used a personal foul roughing-the passer penalty called on Patterson, and Bailey passes of 17 yards to Tristian Gardner and 33 yards to Jaden Allen-Hendrix for 33 yards to get the football to West Virginia's 20 with 32 seconds still showing on the clock.
Coastal Carolina coach Ryan Beard opted to kick the field goal, a successful 32-yarder by Cavanillas to make it a touchdown game and take his chances on another onside kick.
This one also bounced out of bounds and West Virginia ran out the clock.
Bailey's afternoon consisted of 21 completions in 37 attempts for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Coppock was the game's leading receiver with 83 yards on four receptions.
Coastal was limited to just 52 yards rushing on 27 attempts.
"I do not know what the results were in the games today, but just in the last week, look what has happened in college football in some of these games," Rodriguez pointed out. "But credit to (Coastal Carolina). They played hard, and their quarterback made a lot of plays for them.
"We've got a lot to work on. We'll take the win and correct the mistakes in the next 15 minutes with the coaches (once his press conference is finished)," he added.
The coach conceded afterward that he would have liked to have gotten more players into the game, including sophomore quarterback Scotty Fox Jr., but circumstances in the second half didn't allow it.
Prior to the game, former Mountaineer quarterback and current assistant quarterbacks coach Pat White had his No. 5 jersey retired and his name placed on the wall next to school immortals Sam Huff, Ira Errett Rodgers, Bruce Bosley, Darryl Talley, Major Harris, Chuck Howley and coach Don Nehlen. White's jersey is the eighth to be retired by Mountaiener football, which includes the University-wide retiring of basketball hall of fame player Jerry West's No. 44.
"I thought the crowd was fantastic," Rodriguez said. "It was really neat to see everybody in white for Pat White's special day, and I think the Mountaineer Manaics were phenomenal. Hats off to the West Virginia fans and folks who came here and created a great atmosphere."
An announced crowd of 54,108 attended today's opener.
The Mountaineers remain at home to face Tennessee-Martin next Saturday afternoon at Milan Puskar Stadium.
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