Sometimes college football doesn’t have to be complicated. When you’re the better team, come out and show it.
West Virginia did exactly that Saturday afternoon.
The Mountaineers handled UT Martin 52-7 at Milan Puskar Stadium, moving to 2-0 and avoiding the type of unnecessary drama that can sometimes happen when a Power Four program plays an FCS opponent.
This one was never really in doubt.
And after watching WVU allow Coastal Carolina to turn a 24-0 halftime deficit into a competitive game last week, it was good to see the Mountaineers put their foot down and keep it there this time.
WVU Wasted No Time
West Virginia came out attacking.
Michael Hawkins Jr. connected with DJ Epps for a 53-yard touchdown on WVU’s second offensive play, and that pretty much told you what kind of afternoon it was going to be.
Cam Cook added a two-yard touchdown run.
Then Hawkins showed exactly why his athletic ability makes this offense dangerous. He took off for a 71-yard touchdown run.
Just like that, it was 21-0 in the first quarter.
Against Coastal Carolina, WVU dominated early before taking its foot off the gas.
That didn’t happen Saturday.
Hawkins added another rushing touchdown in the second quarter to make it 28-0, and West Virginia went into halftime with complete control.
Michael Hawkins Jr. Continues to Impress
I know it’s only two games. I know UT Martin is an FCS program. We’ll learn a lot more about Hawkins once WVU starts facing better competition.
But I like what I’m seeing.
Hawkins finished 5-of-7 passing for 155 yards and two touchdowns while adding 96 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on only six carries. He didn’t throw an interception.
That’s 251 yards of offense and four touchdowns despite sitting for much of the second half. More importantly, he looks comfortable.
That matters.
You can see the explosiveness when he runs, but I don’t want Hawkins to become known simply as a running quarterback. His 32-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Ward early in the third quarter was another example of what he can do with his arm.
Through his first two games at WVU, Hawkins has completed 16 of 21 passes for 287 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions while rushing for 199 yards and three more scores.
That’s a pretty good start to your Mountaineer career.
DJ Epps Gives WVU Another Weapon
Another player who caught my attention was DJ Epps.
Epps only caught two passes. He turned them into 112 yards.
That tells you everything.
His 53-yard touchdown helped start the rout, and he also broke loose for a 59-yard reception. Speed changes games.
When you have a quarterback like Hawkins who can hurt defenses with his legs, having somebody capable of stretching the field makes defending this offense even more difficult.
Defenses have to decide what they want to take away.
That’s when Rich Rodriguez’s offense can become fun.
This Is What You’re Supposed to Do
I’m not going to overreact to WVU beating UT Martin. West Virginia was supposed to win this game.
UT Martin entered Saturday having lost 31 of its previous 33 games against FBS opponents since 2006, while WVU had won all 23 of its previous games against FCS-level competition.
So I’m not sitting here acting like beating UT Martin 52-7 means WVU is ready to win the Big 12. But there’s something to be said for handling business.
Good teams don’t always have to make games against inferior opponents interesting.
WVU put up 525 yards of offense and averaged 8.3 yards per play.
The Mountaineers scored 21 points in the first quarter, led 28-0 at halftime and stretched the lead to 52-0 before UT Martin finally scored late.
That’s how this game was supposed to look.
Still Some Things to Clean Up
The final score looks almost perfect. The performance wasn’t.
UT Martin still finished with 318 total yards, and there were moments when WVU’s defense gave up too much space and missed tackles. The Skyhawks actually had 246 yards in the first half despite being held scoreless.
That might not matter against UT Martin. It will matter against Big 12 teams.
So there is plenty for Rich Rodriguez and his staff to correct.
But you would rather correct mistakes after winning by 45 than after getting upset.
Now We Find Out More
WVU is 2-0.
That alone is significant because the Mountaineers entered Saturday looking for their first 2-0 start in eight years.
They beat Coastal Carolina. They destroyed UT Martin.
Now the schedule starts telling us more about what this team really is.
West Virginia travels to Charlotte next Saturday to face Virginia at Bank of America Stadium. That game will provide a much better measuring stick.
But through two games, there’s one thing I feel pretty comfortable saying: Michael Hawkins Jr. looks like he can play.
He gives WVU a legitimate dual-threat quarterback, he looks increasingly comfortable running Rodriguez’s offense, and he has yet to throw an interception.
We don’t know how good West Virginia is yet. But 2-0 is 2-0.
And after Saturday’s 52-7 beatdown, the Mountaineers took the easy route there.
That’s exactly how it should be.