Meet Your Insider
Mornin', Mountaineers. Welcome to The Cover Window. I'm Jolene Buckhannon. I used to captain the rifle team, so I count possessions the way I used to count rounds: every one matters and you don't waste any. I travel with this team and I live with this team. I'm calm, flat, deadpan as a holler on a Sunday morning. until I'm not. I also keep a running pepperoni-roll tally of every fumble the other team coughs up. One roll per fumble, and I eat the tally afterward. When we win, I sing one verse of "Country Roads," drop the mic, then lift it right back up, because mics cost money. When we lose, I count to ten out loud, real slow, like I'm reloading. Every week you'll get the players, the coaches and the matchup, straight shooting. "Load up, I don't miss."
The School in 60 Seconds
Home is Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, listed at 60,000, and when that place sings "Country Roads," you feel it in your boots. The man in charge is a familiar one. Rich Rodriguez was named the 36th head coach in school history in December 2024, returning to the program he once led. His teams have always run the football, and this one sure does. The Mountaineers lead the series with TCU 8-6 over 14 meetings. Last week's finish showed this team's grit: after Cincinnati tied it with 3:44 left, we started a drive at our own 2 and went 82 yards in eight plays to set up the winning kick. History is fine. I'm more interested in Saturday.
The Coach and the Scheme
Rodriguez was hired on Dec. 11, 2024. The 2026 numbers say run, run, then run some more. West Virginia runs on about 72% of its plays and has 24 rushing touchdowns. It came into last week averaging 295.5 rushing yards a game, tops in the Big 12. The offense puts up 37.6 points and 497.1 yards a game. Then there's the other side, and I'm going to be honest, because that's what I do. The defense allows 34.0 points and 483.9 yards a game, and 310.1 passing yards. Turnovers are even at 7 lost and 7 forced. I'm counting to ten on that defense. Slowly.
Players to Know
QB Michael Hawkins Jr.: 1,519 passing yards and 10 TD, and he leads all of FBS in rushing touchdowns. Against Cincinnati he threw for a career-best 464 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran 26 times for 77 yards and two more scores.
RB Cam Cook: 833 yards and 7 TD, fifth in FBS in rushing yards. Cincinnati held him to 40 on the ground, but he caught a 40-yard touchdown to tie the game late.
WR Prince Strachan: caught passes of 41 and 39 yards on the final drive against Cincinnati, starting from our own 2.
K Jack Cassidy: made the 35-yard field goal as time expired to beat Cincinnati.
LB Isaiah Patterson: a team-high 44 tackles, plus a sack and an interception.
The Conference Picture
West Virginia is 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12, 3-2 at home and 0-1 on the road, plus a neutral-site win over Virginia. We're not ranked. The losses: Oklahoma State 41-24 and Arizona 52-31 at home, and 45-42 at Iowa State. Winning a road game in Fort Worth would be a big step back toward the middle of the standings.
This Week: West Virginia (4-3) at TCU (3-3)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · Noon ET · Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth · ESPN2. Forecast at kickoff: 74 degrees and mostly sunny.
Last week: we beat Cincinnati 45-42 on Cassidy's kick at the horn after a wild finish. TCU beat Baylor 17-6 and didn't allow a touchdown.
Our offense vs. their defense: this is a real fight. TCU allows only 12.2 points and 264.2 yards a game, and 2.88 yards a carry. DE Koron Hayward had three sacks against Baylor. Our run game against that front decides a lot.
Their offense vs. our defense: TCU averages 24.0 points a game and doesn't run much, at 3.27 yards a carry. But QB Jaden Craig has 1,694 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he threw for 294 against Baylor, with Jordan Dwyer catching six balls for 150 yards. Our pass defense gives up 310.1 yards a game. Somebody hand me a pepperoni roll.
Series: West Virginia leads 8-6.
Availability: I found no official availability report for either team as of Oct. 18, 2026.
What decides it: (1) Can Hawkins and our run game move against a defense allowing 2.88 a carry? (2) Can our secondary stop Craig and Dwyer from hitting big plays? (3) Possessions. Every one counts. I'll be counting.
And to Ryder Galloway, TCU's insider: I hear you blame everything on Dallas. That's fine. Saturday you can blame it on Morgantown.
My call: TCU Horned Frogs 34, West Virginia Mountaineers 22.