+Highest-ranked recruiting class in program history joins roster
+Overwhelming size/talent edge over FCS opponent
−Coming off a 4-8 season under Rodriguez
−Quarterback battle between Hawkins and Fox unresolved
−Offensive line still being rebuilt
Rich Rodriguez needs this season to look different from the 4-8 mess he inherited/produced in year 1, and it starts with a soft opener. West Virginia gets a full stadium, a Saturday afternoon kickoff at 12:00 PM ET, and a Football Championship Subdivision opponent that has no business hanging around Morgantown.
The intrigue for Mountaineers fans isn't the final score, it's who's lining up under center. Michael Hawkins Jr., the Oklahoma transfer, has been the presumed guy all offseason, with Scotty Fox Jr. pushing him in camp. Rodriguez has stayed cagey publicly, but this opener is exactly the kind of game where a staff can rotate arms, get everybody comfortable, and settle the job without much risk attached to the result.
Cam Cook is the name that should matter most to a neutral watching. He led the nation in rushing a year ago and there's real buzz he could push 2,000 yards behind a rebuilt offensive line. A game like this is where a workhorse back pads the counting stats and the staff gets an early look at whether the line's overhaul is actually functional against a defense they should be steamrolling.
UT Martin isn't just a body on the schedule, for what it's worth. Jason Simpson's group was tabbed the OVC preseason favorite, taking 6 of 8 first-place votes, and the Skyhawks have won or shared 4 of the last 5 conference titles. They know how to win at their level. The gap between the Ohio Valley Conference and the Big 12 is just enormous, and that's the story of this particular Saturday.
Don't expect this one to stay competitive into the second half. West Virginia should be able to establish Cook early, lean on size and depth up front, and let the young quarterback room operate without much pressure. The value for Mountaineers fans is diagnostic, not dramatic: how does the new-look offensive line hold up, does Hawkins look like the guy, and can the defense clean up whatever went wrong in a 4-8 season before Big 12 opponents show up with actual size and speed of their own.
