Hawkins ignites WVU’s 38-27 upset of No. 25 Virginia
AP Photo/Scott Kinser
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On third and 5, No. 25 Virginia sent the house on West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. Hawkins had two defenders in his face, but before he was hit, he chucked the ball deep down the sideline.
“I knew it had to get out quick,” Hawkins said.
Wide receiver Jaden Bray, with defenders draped all over him, came down with the ball. A 38-yard play, which put the Mountaineers inside the Cavaliers’ 25-yard line.
Hawkins shook off the big hit, and two plays later, he ran it in for a touchdown to put WVU up two scores and put the game out of reach to win the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte, 38-27. The Mountaineers knocked off No. 25 Virginia for their ranked and Power Four win of the season, keeping a perfect record perfect, while the Cavaliers suffered their first loss (2-1).
“He’s electric,” Rich Rodriguez said about his quarterback.
WVU takes its undefeated conference record into Big 12 play when the Mountaineers host Oklahoma State on Saturday, Sept. 26.
“It’s a good win over a really good program that we have a lot of respect for Tony Elliott and what he’s done,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just one win, but it’s a win against a ranked team that we have a lot of respect for.”
Hawkins rushing touchdown was his fifth total touchdown on Saturday night, and third on the day. The Oklahoma transfer finished with another 100 yards on the ground, and had 123 yards total on 18 carries.
The Mountaineers ran the ball 51 times for 247 yards, and finished the game by running out the clock. Cam Cook carried the ball 30 times and also had 123 yards.
Through the air, it was a rocky start for Hawkins. He went 0-for-4 in the first quarter and didn’t register a completion. Hawkins settled in and hit his favorite target, D.J. Epps, for a score at the start of the second quarter. He hit Epps later in the game for a 42-yard gain, which he dropped right in the bucket. The next play, Hawkins hit the edge and scored his second rushing touchdown to take a 21-14 lead into the locker room.
After not completing the first four passes, Hawkins finished 10-for-17 on the night.
“Just staying true to my reads, and having trust in my guys,” Hawkins said. “My coach put me in the right position.”
Epps led the team for the second-straight game in receptions (3), receiving yards (92) and his two touchdowns. Bray had two grabs for 67 yards. The Mountaineers averaged 19 yards per completion.
But while Hawkins and the offense were scoring touchdowns, so was Virginia and quarterback Beau Pribula. WVU scored just before the half, and Virginia answered right back to start the third quarter. Pribula threw a 1-yard pass to Jekail Middlebrook, tying the game 21-21.
Virginia and Pribula were driving down the field in the fourth quarter, but were stopped twice on two short runs, setting up a third and 7. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley dialed up the pressure, and instantly got home, sacking Pribula for a nine-yard loss. Virginia’s Will Bett Ridge missed a 39-yard field goal, setting up the Mountaineers icing drive.
Pribula finished the game 21-for-33 for 197 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Throughout the week, the concern was Pribula’s threat with his legs, but the Mountaineers defense kept him to just eight rushes for -1 yards. WVU sacked him three times, including the big one in the fourth quarter.
Virginia had 354 yards of total offense and scored just seven points in the second half until the Cavaliers scored a late touchdown with less than a minute left.
“Our guys kept plugging in there,” Rodriguez said. “I thought in the fourth quarter, third quarter, whatever that was, we made some really key stops, and we kind of took the momentum over.”
WVU ran the clock out to end the game, picking up the biggest win of the season before the Big 12 slate. A big part of that was thanks to Hawkins’ five scores, and Rodriguez said he should only improve.
“Mike is a dynamic player,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just his third game in the system. His composure, and just seeing what was out there on certain plays that maybe didn’t hit the way we wanted to, he knew exactly what was going on. I think he grew a lot.”