Trending
West Virginia University football has plodded through four losing seasons over the past five years, a stretch to which Mountaineer fans have been unaccustomed. During the 41 seasons played from 1980-2020, WVU had a losing record only seven times.
There are many reasons for the downturn in fortunes, primarily the impact of NIL, pay for play, the transfer portal, and that the Mountaineers now play in a stronger conference than in most prior years.
Head Coach Rich Rodriguez noted that when he returned for the 2025 season WVU was limited in time and financial resources to build a roster, and in the era of the transfer portal any new coach would have faced the same challenges. But he says that this year they had the necessary time and the financial resources have somewhat improved.
Although for the second straight season approximately 80 new players have arrived in Morgantown, the narrative now is that the overall talent level has significantly improved. This is particularly true with the offensive line, as there was a concerted effort to bring in experienced players to shore up what was a glaring weakness in 2025. That mostly new group will also benefit from the addition of Rick Trickett as offensive line coach. This will be his third stint in Morgantown, his first beginning in 1976, and he brings 52 years of college coaching experience.
With these additions there should be improved performance at the line of scrimmage which is necessary for the success of any offense. With good quality athletes at the skill positions there is hope that fans will see a much more efficient offense this season.
With numerous changes on the defensive side of the ball the level of play there will be a mystery until we see actual performance on the field. The West Virginia pass defense has been atrocious for the last two years, ranking No. 125 and 123 in the Phil Steele pass defense efficiency rankings. So the good news is that it can't possibly be much worse.
The layout of the schedule presents the Mountaineers opportunities for early success. Five of the first seven games are at home, with a neutral site game with Virginia in Charlotte, and only one true road game at Iowa State. The stronger teams based on preseason rankings are at the tail end of the schedule. But preseason projections are often unreliable so trying to predict future outcomes is a shot in the dark and we will not try to do that here. Let's just take one game at a time and hope for the best.
THIS SATURDAY: Coastal Carolina was a dangerous opponent from 2020-22, winning 31 games during that stretch. But the transfer portal has hit them hard as well and they have been a .500 squad the last three seasons. With a first-year coach and many new players the strength of their team is impossible to know. But the overall superior talent level of the Mountaineers should enable them to prevail. WEST VIRGINIA 38, COASTAL CAROLINA 20.