Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
November 14, 2026 09:00 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia is seeking a sixth victory today when it faces Kansas in a Big 12 clash at Milan Puskar Stadium.
The Mountaineers (5-4 overall and 2-4 in Big 12 play) were unable to pull off an upset at now-10th-ranked Texas Tech last Saturday despite outscoring the Red Raiders 21-0 in the third quarter to take a 48-41 lead into the final period.
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. ran for three more touchdowns at Texas Tech and now owns West Virginia's single season rushing touchdown record with 19, topping the 18 produced by Amos Zereoue in 1997 and matched by quarterback Pat White in 2006.
Older West Virginia records had All-American Ira Errett Rogers owning the rushing touchdown mark, but deeper research revealed that his touchdown total also included punt and kickoff returns.
Hawkins needs only 99 passing and 76 rushing yards to become the first 2,000-1,000 quarterback in one season in school history. White exceeded 1,000 yards rushing twice, but his highest passing total was 1,842 yards in 2008.
Hawkins has already accounted for 31 total touchdowns rushing and passing, but he still has some work to do to match the 44 combined touchdowns Geno Smith generated in 2012 – 42 of those coming through the air.
The junior also has work to do to have a rare 20-20 touchdown season in rushing and passing. The last Big 12 player to accomplish the feat was Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts with 32 touchdown passes and 20 touchdown runs in 2019. Hurts also caught a TD pass that year.
Hawkins' backfield mate Cam Cook is also putting together a special season with 1,072 rushing yards with three regular season games remaining.
Cook is now 20th in single-season rushing and needs just 74 more yards to crack the top 15 currently occupied by Adrian Murrell, who produced 1,145 yards in 1992. The senior is still a good ways away from reaching the top spot held by College Football Hall of Famer Steve Slaton, who ran for 1,744 yards during his sophomore season in 2006.
Senior DJ Epps currently leads the country with an average of 24.5 yards per reception, which is presently tied with Chris Henry (2003) for fifth all-time in school history. Rich Hollins averaged 27.1 yards per catch in 1982.
The 2026 Rich Rodriguez offense has also produced the first multiple 70-yard reception game in school history when LSU transfer Taron Francis did it last weekend at Texas Tech. In all, the Avondale, Louisiana, resident had three catches for 169 yards and a touchdown against the Red Raiders – his first three receptions of the year.
The Mountaineers this week rank sixth in rushing yards (263.6), 10th in total yards (480.8) and 17th in points per game (37.2).
Offsetting the impressive offensive production has been a defense ranked near the bottom of the country in several key categories, including passing yardage (138th), pass efficiency defense (137th), total defense (137th) and points allowed (131st).
West Virginia has allowed 70 plays from scrimmage of 20+ yards, the most in the country, and 35 of 30+ yards, also the most. The 70 explosives are six shy of the 76 given up by the 2012 defense that allowed 38.1 points per game and ranked near the bottom of the country in most defensive categories that year.
Explosives will be a major cause for concern today considering Kansas ranks ninth in the country with 54 plays of 20 yards or longer. Sophomore Isaiah Marshall is yet another dual-threat quarterback West Virginia is facing this year who ranks near the top of Big 12 quarterbacks in depth of target while averaging 13.6 yards per completion.
The Southfield, Michigan, resident is also averaging 5.2 yards per rush but has been inconsistent throwing the football while facing constant pressure. Kansas quarterbacks have been sacked 12 times so far this season.
Dylan Edwards leads the Jayhawks ground attack with 595 yards and five touchdowns for an average of 66.1 yards per game, while Cam Pickett is tops among the receiver corps with 36 catches for 360 yards and a touchdown.
The team's top downfield threat is Nahzae Cox with 446 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 catches for an average of 27.9 yards per reception.
Former Mountaineer linebacker Trey Lathan leads the Kansas defense with 62 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions and 1½ sacks.
The Jayhawk secondary has been the strength of the defense, permitting just 186 yards per game through the air.
Another area to keep an eye on is special teams Kansas has blocked four kicks and returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns this season.
The primary issues contributing to Kansas's disappointing 3-6 overall record are a struggling run defense that allows 157.8 yards per game and the inability to close out games.
Under coach Lance Leipold, Kansas has blown 12 fourth-quarter leads since 2024, including last Saturday's 33-32 loss to UCF in Lawrence when it could not preserve a 32-26 advantage with 1:06 remaining. Kansas had rallied from a 26-7 third-quarter deficit.
Other late leads squandered this year have come against TCU and Arizona State.
"They've had some tough luck," Rodriguez said. "They've lost some really, really close games at the end, so we've got a big battle."
Leipold's overall record at Kansas has dipped to 30-41 in his sixth season there. But one of those 30 victories was a 41-10 triumph over West Virginia in Lawrence last season. It's one of just three Kansas wins against the Mountaineers in a 14-game series that dates back to 1941.
"They had great success against us, and we played awful against them last year, so I'm sure we'll see some of the same stuff," Rodriguez said.
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – West Virginia has rushed for at least 140 yards in all but TEN of its last 59 games.
9 – Michael Hawkins Jr. is the first WVU quarterback in school history to produce a rushing touchdown in NINE consecutive games.
8 – Running back Cam Cook ranks EIGHTH nationally this week in rushing yardage (1,072) and rushing yards per game (119.1).
7 – Safety Geimere Latimer II ranks SEVENTH nationally with three forced fumbles.
6 – The Mountaineers enter this week with the nation's SIXTH-best rushing offense averaging 263.6 yards per game.
5 – WVU ranks FIFTH in the Big 12 and 27th nationally this week in red zone defense.
4 – West Virginia now ranks FOURTH nationally in punt returns, averaging 21.5 yards per return, thanks in large part to Matt Sieg's 74-yard punt return last Saturday at Texas Tech.
3 – Rodriguez ranks THIRD among all active Power Four coaches with 199 career victories.
2 – West Virginia is the only team in the country with TWO players who have rushed for more than 900 yards this year and the only team to have TWO players ranked among the top 15 rushers nationally – Cam Cook and Michael Hawkins Jr.
1 – Michael Hawkins Jr. ranks FIRST nationally in passing yards per completion, yards per attempt and rushing touchdowns.
Tonight's game will now kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (Chris Sylvester and Henry Burris)
Regular Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning starts at 3:30 p.m., two hours after pregame coverage gets things started at 12:30 pm.
Before and during the game, West Virginia University will be recognizing former and active military personnel as part of "Heroes Day."
Be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
The Mountaineers (5-4 overall and 2-4 in Big 12 play) were unable to pull off an upset at now-10th-ranked Texas Tech last Saturday despite outscoring the Red Raiders 21-0 in the third quarter to take a 48-41 lead into the final period.
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. ran for three more touchdowns at Texas Tech and now owns West Virginia's single season rushing touchdown record with 19, topping the 18 produced by Amos Zereoue in 1997 and matched by quarterback Pat White in 2006.
Older West Virginia records had All-American Ira Errett Rogers owning the rushing touchdown mark, but deeper research revealed that his touchdown total also included punt and kickoff returns.
Hawkins needs only 99 passing and 76 rushing yards to become the first 2,000-1,000 quarterback in one season in school history. White exceeded 1,000 yards rushing twice, but his highest passing total was 1,842 yards in 2008.
Hawkins has already accounted for 31 total touchdowns rushing and passing, but he still has some work to do to match the 44 combined touchdowns Geno Smith generated in 2012 – 42 of those coming through the air.
The junior also has work to do to have a rare 20-20 touchdown season in rushing and passing. The last Big 12 player to accomplish the feat was Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts with 32 touchdown passes and 20 touchdown runs in 2019. Hurts also caught a TD pass that year.
Hawkins' backfield mate Cam Cook is also putting together a special season with 1,072 rushing yards with three regular season games remaining.
Cook is now 20th in single-season rushing and needs just 74 more yards to crack the top 15 currently occupied by Adrian Murrell, who produced 1,145 yards in 1992. The senior is still a good ways away from reaching the top spot held by College Football Hall of Famer Steve Slaton, who ran for 1,744 yards during his sophomore season in 2006.
Senior DJ Epps currently leads the country with an average of 24.5 yards per reception, which is presently tied with Chris Henry (2003) for fifth all-time in school history. Rich Hollins averaged 27.1 yards per catch in 1982.
The 2026 Rich Rodriguez offense has also produced the first multiple 70-yard reception game in school history when LSU transfer Taron Francis did it last weekend at Texas Tech. In all, the Avondale, Louisiana, resident had three catches for 169 yards and a touchdown against the Red Raiders – his first three receptions of the year.
The Mountaineers this week rank sixth in rushing yards (263.6), 10th in total yards (480.8) and 17th in points per game (37.2).
Offsetting the impressive offensive production has been a defense ranked near the bottom of the country in several key categories, including passing yardage (138th), pass efficiency defense (137th), total defense (137th) and points allowed (131st).
West Virginia has allowed 70 plays from scrimmage of 20+ yards, the most in the country, and 35 of 30+ yards, also the most. The 70 explosives are six shy of the 76 given up by the 2012 defense that allowed 38.1 points per game and ranked near the bottom of the country in most defensive categories that year.
Explosives will be a major cause for concern today considering Kansas ranks ninth in the country with 54 plays of 20 yards or longer. Sophomore Isaiah Marshall is yet another dual-threat quarterback West Virginia is facing this year who ranks near the top of Big 12 quarterbacks in depth of target while averaging 13.6 yards per completion.
The Southfield, Michigan, resident is also averaging 5.2 yards per rush but has been inconsistent throwing the football while facing constant pressure. Kansas quarterbacks have been sacked 12 times so far this season.
Dylan Edwards leads the Jayhawks ground attack with 595 yards and five touchdowns for an average of 66.1 yards per game, while Cam Pickett is tops among the receiver corps with 36 catches for 360 yards and a touchdown.
The team's top downfield threat is Nahzae Cox with 446 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 catches for an average of 27.9 yards per reception.
Former Mountaineer linebacker Trey Lathan leads the Kansas defense with 62 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions and 1½ sacks.
The Jayhawk secondary has been the strength of the defense, permitting just 186 yards per game through the air.
Another area to keep an eye on is special teams Kansas has blocked four kicks and returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns this season.
The primary issues contributing to Kansas's disappointing 3-6 overall record are a struggling run defense that allows 157.8 yards per game and the inability to close out games.
Under coach Lance Leipold, Kansas has blown 12 fourth-quarter leads since 2024, including last Saturday's 33-32 loss to UCF in Lawrence when it could not preserve a 32-26 advantage with 1:06 remaining. Kansas had rallied from a 26-7 third-quarter deficit.
Other late leads squandered this year have come against TCU and Arizona State.
"They've had some tough luck," Rodriguez said. "They've lost some really, really close games at the end, so we've got a big battle."
Leipold's overall record at Kansas has dipped to 30-41 in his sixth season there. But one of those 30 victories was a 41-10 triumph over West Virginia in Lawrence last season. It's one of just three Kansas wins against the Mountaineers in a 14-game series that dates back to 1941.
"They had great success against us, and we played awful against them last year, so I'm sure we'll see some of the same stuff," Rodriguez said.
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – West Virginia has rushed for at least 140 yards in all but TEN of its last 59 games.
9 – Michael Hawkins Jr. is the first WVU quarterback in school history to produce a rushing touchdown in NINE consecutive games.
8 – Running back Cam Cook ranks EIGHTH nationally this week in rushing yardage (1,072) and rushing yards per game (119.1).
7 – Safety Geimere Latimer II ranks SEVENTH nationally with three forced fumbles.
6 – The Mountaineers enter this week with the nation's SIXTH-best rushing offense averaging 263.6 yards per game.
5 – WVU ranks FIFTH in the Big 12 and 27th nationally this week in red zone defense.
4 – West Virginia now ranks FOURTH nationally in punt returns, averaging 21.5 yards per return, thanks in large part to Matt Sieg's 74-yard punt return last Saturday at Texas Tech.
3 – Rodriguez ranks THIRD among all active Power Four coaches with 199 career victories.
2 – West Virginia is the only team in the country with TWO players who have rushed for more than 900 yards this year and the only team to have TWO players ranked among the top 15 rushers nationally – Cam Cook and Michael Hawkins Jr.
1 – Michael Hawkins Jr. ranks FIRST nationally in passing yards per completion, yards per attempt and rushing touchdowns.
Tonight's game will now kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (Chris Sylvester and Henry Burris)
Regular Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning starts at 3:30 p.m., two hours after pregame coverage gets things started at 12:30 pm.
Before and during the game, West Virginia University will be recognizing former and active military personnel as part of "Heroes Day."
Be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
| Tale of the Tape | KU (3-6) | WVU (5-4) |
| Points Per Game | 29.4 | 37.2 |
| Points Against | 24.8 | 34.6 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | 201.2 | 263.6 |
| Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game | 157.8 | 178.2 |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 240.2 | 217.2 |
| Passing Yards Allowed Per Game | 186.0 | 322.8 |
| Total Yards Per Game | 441.4 | 480.8 |
| Total Yards Allowed Per Game | 343.8 | 501.0 |
| First Downs For | 205 | 202 |
| First Downs Against | 166 | 215 |
| Fumbles/Lost | 15/7 | 10/6 |
| Interceptions/Return Yards | 3/30 | 5/5 |
| Net Punting | 38.9 | 40.6 |
| Field Goal/Attempts | 12/16 | 9/10 |
| Time of Possession | 31:18 | 28:13 |
| Penalties/Yards | 59/542 | 55/464 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 49/133 | 64/134 |
| 3rd Down Conversion Defense | 41/123 | 48/114 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 16/31 | 8/18 |
| 4th Down Conversion Defense | 6/14 | 7/14 |
| Sacks By/Yards Lost | 17/90 | 20/138 |
Players Mentioned
RB
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WR
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WR
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QB
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N/S
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S
/ FootballThursday, November 12
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Wednesday, November 11
Tuesday, November 10
