Can WVU Catch Lightning Again? Rich Rod Plans to 'Force-Feed' Hawkins-Cook Duo

The Mountaineers may have some special players at QB and RB this season.

WVU Athletics Communications

It's hard to believe that it's been 19 years since Pat White and Steve Slaton shared a field together. Makes you feel old, doesn't it?

In some ways, though, it feels like it's been an extremely long time because West Virginia hasn't had a potent rushing attack since those two were teammates.

Noel Devine had some elite production during his time as the starting running back, and his one year with Pat White was pretty special, but the 2008 season as a whole was a disappointment.

Not long after, WVU moved into the Air Raid era with Dana Holgorsen, and while he liked to run the ball more than most from the Hal Mumme tree, it doesn't come anywhere close to the identity those early 2000s Rich Rod teams had or the teams he is trying to piece together here in his second stint in Morgantown.

Neal Brown had success running the football with guys like Leddie Brown, CJ Donaldson, Jahiem White, and QB Garrett Greene, but obviously, they were unable to put it all together and do something special.

There is a growing sense of belief in the building that the current QB/RB duo, Mike Hawkins and Cam Cook, could be the one to bring back that electrifying offense that puts the Mountaineers back in the national conversation.

Before you think I'm going crazy, no, this isn't about getting to the College Football Playoff in 2026.

Don't forget, Cook can return in 2027 now that everyone gets a fifth year of eligibility. Yes, it's way down the road, but if he passes on the NFL and comes back for a second season in Morgantown, expectations for this team will be through the roof.

Rich Rod was asked during his press conference on Wednesday if there are any similarities between the Hawkins-Cook duo and Pat White-Steve Slaton. Surprisingly, he didn't shy away from it. Instead, he gave an answer that will only fuel the hype train even further.

“Obviously Pat came and redshirted a year, so he had a year to learn before he played, and Stevie was a true freshman, and he was just a freaky speed guy. He was so fast that once he learned it, he was going to go. Those guys were probably the two fastest guys on the team. Mike is probably one of the fastest, and Cam can run, but the best thing about Cam is he has a great feel for the position. Whether it’s pass protection, running routes, where he’s supposed to press on the hole, and all that kind of stuff. He’s an experienced football player, but he’s a ‘rookie’ in our system, and so is Mike. They have not played a game for West Virginia yet, so I’ve got to remind myself that they’ve got some experience at this level, but they haven’t played for West Virginia yet. But we’re going to force-feed them because I think both of those guys are good players.”

As we've discussed for the last several months here, the staff is very high on Hawkins, and this statement supports that. Last year, when asked about one quarterback in particular, he would end up talking about all five of them. He stayed on path here, basically admitting that this Hawkins-Cook duo is going to be the engine that makes this thing go. By force-feeding, he is talking about getting them up to speed in the offense, not touches. But there is a reason for it. They are game-changing talents.

Entering Pat White-Steve Slaton territory is a tough thing to do, and if we're being honest, it's a little unfair to put those expectations on them. At the end of the day, they still have to prove it on the field, but man, WVU fans should be beaming with optimism.