MAILBAG: Absent Passing Game, Personnel Issues, Too Multiple on D? + More

Good Tuesday morning, Mountaineer fans! Because our mailbag was overflowing following the team's loss to Oklahoma State, we had to split this into two. Part one was published yesterday, which you can check out here. Now, let's dive into part two and move on to Week 5.

From @RobbyThompson13:

Q: 1. Was WVU's offense as one-dimensional as it seemed? 2. Was Nick Taylor's injury that impactful in the 2nd half?

A: Yes. I did a deep dive on the play-call split yesterday that I encourage you to go read. Through four games, it's been more one-dimensional than usual, even by Rich Rod's standards. And secondly, meh, not really. Nick did not have a great game, nor did anyone on the defense on Saturday night. He allowed four catches on four targets for 69 yards. It wasn't because of his absence.

From @Paul_Boggess:

Q: Is this problem on defense with the scheme? Personnel, or both?

A: This is a more interesting question than you might think because if we're specifically talking about the Oklahoma State game, I believe it was more of a scheme issue than anything else. They played a dime defense pretty much the entire game, something they hadn't done all year, and decided to stay in it even when they were getting shredded. That being said, I still think they have a long way to go before they have the personnel to be ultra-competitive in the Big 12.

From @mwalters_68:

Q: Can we please get a drop-back passing QB?

A: That's never going to work in this offense. Or most college offenses, for that matter. Mike Hawkins Jr. can throw the ball. I don't know why so many folks come to the conclusion that he can't. Entering the Oklahoma State game, he had a larger percentage of big-time throws than any QB in the country and led the nation in yards per completion, while hitting on 68% of passes. That's insane. It's on Rich for allowing this narrative to be created because folks think he can't throw because he won't throw. He's just being stubborn with the run game.

From @rader55:

Q: Which position group has more issues, the defense line or the secondary? Are both groups fixable, or is the offense going to have to outscore everyone?

A: It's every level, to be honest. The defensive line is undersized and not getting enough push; the linebackers consistently misfit the run game and aren't fast enough; and the secondary is having major communication issues. Some of their issues are fixable, such as poor tackling (which was only in this game), communication, and scheme, which was a bad game plan from Alley, and he refused to get out of the dime look and adjust.

From @Pat08WV:

Q: Can an offense like this work in 2027 without a passing threat? The lease for all this has to be small; other coaches turn things around quickly. Why can’t we?

A: No, it can't. The reason Eric Morris, Curt Cignetti, and others you are likely thinking of have succeeded right out of the gate is that they had a strong core of players on both sides of the ball, which WVU still doesn't have in year two, particularly on defense, and, secondly, they have/had a balanced offense. Rich needs to get out of his own way before he messes this thing up. No quarterback as talented as Hawkins is going to want to be in the system if you are THAT run-heavy. That's not going to help him get to the league. And no, I'm not suggesting there is frustration building from Hawkins either. It's just obvious that if you continue to run the ball 78% of the time, you're not helping your quarterback reach the next level.

From @BigTimeEer:

Q: What was OK St. doing on D that prevented our pass game from materializing?

A: Nothing, to be honest. This was all on the offense and the play-calling. Every time they passed the ball, these three things happened: it was predictable, the protection was lackluster, and all of the routes took too long to develop. You have to mix it up and get the ball out quickly. Making the defense defend 53 1/3 should be incredibly difficult when you have to worry about the run game of Cook and Hawkins.

From @DeeFanning2:

Q: Are we ever going to run a screen? Roll the qb out? Or just inside zone and qb draw?

A: What you are suggesting is what we should be seeing more of. What you anticipate will happen is what will likely continue. If Rodriguez doesn't use more quick game, it's going to be a long, long season. The offense is NOT going to be as potent as it has been if you don't open it up.

From @pgh_real:

Q: Why does WVU suck so bad? They just lost at home to a team that was 1-17 in Big 12 play the last two seasons.

A: Well, for starters, they lost to a team that was 0-0 in Big 12 play. This Oklahoma State team is NOT the OSU team of the past two years. How did Pitt only combine for 39 points against Syracuse and UCF, with both games being at the home of the Steelers? I guess it doesn't matter since Pitt plays one ranked team all year. Life is brutal in the ACC, I tell ya. BRUTAL, haha.

From @gypsyhollow67:

Q: Coach Rodriguez, why can’t we throw the ball? Coach Rodriguez, do you think Scotty Fox will be starting for a Power 4 program next year?

A: I'm not Rich Rod, but I'll answer for him since this was in the mailbag. They CAN throw the ball; it's a choice NOT to throw it. Why? I have no earthly idea. As far as Fox is concerned, no. I don't see him starting for another Power Four team next year. He's talented, yes, but no P4 team is going to roll the dice on a QB who hadn't started in two years and, when he did, was just alright. The kid has a bright future, but has a lot of developing to go through still.

From @WVUBUMDITTY:

Q: How long can this defense continue to not work before a change is made?

A: I really don't see a change being made anytime soon. And by that, I mean Zac Alley will probably see the end of his three-year deal unless what happened on Saturday is what happens for the majority of the season. Then, it could force Rich's hand.

From @tjhodge28:

Q: How is our defense this bad against a team that lost every Big 12 game last year?

A: As mentioned in a previous question, this was not the same Oklahoma State team. The team that lost 1 straight, or whatever it was, is no longer there. This is a much better group and one that has a chance to win the Big 12.

From @damunheru:

Q: Is Rich Rod run heavy because Hawkins is inconsistent passing. Hawkins didn't throw well tonight. He looked hesitant when throwing. Lots of inaccurate and underthrown balls.

A: No. Coming into the Oklahoma State game, he was completing 68% of his passes, a large percentage of which were downfield. He wasn't hitting at a high clip because he was connecting on dinks and dunks. The reason, in my opinion, Hawkins wasn't sharp against OSU is that he never had a chance to get into a rhythm. Six pass attempts in the first half? Three of those coming on 3rd down? That's putting your QB in a tough situation. Also, he was pressured on nearly 50% of his dropbacks. That's not ideal.

From @BoulOfSoup69:

Q: Why did we run it up the middle on 4th and 1?

A: Great question. And why Latimer? I mean, to be honest, Cam Cook isn't getting that first down either when they are fully expecting it and have 10 guys in the box. It all keeps coming back to being stubborn. Even if you want to run it there, fine. But why not go empty and make OSU defend the entire field? Now they have to worry about a quick screen when Hawkins could still run a Q draw.

From @JD_From_WV:

Q: When do we sound the alarm on Rich Rod 2.0?

A: Late next year if things are sputtering. It's one loss, and I still think this team could turn out to be pretty good, or at the very least, be a 7-win-or-so team, which would be a step in the right direction. If things fall apart and they miss a bowl game, then yeah, things won't be all peachy heading into 2027.

From @MikeMcGuinnCT:

Q: Will Rich be back next year? If so, who will be his DC?

A: Yes. And you're not going to like this answer, but Zac Alley. While he may be frustrated with how the defense has played, I think he also realizes that they didn't put much money into that side of the ball. What happened Saturday is on Zac because of the game plan, but the horses also aren't there for him to do exactly what he wants to do.

From @412lawyer:

Q: Why is West Virginia allergic to the top 25?

A: It's year two. They'll get there soon. I wouldn't worry about rankings right now, as they are pretty meaningless. If you can get there in November, that's when it starts to matter. Still plenty of ball left for that to happen. If WVU can get back in the win column this week and go 2-0 on its upcoming homestand, they'll be ranked.

From @tannerclark_59:

Q: Are the defensive problems more on Zac Alley or lack of money spent on that side of the ball?

A: It's a little bit of both, more of the latter, in my opinion. As mentioned in previous questions above, the Oklahoma State game, though, was on him for staying in a dime look, which WVU had not played all year. Why he didn't come out of it is beyond me. That side of the ball definitely needs higher-end athletes and more size up front, though.

From @Jadkins151:

Q: Does someone sit Alley down and tell him it's time to stop trying to create a perfect plan every week that the defense can't execute and instead find a good plan around a defensive identity that the defense can execute?

A: I agree. Hone in on what you do well. Because this is Zac's first true DC job where he has full autonomy of the defense, he's probably giddy to show how multiple he can be and change the approach every single week. The reality is that's never going to work when the entire defense is brand new. Once you have a good chunk of your roster in the system for 2-3 years, yeah, you can expand and do more things. Right now, they need to trim it down and keep it simple.

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