MAILBAG: Mike Hawkins' Future, Tampering, Social Media Meltdown, Alley Outlook + More

Good Monday morning, Mountaineer fans! It's time to crack open this week's West Virginia On SI mailbag.

From @jimmywvu717:

Q: Did 4th quarter play calling lose us the game?

A: No. Giving up 53 points cost you the game. I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm looking at the offense or play-calling that helped put 48 points on the board. Was it conservative? Maybe, but I'm always hesitant to criticize play-calling unless it was egregious, because we all believe it's the right call if it works and dumb if it doesn't. It comes down to execution. With the game on the line, you're going to go with your bread and butter, and if you can't win doing what you do best, then that's a lack of execution. Failing to move a centimeter on 3rd and 1 wouldn't have me jumping to go for it again on 4th down on my own 34. This is on the defense.

From @JordanWVU07:

Q: Any thoughts on the recent social media posts by the Hawkins family? Should we be concerned about potential negotiations for next year at this point?

A: No. I've had multiple conversations with a family source, and they understand it's part of it, unfortunately. Regardless of the fan base, this kind of stuff happens everywhere because people think they are open to saying whatever they want. The way I look at it is they have every right to be frustrated and voice their opinions, just as much as the fans do. It has nothing to do with the negotiations, but spewing hate doesn't give the program a good look although it has nothing to do with the people that's actually in the building. Also, the fact that you have certain blogs constantly doing whatever they can to stir the pot for engagement, directly putting a player's family on blast, is not helping. Spreading false information is a problem, though. IYKYK.

From @DMcCune10:

Q: When will we fix the defense? It's time to make a move.

A: No major change is going to be made in-season. Even if Rodriguez wanted to make a change at defensive coordinator, who would call the defense in the final three games? It's not like you have someone who's long in the tooth over on that side of the ball who has experience calling a defense. I'll steal a popular line from Rich Rod — he evaluates everything every single day. Everything. He knows what needs to be fixed.

From @Jeremia62776484:

Q: How do you think RR and Co. handle the noise around Hawkins tampering?

A: They are well aware that other teams are going to come after him. That's not much of a secret at this point. He is one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football, and unfortunately, that comes with the territory. They remain in constant talks about a new deal and will have what it takes financially to keep him. That doesn't mean a deal for him to return is an absolute certainty, but it's not because they will lose a bidding war. That's not what this will become.

From @mediocrebearfan:

Q: What's the update on Hawkins new contract? We need a win rn

A: Nothing new. Talks are ongoing, and while there is still optimism that something could get done before the end of the season, it may trickle into December. There is a lot in place that Hawkins and his reps are good with; they just have to work out the small details while also seeing what the plan is for his younger brother, Maliek.

From @CoachKMcG:

Q: Why are our (any, for that matter) fans so emotionally out of touch with the landscape, and why does anyone use X to attack players and their families because they get their egos bruised from a loss?

A: It's ridiculous. I find it funny too, that a lot of people who do the most talking are on a burner account. And don't get me wrong, I enjoy some of the funny stuff burner accounts put up, but some of them think it's a veil they can hide behind and say whatever they please. It's a down-to-the-wire loss to the 15th-ranked team in the country on the road, not a 49-point blowout like it was a year ago. I agree with you. Folks need to stop with the personal attacks.

From @MrEd315:

Q: When was the last time WVU was involved in a zany game with a bizarre last few minutes like Texas Tech?

A: I think you could make an argument that the Cincinnati and TCU games were both crazy finishes, but probably not in the bizarre category like the Tech game was. Man, I would really have to think long and hard about that one. There were wacky calls in two of the Backyard Brawls that didn't make sense, like the personal foul at the end of the half that they got away with and the ridiculous hold on Wyatt Milum that took back a huge play to Hudson Clement, but still not sure it goes into the bizarre category. It's been a while, for sure.

From @Dalandow212:

Q: Hypothetically, if Zac Alley is fired at the end of the season, who do you think would/should be targeted as his replacement? Does WVU go after a DC from a P4 program, or do they poach a lower-FBS school's DC? (New Mexico, Liberty, JMU, etc.)

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A: I don't like throwing names out there because, in this day and age, there is false "reporting", and people who act like they have sources have a platform to put nonsense out; what I say will get twisted. If/when WVU moves on from Alley, I'll have some names of candidates to keep an eye on once I gather information on who is a legitimate possibility. I don't want to put a name out there for a job that is not open just to get clicks. But I promise you, if a change is ever made with any coach or any sport, I'll have real insight as opposed to predictive thoughts.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: Why can this team never play consistently on both sides, especially during late-game situations? I’m not asking for perfection, but I just don’t understand it with this team.

A: I definitely understand the frustration, but I think it was just a matter of too little, too late for the defense. Had they shown up in the first half, even to some degree, the game wouldn't have come down to what it did.

From @Trey_Ebc11:

Q: Why, why, why do you have a receiver who has 170 yards catching and a QB who has 300 yards passing? Do you, on 2 consecutive critical drives, run the thing up the middle on the short side of the field in a 9-man loaded box? Please enlighten me, Schuyler. I’m so frustrated with the pc.

A: Thanks for the question, Trey! As I mentioned in a previous answer, I don't call out play-calling unless it's egregious. What would I have done? Probably go empty with a screen into the boundary as an option, and if it's not there, Q draw. Would it have worked? Who knows. That's my point. We can always criticize play-calling, but doing something else doesn't mean it would work. I get the frustration, though. I do.

From @greathouse76185:

Q: Why are you punting when your defense cannot stop a nosebleed?

A: In the fourth quarter, WVU was averaging 1.75 yards per carry, and if you're talking about going for it on 4th and 1 on your own 34, that's probably why. Cam Cook just got blown to smithereens on the previous play, and the o-line had been cracking. If it were closer to midfield? Sure, I think you go for it, but not when it's on your own 34 and your defense had actually figured something out in the second half with four consecutive stops.

From @ReesecupWV:

Q: What happened to the Hawkins rollout to the right plays we had been doing so well on?

A: They did a little of that in this game — the big touchdown toss to TaRon Francis and the big hitter to Ryan Ward were with that concept. You're not going to do it all game, but I do agree that getting him on the move is better than just him dropping back, because you're putting the defense in conflict every time he starts to move out of the pocket.

From @socaleer:

Q: Will the media criticize RR for horrific play calling at times and not be scared of him?

A: What are we criticizing, though? Honestly? If you score 48 points and post 582 yards of offense, I'd think the play-calling worked pretty well. I can understand, to a certain degree, the play-calling late in the game, but even then, the offense did more than enough to win the game. It's 100% on the defense. To flip it on play-calling or offensive execution is asking that unit to be perfect.

From @J0HNWEST3:

Q: What has a higher percentage, getting a 4th and 1, or this defense stopping Texas Tech when they’re in 4 down offense?

A: I'll flip this to you: What has a higher percentage of happening — giving up a touchdown from your own 34 or making them go 69 yards after four of their previous five possessions resulted in a punt? WVU averaged 1.75 yards per carry in the fourth quarter. And let's not forget, on that drive, Tech had the 4th & 3 prayer answered. If that ball falls incomplete, no one is talking about going for it on your own 34.

From @MmaMountaineer:

Q: Do we keep Michael Hawkins? With him having no help on defense, it seems like it may be harder to keep him around. Also, do we fire Zac Alley this week?

A: I'll go in reverse order here. No, Alley is not getting fired this week. Now to Hawkins... it just has to be the right situation. The staff needs to put a plan in place to ensure they will compete for championships, and of course, that means the defense is a part of that. It can't all be on his shoulders. But Rich Rod knows that too. He's been around the block a time or two and knows how to fix it. What people keep forgetting is that the plan for his younger brother, Maliek, is just as important.

To participate in next week's mailbag, send me a DM on X (@Callihan_) reply to my tweet asking for submissions on Saturday, or place your question in the comments section under my poston Facebook.

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