Stock Up, Stock Down: Should We Be Concerned After WVU's Meh Opener

A look at how certain players and position groups performed in West Virginia's win over Coastal Carolina.

West Virginia's Cam Cook (4) breaks a tackle against Coastal Carolina's Chandavian Bradley (0) during an NCAA college football game in Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan) | (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)

West Virginia jumped out to an early 24-0 lead and escaped by the skin of their teeth in their season opener against Coastal Carolina by a final score of 31-24.

After an emotional tribute pregame to legendary quarterback Pat White, whose No. 5 was retired by the university, Rich Rodriguez and his team took the field to kick off his second season back in Morgantown.

Let's take a look at this week's stock report after the Mountaineers season opening victory.

Stock Up:

RB Cam Cook

We knew coming into the season that Cook would likely be the engine that drives the Mountaineers' offense all season long. However, if anyone had predicted a 72-yard gain on his first rushing attempt in the old gold and blue, I would have thought you were lying. The vision and burst in the open field Cook displayed last season at Jacksonville State was present on his very first carry of the game. Cook ended the game with 30 carries for 153 yards and two touchdowns. This workload and production is something the Mountaineers are expecting from Cook all season long.

True Freshman Starters

The Mountaineers had two freshman starters in their season opener, and you have to be impressed with what you saw today. Kevin Brown started at left tackle for the Mountaineers after an impressive summer earned him the starting role. The offensive line was a force today, helping the offense rush for 281 yards and only allowing one sack. Matt Sieg was the primary return man on both kickoffs and punt returns for the Mountaineers. Although we didn’t see a big return today, Sieg impacted the game with a fumble recovery on defense in the second quarter.

Rushing Defense

The Chanticleers' rushing attack was non-existent today. The Mountaineers held Coastal to just 1.9 yards per rush the entire game. Although it may have been a rough day for the rest of the unit, the Mountaineers looked stout against the run.

Stock Down:

Second Half Offense

After posting 223 yards rushing in the first half, the Mountaineers' rushing attack sputtered in the second half. West Virginia posted just 58 yards on the ground in the second half and struggled to move the ball as a whole. Michael Hawkins Jr. posted the team's only touchdown of the second half on an 11-yard scamper after the offense was set up deep in opponent territory. If the Mountaineers' offense plays as it did in the second half against Big 12 teams, it could be a rough go for West Virginia.

Containing The Quarterback

Coastal Carolina starting quarterback Deuce Bailey played his heart out today. The redshirt freshman posted 373 yards passing and three touchdowns against a Power 4 school on the road. West Virginia seemed to be getting pressure with ease on Bailey, but could rarely bring him down or prevent him from escaping the pocket. Many of Coastal’s big plays came when Bailey escaped the pocket, and coverage broke down downfield. West Virginia's secondary is clearly still a work in progress and will have to improve as the season goes on. Despite sacking Bailey four times in the contest, it’s tough to feel as though Bailey didn’t get the best of the West Virginia defense today.