These 3 WVU Football Hot Takes Sound Wild, But I’m Standing By Them

Hot takes, bold predictions — they are virtually the same thing. There are some things I believe that will happen this fall for WVU, and a few things I think could happen. Today, we are focusing on the latter.

I jotted down three "hot takes" that I believe have a strong chance of coming true.

One guy at quarterback

Mike Hawkins Jr. — WVU Athletics Communications

Because Rich Rod has used multiple quarterbacks throughout a season several times before or has implemented a two-QB system in certain years, there is this thinking that he will do that every year. That’s not necessarily true.

Go back and look at some of his most successful years, and you will find guys like Pat White, Denard Robinson, Matt Scott, BJ Denker, Anu Solomon, and Tyler Huff, who had full control of the offense. When Rich Rod has his guy, he rides with him. I think many expect, at some point, Scotty Fox to start a handful of games this fall, but as long as Hawkins stays healthy, I don’t see that happening.

West Virginia eclipses 3,000 yards rushing as a team

The last time West Virginia went over this mark was, you guessed it, 2007. Pat White had 1,335 yards, Steve Slaton (1,051), Noel Devine (627), Jarrett Brown (327), and Owen Schmitt (272) led the way.

Believe it or not, two of Dana Holgorsen‘s teams came very close to doing it. They were 33 yards shy of it in 2015 with Wendell Smallwood, Russell, Shell, and Skyler Howard combining for 2,729, plus contributions from others. The following year, they were 31 yards shy with the core group of Justin Crawford, Shell, Kennedy McKoy, and Howard.

For this to happen, you need someone who is capable of rushing not only over 1,000 yards, but pushing 1,500, and Cam Cook is certainly primed to do so. Martavious Boswell and Amari Latimer are immediate impact-type players and are a nice thunder and lightning combination behind Cook. The other piece of this is Mike Hawkins' ability to create plays with his legs. If you’re going to rush for 3,000 or close to it, you have to have a quarterback who can be a weapon in that regard, and Hawkins is certainly that.

West Virginia doesn’t lose back-to-back games all year

West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

You may not think this is much of a hot take, but when you consider this is year two of a rebuild, and there have been over 150 new players enter the program in that timeframe, I think it matches the description of a hot take.

I’ve studied this schedule up and down 1 billion times and truly feel that the Mountaineers can win virtually every game on their schedule, aside from the Texas Tech game, where they will need a miracle and then some. And no, I don't mean they are going to go 11-1.

With only four true road games and the first one not taking place until their trip to Ames on October 3rd, WVU should avoid losing consecutive games and having things snowball on them. Also, the only back-to-back road games they play (TCU and Texas Tech) have a bye placed in between them.

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