What Rich Rodriguez Said Following the Win Over UT Martin

The West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0) handled the UT Martin Skyhawks (1-2) Saturday afternoon 52-7.

WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez met with the media following the game and gave his assessment on the Mountaineers’ improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2018.

Opening Statement

“Obviously, I'll tell more after watching the film.

"I thought we were efficient offensively - pretty sharp. The first group especially.

“Defensively, even though they got a shut out, I didn't think we were particularly sharp defensively.

“I don't know if we got any three and outs. We allowed them to convert some third down stuff and so it seemed like we were a little bit off at times defensively, but they got the shut out. But anyway, there's a lot to work on. The best you can be after two games is two and 0.

"This was obviously a game we should win, which we did, and got control of it early. And we played I don't know how many guys we played, but we played a lot. I mean, a lot of guys, particularly in the second half. So that was one of the things I hope I was hoping we would be able to do is to play a lot of guys cause they worked really hard and we were able to do that."

Biggest positive playing a lot of players?

"Yeah. Well, no question. It was like, you don't say talk about it a whole lot going into the game because you talk about how to win, but you're saying, ‘Man, if we can get a lead and get some of those guys in there.’ There's no worry about redshirting freshman or anything like that, right? Because it's all five years to play five. So, it was good at least the last couple series on offense. There were a lot of young guys and freshman in there."

The program's first 2-0 start since 2018

"I know that the schedule obviously gets really start get a whole lot tougher, but the best you can be after two games is two and 0 and I think we made some steps on offense. I'm not sure we made steps on defense. I'll have to watch the film. But Coach Alley and them will we'll get those corrected.

"We just seem to be, you know, a few things here and there that was kind of off a little bit. So, we've got to get a lot a lot of work done in the next 24 hours and get ready to play a really, really good veteran, and I talk about veteran, like they got some grown man Virginia team in Charlotte."

Quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr.'s 251 total yards and four-touchdown performance

"I thought Mike, you know, I thought he played really well. He obviously has the ability to make big plays with his feet. I thought he saw the field well.

"Whatever he played, a little more than a half, I thought he was really sharp and he'll keep the more experience he gets in our offense, I think, the more comfortable he will even be. But I thought he played well."

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