WVU Opens as a Two-Score Underdog for Week 3 Battle vs. Virginia

The West Virginia Mountaineers have made it through the first two weeks of the season unscathed, but from here on out, it's going to be a battle. Next weekend, they will hit the road for the first time this year, albeit for a neutral-site game against Virginia in Charlotte, which will enter the matchup inside the Top 25.

Virginia, as you would expect, is the favorite entering this one, but after all the chaos we've seen in college football over the last two weeks, that doesn't mean a darn thing. If the Mountaineers show up and play their best brand of ball, they can win and move to 3-0.

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Sep 12, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers tight end Ryan Ward (84) celebrates with quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (3) after he ran for a touchdown during the second quarter against the UT Martin Skyhawks at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Spread: Virginia -9.5

The Cavaliers have looked dominant through their first two games of the season, outscoring North Carolina State and Norfolk State by a combined 93-11. The Norfolk State one is, well, what you would expect, but no one saw the pure domination of NC State happening. There were a bunch of question marks surrounding UVA, specifically on the offensive side, having to replace QB Chandler Morris and leading rusher J'Mari Taylor. There was also some curiosity as to whether or not last year's 11-win campaign was an anomaly. They put that to bed in Week 0. This team is legit.

West Virginia looks much improved on the offensive side of the ball with a star in the making at quarterback in Mike Hawkins, who in his first two games is 16/21 for 287 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs and has 26 carries for199 yards and 3 TDs. Cam Cook and the offensive line will only continue to get better the more in-game experience they get, which should make for a potent offensive attack. What has everyone on the edge of their seat is the fact that Rich Rodriguez hasn't gone deep into his bag of play calls yet. What will this offense look like when he does? We'll find out next Saturday.

Over/Under: 55.5

The Mountaineers' defense has been hot and cold. They were good in the first half against Coastal and second half versus UT Martin, but were making mistakes all over the place in the second half in Week 1 and in the first half on Saturday. That's not going to fly in Week 3 and beyond. This might seem like a high total, but I think it's a sign of respect for both offenses.

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