West Virginia’s passing offense looks ordinary until the numbers are examined a little deeper. The Mountaineers are averaging just 170.5 passing yards per game through their 2-0 start, a figure that ranks 111th nationally, according to CBS Sports.
Yet WVU has quietly been one of college football’s most explosive teams whenever Rich Rodriguez decides to put the football in the air. Of course, expectations should be tempered considering WVU’s first two opponents.
WVU has produced 341 passing yards on only 26 attempts through victories over Coastal Carolina and UT Martin. That works out to a staggering 13.12 yards per attempt, nearly double the Mountaineers’ 6.93 average from the entire 2025 season. The contrast reveals something much different than WVU’s traditional passing statistics suggest.
WVU Passing Numbers Reveal Dramatic Change
West Virginia averaged more passing yards per game last season than it has so far in 2026. The Mountaineers finished 2025 at 188.9 passing yards per game after accumulating 2,267 yards on 327 attempts, according to WVU’s official statistics. Those numbers produced only 6.93 yards every time WVU attempted a pass.
Rodriguez’s offense is producing fewer passing yards because it simply hasn’t needed to throw nearly as often. WVU ran 61 times compared to 14 pass attempts against Coastal Carolina before running another 51 times with only 12 passes against UT Martin. The Mountaineers have instead made those limited passing opportunities count, with their yards per attempt increasing by approximately 89% from last season.
Quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. has been at the center of that efficiency. The Oklahoma transfer has completed 16 of 21 passes for 287 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 199 yards on the ground. His ability to threaten defenses both ways has made an already run-heavy Rodriguez offense considerably more difficult to diagnose.
Rich Rodriguez Has Given Defenses a Different Problem
There is an obvious qualifier after games against Coastal Carolina and UT Martin. WVU still needs to prove this efficiency can survive stronger competition, and 26 attempts represent an extremely small sample. The early numbers nevertheless reveal something useful about how opponents must prepare for Rodriguez’s offense.
Defenses can look at WVU’s 298.5 rushing yards per game and reasonably prioritize stopping the ground attack. What they cannot necessarily do is interpret the Mountaineers’ low passing volume as evidence that Hawkins and the passing game aren’t dangerous. WVU has punished opponents when it has chosen to throw.
West Virginia ranks near the bottom of the country in passing yards per game. Dig one layer deeper, however, and Rodriguez’s offense suddenly looks considerably different. Now the question remains: What happens when WVU goes to Charlotte to face a ranked Virginia team?
WVU’s Bizarre Passing Stat Reveals What Rich Rodriguez Has Quietly Built