West Virginia’s most obvious improvements through two games are easy to find. The Mountaineers are 2-0, Mike Hawkins Jr. has provided an explosive presence at quarterback and Rich Rodriguez’s rushing attack has overwhelmed its first two opponents. Albeit, Hawkins positive impact has been against inferior opponents to this point. He gets a massive road test in Charlotte on Saturday.
One of WVU’s most dramatic year-over-year improvements, however, has happened on a play that rarely receives attention when everything goes right. WVU has kicked off 14 times this season. All 14 have resulted in touchbacks.
That perfect start belongs to Jack Cassidy, the 6-foot-6, 234-pound kicker who transferred to West Virginia from Western Kentucky.
Cassidy has completely eliminated an issue that quietly followed WVU throughout last season, and his early numbers suggest Rodriguez may have found a long-term answer rather than simply benefiting from two favorable matchups.
WVU Has Nearly Matched Its 2025 Touchback Total in Two Games
The difference from last season is staggering. WVU used three different players on kickoffs in 2025 and combined for only 15 touchbacks on 51 attempts, a touchback rate of 29.4%.
Ethan Head handled the largest share of those opportunities, recording four touchbacks on 26 kickoffs. Nate Flower was significantly more effective with 11 touchbacks on 24 attempts, while RJ Kocan had one kickoff without a touchback. WVU opponents consequently had 23 recorded kickoff returns for 495 yards, an average of 21.5 yards per return.
Cassidy has nearly matched WVU’s entire 2025 touchback total before the Mountaineers have even played their third game. His 14 touchbacks are already just one shy of the 15 West Virginia produced across its entire 12-game season last year. More importantly, no opponent has been given an opportunity to return one of his kickoffs.
“Isn’t it nice to have a guy who kicks off that you know is going to put it in the end zone most of the time?” Rodriguez said during his Monday radio show.
For something that happens several times every Saturday, that level of predictability carries real value. Rodriguez does not have to worry about a missed coverage assignment creating an explosive return, and his defense repeatedly gets to begin possessions with a predictable field-position situation.
Jack Cassidy’s Perfect Start Looks Sustainable for WVU
There is an obvious qualifier to any statistic produced through two games. Coastal Carolina and UT Martin haven’t provided the level of competition WVU will encounter throughout the rest of its schedule, beginning with Virginia.
Kickoffs, however, are different from most football statistics. Cassidy isn’t beating an opposing cornerback, overpowering a defensive line or taking advantage of an overmatched secondary when he sends the football through the end zone. The opponent can change, but the distance to the end zone does not.
That doesn’t mean Cassidy will finish the season with a 100% touchback rate. Weather, wind, strategy, mishits and other circumstances can eventually end a perfect streak. His history, however, provides evidence that his powerful leg isn’t something created by WVU’s opening schedule.
Cassidy primarily handled kickoffs at Western Kentucky in 2025 and produced 51 touchbacks on 72 attempts, a 70.8% rate. Before arriving in Morgantown, Kohl’s Kicking Camps had also recorded Cassidy launching multiple kickoffs more than 85 yards with at least 3.9 seconds of hang time.
WVU knew it was acquiring a big leg. Two games into the season, the results have been even better than advertised. West Virginia needed 51 kickoffs and an entire season to produce 15 touchbacks in 2025. Cassidy is one away from matching that total after only 14 attempts. Some improvements require waiting until conference play to determine whether they’re real. WVU’s new kickoff weapon is already providing plenty of evidence.
WVU’s Perfect 14-for-14 Stat Reveals Enormous Hidden Improvement