Coastal Carolina ChanticleersvsWest Virginia Mountaineers
CCU 24/WVU 31
Things to say
West Virginia beat Coastal Carolina 31-24 at home to open the season 1-0.
01
opener
West Virginia handled it 31-24, but it was closer than it should've been. They built a 24-0 lead and then just sat on it. Coastal made it interesting late.
02
key player
Cam Cook was the whole offense — 30 carries, 142 and two scores. That's a workhorse. They rode him all game.
03
hot take
Don't let the final fool me, a lot of Coastal's points were garbage time. WVU took their foot off the gas and let Bailey throw for 373.
04
deep cut
Hawkins only threw it 14 times and still had a hand in two touchdowns, including an 11-yard scramble. When you're running like that you don't need to air it out.
05
exit
Anyway, if Cook keeps touching it 30 times a game, WVU's gonna be a problem in the Big 12. We'll see next week.
The recap
West Virginia jumped Coastal Carolina early and rode Cam Cook the whole way, the big back grinding out 142 yards and two scores on 30 carries to build a 24-0 cushion before the Chanticleers ever got on the board. Deuce Bailey lit it up through the air for 373 yards and three touchdowns, twice hitting Clayton Coppock Jr. to keep clawing back, but the hole was just too deep.
The turning point was that first-half burial — Michael Hawkins Jr. was efficient and added an 11-yard keeper, and the Mountaineers leaned on Cook to bleed the clock and hold the lead. Bailey's numbers look loud, but a chunk of that came chasing the game, and WVU took the opener 31-24.