West Virginia brings explosive backfield to Fort Worth against TCU

Hawkins leads FBS with 14 rushing touchdowns

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h2 min read

What happened: West Virginia visits TCU on Saturday in a Big 12 matchup in Fort Worth. The Mountaineers snapped a three-game skid with a 45-42 win over Cincinnati on a 35-yard field goal as time expired. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and running back Cam Cook headline a rushing attack that powers one of the league's highest-scoring offenses.

Why it matters: West Virginia has scored 263 points at 37.6 per game, testing a TCU front known for stopping the run. Hawkins pairs downfield passing with 749 rushing yards, forcing defenses to account for the quarterback on every snap. Cook's return to his former school adds another established ball-carrier to a game with early Big 12 positioning at stake.

By the numbers: Hawkins is coming off a 464-yard passing game after not topping 230 yards earlier this season, with one interception. Cook has 833 rushing yards, fifth nationally, after games of 193 against Oklahoma State, 142 against Iowa State and 141 against Arizona. DJ Epps leads West Virginia with 556 receiving yards and five touchdowns at 25.3 yards per catch.

What to watch: Watch whether TCU contains Hawkins on the ground without conceding deep shots. Cook's workload after 40 yards on 15 carries last week is another key indicator.

Sources

Yahoo CFB 2026-10-21T16:04:57.353484+00:00

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