Michael Hawkins Jr. headlines West Virginia’s offense, but Oklahoma State knows the challenge goes much deeper. From Cam Cook’s physical running to a receiving corps committed to blocking, the Cowboys are preparing for a creative Rich Rodriguez attack built to punish defensive mistakes.
Michael Hawkins Jr. will command plenty of Oklahoma State's attention Saturday night. But focusing too heavily on West Virginia's quarterback could create exactly the problems Rich Rodriguez wants.
Hawkins has emerged as one of college football's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks through the opening weeks of the season, and he enters Saturday's Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State coming off PFF's highest quarterback grade among Power Four players in Week 3.
OSU free safety Mose Phillips III knows containing Hawkins will be critical. He also knows the Mountaineers have considerably more for the Cowboys to worry about.
Cam Cook Presents Another Challenge
Running back Cam Cook was one of the first players Phillips mentioned when discussing what stood out on West Virginia's film.
“Cam Cook is a good back,” Phillips said. “He deserves a lot of respect. Great contact balance getting downhill. Knows how to take a hit and shrug people off, spin off, so we have to get more hats to the ball.”
That ability to break tackles only adds another layer to a rushing attack already featuring Hawkins. West Virginia has consistently incorporated its quarterback into the running game under Rodriguez, forcing defenses to account for an additional ball carrier on nearly every snap.
Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris called Hawkins “really dynamic with his feet” and noted that the Mountaineers are comfortable designing runs for their quarterback. That can eventually create opportunities elsewhere.
“Once you bring those safeties down, it opens up some seams,” Morris said.
West Virginia Receivers Contribute Without the Ball
Phillips also noticed something about West Virginia's receivers that won't necessarily appear in the box score. They block.
“They have a good receiving corps that blocks really hard,” Phillips said. “They know to position block. They know what to do to create seams in their scheme and on the perimeter block good as well.”
That becomes particularly important in an offense built around stressing defenses horizontally and creating opportunities for Hawkins and Cook on the ground.
Miss a tackle against Cook or lose discipline against Hawkins, and West Virginia can create an explosive run. Commit too many defenders toward stopping them, and Hawkins has opportunities to attack through the air.
It's part of what makes Rodriguez's offense different from anything OSU has seen through its first three games.
“He's been doing it a long time and always seems to give other teams fits,” Morris said of Rodriguez. “Super creative and a little bit different than anybody we've played.”
Cowboys Face Different Kind of Test
Oklahoma State's defense enters Morgantown with some momentum. The Cowboys held Murray State to 160 total yards in Saturday's 59-0 victory, with the Racers failing to convert any of their 12 third-down opportunities.
Saturday should provide a considerably greater challenge. Hawkins' explosiveness makes him the obvious centerpiece of the scouting report, particularly after his five-touchdown performance against Virginia.
But Oklahoma State knows stopping West Virginia can't simply become a game of stopping one player. Cook's ability to run through contact, the receivers' willingness to block and Rodriguez's ability to manipulate a defense all work together.
For Phillips and the Cowboys, that means discipline — and plenty of defenders arriving at the football.
Because against West Virginia, worrying too much about Hawkins could be precisely what opens the door for everyone else.
