Michael Hawkins Jr. leads West Virginia to 52-7 victory over UT Martin

Michael Hawkins Jr. led the West Virginia Mountaineers to a 52-7 victory over UT Martin, accounting for four touchdowns in his debut within the team’s offensive system. The transfer quarterback from Oklahoma threw two touchdown passes—a 53-yarder to DJ Epps and a 32-yard pass to Ryan Ward—and recorded two rushing touchdowns of 71 and 5 yards.

Despite a goal-line fumble in the early second quarter that resulted in a touchback, head coach Rich Rodriguez expressed confidence in Hawkins’ decision-making and comfort level in the high-tempo offense. Hawkins finished the game completing five of seven passes for 155 yards and rushing for 96 yards.

With this win, West Virginia moves to a 2-0 record, marking their first 2-0 start since 2018. While the offense showed strength with 313 rushing yards, the defense remains a point of concern following a first half that allowed 246 yards. West Virginia is scheduled to face No. 25 Virginia next.