West Virginia Closing in on Feat Not Accomplished Since Will Grier Era
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West Virginia has a chance Saturday to accomplish something that once felt almost routine in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers can improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2018 when UT Martin visits Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU officially noted the eight-year drought in its game preview this week, giving Rich Rodriguez’s second season back in Morgantown an early opportunity to clear a surprisingly elusive milestone.
That last 2-0 start came during the Will Grier era.
West Virginia opened the 2018 season by dismantling Tennessee 40-14 behind one of Grier’s signature performances. The Heisman Trophy contender completed 25 of 34 passes for a career-high 429 yards and five touchdowns before leading the Mountaineers to a 52-17 victory over Youngstown State the following week.
Eight years later, WVU finally has another opportunity to begin a season with consecutive victories.
West Virginia Has Favorable Opportunity to End 8-Year Drought
Calling a 2-0 start a major accomplishment would be excessive, especially considering the opponent.
UT Martin comes to Morgantown as a massive underdog. Sportsbooks had West Virginia favored by roughly 40 points as of Thursday night, meaning anything other than a comfortable Mountaineers victory would qualify as a significant surprise.
That almost makes the eight-year drought more revealing.
West Virginia has either lost its opener or its second game every season since Grier and the 2018 Mountaineers opened 2-0. A program with WVU’s history should not have to celebrate winning its first two games, but the fact that it has been nearly a decade illustrates how inconsistent things have become since that era.
Rodriguez has an opportunity to begin changing that.
The Mountaineers opened 2026 with a 31-24 victory over Coastal Carolina. WVU raced to a 24-0 halftime advantage before allowing the Chanticleers to make things uncomfortable in the second half, something Rodriguez immediately criticized afterward. Cam Cook rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. added 103 rushing yards as West Virginia totaled 281 on the ground.
Rich Rodriguez Can Give WVU Fans a Familiar Feeling
There is still an enormous gap between starting 2-0 and recreating the excitement surrounding Grier’s 2018 team.
That group entered its second game ranked No. 14 nationally and had legitimate championship aspirations. This version of West Virginia is still trying to establish what it can become after Rodriguez rebuilt much of the roster.
Saturday is simply the next step. Beating UT Martin will not prove WVU is ready to contend for the Big 12. It should, however, accomplish something the program has somehow failed to do since one of the most memorable recent eras of Mountaineer football.
The more revealing test arrives one week later when West Virginia faces Virginia on Sept. 19. For now, though, WVU has a chance to give Mountaineer fans something they have not experienced since Grier was throwing touchdowns in gold and blue: a 2-0 football team.
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