theintermountain
West Virginia football's bye week has come and gone, marking the end of a grueling stretch of eight consecutive games to open the season—one of the longest such runs in the nation. Head coach Rich Rodriguez finally got the open date he had been anticipating, and he made the most of it.
Halloween fell during the bye, but Rodriguez didn't partake in the festivities. He hasn't gone trick-or-treating since he was eight years old, when his mother dressed him as a bush and he got lost in some bushes for a while.
"I've been traumatized, and I've never been a Halloween person," Rodriguez admitted.
Still, to ease the burden on his coaching staff and give them a breather, WVU hosted a small Halloween event for the coaches' children, with players involved.
"That's one thing this profession does. It takes a lot of your time," Rodriguez said. "Everybody preaches a family atmosphere, but it's hard to have all the families over there as much time as we spend. But it was good to have them over for Halloween."
Aside from that night, it was all business for the coaching staff and players. The primary objective during the open date was rest and recovery.
WVU had key players—defensive back Jason Chambers and defensive lineman Corey McIntyre Jr.—ruled out for the TCU game. Both are players the Mountaineers would love to have back for this weekend's matchup against Texas Tech.
Rodriguez said Chambers, McIntyre Jr., and cornerback Nick Taylor will be limited in practice Tuesday and then evaluated. If they look good enough, they'll play on Saturday. McIntyre, however, said he'll be back for the game.
Rest was another major advantage of the week off. Rodriguez noted after the TCU game that the team appeared a little tired, especially on offense. WVU scored a season-low in points in the win over the Horned Frogs and managed just 265 yards of offense. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for a season-low 79 passing yards.
"We didn't have guys loafing, but I didn't see the same kind of pop and snap off the line of scrimmage up front," Rodriguez said. "O-line has been pretty consistent all year, and they played hard, but it wasn't the same snap coming off the ball."
The coaching staff has been busy recruiting this weekend. WVU's position coaches are traveling across the country to bring in the next wave of Mountaineers, as the bye is the only real opportunity during the season to do so. Early National Signing Day is rapidly approaching on December 2.
Another bye week matter in this new era of college football is contract negotiations. Rodriguez said during the bye that his staff would sign multiple impact players to long-term deals to ensure they won't transfer in the offseason. The negotiations are still "ongoing," and Rodriguez wants to have a majority of players—like Hawkins—signed before Early National Signing Day on December 3. Players like Hawkins help massively in recruiting, drawing in other players.
"I'm hoping to get most of them done by then," Rodriguez said.
Now the bye week is over, and it's back to game preparation. WVU has four games left after starting the first eight 5-3 and 2-3 in the Big 12. The Mountaineers face a challenging schedule ahead, beginning this weekend against No. 13 Texas Tech, which is 7-1 on the year. After the trip to the Red Raiders, WVU plays No. 17 Houston and No. 3 Utah in two of the final three games.
WVU has a tough road ahead and is hoping the time off will provide a boost in the final games, with a bowl game in reach.
"We needed last week," Rodriguez said. "I think to recover a little bit. We had gone for a while. I hope they feel refreshed because we got a big stretch obviously coming up."
Key Analysis
The bye week came at a crucial time for West Virginia, allowing the team to heal and recharge before a demanding stretch. Rodriguez's emphasis on rest and contract negotiations underscores the dual priorities of immediate performance and long-term stability. With key players potentially returning and a tough schedule ahead, the Mountaineers' ability to capitalize on this break could determine their bowl eligibility and future competitiveness.
Originally reported by theintermountain.