As expected, veteran quarterback Nicco Marchiol got the start for the Mountaineers and performed pretty good completing 17of 20 passes for 224yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Nicco also ran 13 times for 56 yards and another touchdown. In all it was a very solid performance that could have been better if not for the turnovers that plagued the Mountaineer offense in the first half.

WVU had a successful first drive moving 83 yards on 10 plays that ended with a 10 yard Nicco Marchiol touchdown run for a 7-0 and it was so smooth I figured this game would be over before halftime. After a 3 and out on their next possession the Mountaineers would drive 75 yards in 3 plays and appeared to be going in for another touchdown but the drive stalled at the Colonials 9 yard in end they settled for a 27 yard field goal by senior kicker Cade Hensley an it was 10 – 0 EERs!.

Unfortunately things got a little crazy after that as the Mountaineer offense would turn the ball over 3 consecutive times with the last on coming after a beautiful 36 yard kick return by senior receiver Preston Fox who then fumbled the ball and the Colonials took over at the WVU 40 but could not move the ball and went 3 and out. The 3 consecutive turnovers were very uncharacteristic of a Rich Rodrigez offense but fortunately they didn’t hurt West Virginia as Robert Morris produced only a 36 yard field goal with all 3 opportunities WVU gave them. So the first half ended with a surprising 10-3 Mountaineer lead. After that first touchdown drive I figured it would at least be a 21-7 WVU lead at the break.

It was pretty apparent the Mountaineer coaches made some adjustments at the break as WVU came out a lot more focused in the 2nd half outscoring Robert Morris 35-0 the rest of the way with a dominating 2nd half performance. The Mountaineers took the opening kick of the 2nd half and drove 64 yards on 9 plays ending with a 1 yard Jahiem White touchdown run and a 17-3 Mountaineer lead. After Zach Tanner sacked RMU quarterback Hammond Russell IV e fumbled the ball recovered by WVU at the RMU 24 yard line and just 3 plays later Jahiem White would bust in for his 2nd TD of the game, this time from 4 yards out and with 5:21 to go in the 3rd quarter it was now 24-3 EERs. The WVU offense would open the 4th quarter with a 10 play 81 yard TD drive ending with highlight reel 46 yard touchdown pass from Nicco Marchiol to sophomore wideout Cam Vaughn. This was the classic over the Shoulder pass that dropped into Vaughns hands and just like that with 13:52 to go in the game it was 31-3 and things were looking considerably better than they did in the first half. After a 3 and out by Robert Morris the Mountaineer offence would once again light up the scoreboard but this time with Texas A&M transfer senior quarterback Jaylon Henderson leading the offense on a 4 play 54 yard drive ending with a magnificent 26 yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Cyncir Bowers and with 10:16 to go in the game it was now 38-3 West Virginia.

The Mountaineer offense would mount one more scoring drive but this time with true freshman quarterback Scottie Fox Jr from Mentor Ohio. Coach Rodriguez is very high on this young man. He was perhaps the most underrated high school quarterback in the State of Ohio. This high praise was clearly on display on the 3rd play of the drive when this you man dashed 59 yards for a touchdown in another highlight reel play to go along with the 46 yard Cam Vaughn TD catch in the 3rd quarter.

After the Fox run it was now a 45-3 game and thats how it ended. I would say, first half turnover issues aside, that it was a successful beginning to the 2nd era of Rich Rodrigez football at West Virginia. The Mountaineer offense was very fluid in the 2nd half and there were a lot of good things to take from that performance. The Mountaineer defense was very solid thought the entire game allowing just 123 yards of total offense 70 passing and 53 rushing. The mountaineer offense pit up 625 yards of offense 393 rushing and 232 yards passing.

Of course this was Robert Morris a Football Championship Subdivision program (FCS) that is considered a decent team in their division. If these same turnovers were to happen next week in Athens Ohio against the Mid American conference Ohio Bobcats WVU could lose the game. Even the defense that played so well against RMU will not see as many open receivers missed by the Ohio Bobcats senior quarterback Parker Navarro next week in Athens. Having said that we know the old saying that a team makes their greatest improvement between week one and two of the season. I believe coach Rodriguez and his staff will get this cleaned up and that WVU will defeat the Bobcats next week and get ready to host the Pitt Panthers in Morgantown on September 12th in the 108 edition of the Backyard Brawl on ESPN.