West Virginia defeats Coastal Carolina 31-24 in its season opener. Cam Cook rushes for 142 yards and two short touchdowns, while Michael Hawkins Jr. throws for a score and adds another touchdown pass. The Mountaineers also hold off Coastal Carolina after trailing for much of the game.
West Virginia controls the matchup early, but multiple outlets describe the team as looking uneven in the second half, with issues on both offense and defense. Coastal Carolina stages a late comeback, cutting into a large early deficit and rallying to make the finish close. Nico Cavanillas Alti kicks a 32-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining to complete the comeback attempt and bring the Chanticleers within four.
The game takes on additional significance for West Virginia, which retires the No. 5 jersey of former quarterback Pat White during the day. Yahoo Sports highlights this ceremony as part of the context, while other coverage focuses more on the on-field performances and the late-game rally.
