WVU football's season doesn't seem to be getting any better – a week after a disheartening loss on the road to Kansas, the Mountaineers returned home to welcome Utah into Milan Puskar Stadium and were walloped by the Utes in a 48-14 beating. Here's what we took away from West Virginia's rough Week 5 effort.
Sell Your Jaylen Henderson Stocks – And Buy Some Khalil Wilkins Stocks Instead
If one thing was completely and utterly clear on Saturday, it's that Jaylen Henderson is not the right fit to lead the Mountaineers as their starting quarterback – but it was pretty clear that Khalil Wilkins probably is the guy.
Wilkins looked better than any quarterback the Mountaineers have put into a game this year, whether that be the injured Nicco Marchiol who started the first four games, Henderson on Saturday, or even the limited action we've seen from Scotty Fox. Wilkins was 3-6 for 63 yards and one touchdown and had seven carries for 44 yards through just two drives as this article was being written late in the game – making him the leading rusher and passer for WVU at that point in the game before Jarod Bowie broke a huge 68-yard run.
It's taken Rodriguez time in the past to evaluate his quarterback room and find the best guy, like when Tyler Huff didn't begin the season as the starter at Jacksonville State, or when Pat White didn't start until midseason as a freshman for the Mountaineers during his first stint. The offense looked different when Wilkins was at quarterback, and actually a bit explosive. Some untimely penalties and drops prevented him from reaching his full potential, but the Mountaineers may finally have their guy at signal caller.
Khalil Wilkins enters the game at quarterback.
— Nick Farrell (@ByNickFarrell) September 27, 2025
He goes 2-2 for 44 yards and a TD pass to Cam Vaughn.
Utah leads 35-7, but that could be a significant moment in this team's season. pic.twitter.com/u2wRzJDLzo
Questions Still Need Answered On Defense As Well
WVU's defense has looked much better than the offense this season, but it started to become a bit more evident against Kansas that they would not be this team's savior. That become even more blatantly obvious on Saturday.
We mentioned earlier this week that things will get harder before they get easier for WVU's defense, and Utah showed that analysis was pretty spot-on. The Mountaineers had given up 457 yards (over 200 through the air and on the ground) 41 points, and 27 first downs as this article was being written with just under 11 minutes remaining in the game.
We're not saying that Zac Alley is a bad defensive coordinator, or that the defense doesn't have plenty of bright spots – but we're also saying that they will struggle at points this year, and if fans didn't realize this wasn't a top defense in the league after the Kansas game, they ought to realize it now. And they'll see more extremely talented offenses down the stretch.
There Is A Future For This Team
It might not have been clear after the loss to Kansas, and it may be hard to focus on after Saturday, but this team isn't completely dead in the water. Wilkins proved he can be a quarterback who allows the offense to move the ball, and receivers Jarod Bowie, Cam Vaughn, and Rodney Gallagher III all showed flashes of big-play ability against Utes. Backup right guard Donovan Haslem and backup right tackle Malik Agbo also saw increased reps as the game wore on in the face of WVU's starting line continuing to struggle, and the results seemed a bit more positive after the reserves began getting reps – even against the Utah starters.
There are offensive weapons and talented players on the offense, they just have to be identified and begin to find a rhythm. Hopefully, Saturday was a step towards that, despite the tough loss.