# West Virginia Mountaineers Presser Highlights

> West Virginia's coach details TCU defense challenge, defensive identity issues, and Mike Hawkins' production.
- Title: West Virginia Mountaineers Presser Highlights | Shortify
- Summary: West Virginia's coach details TCU defense challenge, defensive identity issues, and Mike Hawkins' production. West Virginia's coach Rich Rodriguez says TCU…
- Keywords: rich rodgers, west virginia mountaineers, tcu, mike hawkins jr, defensive identity, starting right tackle, carsten casady, malik agbo, sports, West, Virginia, Mountaineers
- Source: West Virgina Mountaineers On SI — https://si.com/college/westvirginia/football/quick-hits-defensive-identity-starting-right-tackle-mike-hawkins-production
- Published: 2026-10-20T17:43:17+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: rich rodgers, west virginia mountaineers, tcu, mike hawkins jr, defensive identity, starting right tackle, carsten casady, malik agbo, sports
## TCU defense challenge
West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez says TCU has the best defense in the league, statistically No. 1 in most categories, very athletic and plays hard.

> Best defense in the league. I think statistically, they are No. 1 in most of the categories. Very athletic. They know what they’re doing; they play hard.
## Defensive identity problem
West Virginia lacks a clear defensive identity, with coach Rodriguez saying they struggle to find a consistent identity early in the season.

> Typically, you find your identity in the first couple weeks of the season or even during camp. I don’t know if that’s the core problem, but it is something.
## Mike Hawkins Jr. production
Mike Hawkins Jr. is playing well as a first-year player, making big plays and being the difference in the game.

> For a first-year guy in the system, I think he’s playing really good football. He was really decisive in that game and made some big plays on some scramble stuff.
## Playoff expansion
Coach Rodriguez says the NFL playoff expansion to 24 teams is not terrible but worries about conference championship games disappearing.

> I didn’t really have strong feelings with it one way or another. I knew it was going to head that way because of money.
## Malik Agbo starts over Carsten
Malik Agbo starts at right tackle instead of Carsten Casady, who is not 100% healthy.

> Carsten wasn’t 100%, and I thought Malik played okay, but I think Carsten should be healthier this week, and if he is, he’ll be back in there starting.
## Key takeaway

West Virginia's coach Rich Rodriguez says TCU has the best defense in the league, the team lacks defensive identity, and Mike Hawkins Jr. is playing well.