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The numbers are not flashy but the growth is undeniable.
Freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr., a 6-foot-2 product from Mentor, Ohio, has quietly stabilized West Virginia’s offense. Through three starts he has thrown for 623 yards, four touchdowns and just two interceptions, earning praise from a head coach who does not hand it out easily.
“He played beyond his years,” Rich Rodriguez said. “You wouldn’t think he’s a true freshman. He made some next-level throws.”
Fox’s composure has coincided with a late-season pulse for the Mountaineers, who sit 3-6 overall but are coming off a big win at No. 22 Houston, their first ranked road victory since Rodriguez’s return to Morgantown.
“I thought our offensive line came off the ball a little better,” Rodriguez said after reviewing the film. “The perimeter blocking was the best they had all year.”
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That win did not change the coach’s tone. “Hell, we won one game on the road,” he said. “We ain’t like we put a 10 game winning streak on there. We can play better than what we did, and we better realize that.”
Rodriguez, who once coached Pat White to legendary status in the same program, drew comparisons between his former All American and Fox, though he was quick to note the differences.
“Pat could outrun a mistake,” Rodriguez said. “Scotty’s a good runner, not a great runner, but he’s got next-level arm talent.”
Saturday brings another test when West Virginia hosts Deion Sanders and Colorado, a program Rodriguez called “way more athletic” across the board.
“They’ve really upgraded their talent level,” he said. “He’s done an amazing job to get Colorado to that level.”
Still, the message inside the WVU locker room will not change. “Let’s do what we did last week in practice,” Rodriguez said. “Let’s play as hard as we can, and after 60 minutes look up and see what happened.”
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