West Virginia's rushing attack is one of the best in the country, and as a matter of fact, it is the best in the nation when you remove the service academies, who run the ball like 90% of the time.
The Mountaineers have a dynamic duo of Cam Cook (132.2 ypg) and quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. (112.0 ypg), complemented by true freshman Amari Latimer, who got extended work for the first time last week and racked up 99 yards of total offense.
Well now, the nation's best rushing attack could get deeper. Utah running back transfer NaQuari Rogers, who has spent the last couple of weeks getting acclimated and getting back into game shape, is suited up and ready to go. Rogers was on the team's dress list that is handed out on game day and was just spotted going through pregame warmups, wearing No. 27. He dressed last week as well, but did not appear in the game.
How involved could Rogers be in the ground game?
It's going to be hard for WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez to take Cam Cook off the field, which is why he has started rolling out these two-back sets. He knows Amari Latimer needs to get some touches and is too good, even for a true freshman, to be standing on the sideline, not getting in on the action.
I would imagine that Cook and Latimer will remain as the Mountaineers' one-two punch, but Rogers will factor into the mix as well, getting a few carries each game. Will that be today? Maybe. It just depends on the flow of the game and how comfortable they are with giving him some carries this week. He is still new to the system, and only he and the staff know how comfortable he is in that regard.
This isn't just some random dude they picked up off the street either. Rogers led the Utes in rushing scores a year ago with 11, racking up 387 yards on 98 carries. The year before, he was at New Mexico and posted 382 yards and five touchdowns on 74 carries. He began his career at the FCS level, spending two seasons with Campbell, where he combined for 623 yards and seven touchdowns on 133 rushing attempts, in addition to 20 receptions for 158 yards and a score.
It may or may not happen this week, but at some point, Rogers will definitely contribute to the Mountaineers' ground game.
WVU and Cincinnati will get things started at 12 p.m. ET.
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