If you were sitting in the stands at Milan Puskar Stadium for the regular-season finale against Texas Tech, you probably still have a bit of a headache. Honestly, it wasn't just a loss. It was a 49-0 shutout that felt like a bucket of ice water to the face for a fanbase that had finally started to feel some momentum. After a season of absolute roller-coaster emotions, the final west virginia mountaineers football score of the 2025 campaign left more questions than answers heading into the new year.
The 2025 season was supposed to be a homecoming. Rich Rodriguez was back. The energy was high. But the reality of a 4-8 record is a tough pill to swallow, especially when the season ends with a zero on the scoreboard at home.
Breaking Down the West Virginia Mountaineers Football Score and Recent Results
To understand where this team is going in 2026, you have to look at the wreckage and the occasional brilliance of the 2025 schedule. It wasn't all bad, even if the final record suggests otherwise. We saw a team that could hang with the best of the Big 12 for three quarters and then completely vanish in the fourth.
The season started with high hopes and a dominant 45-3 win over Robert Morris. It felt like the old Rich Rod "Go-Go" offense was back in full swing. Then, the wheels started wobbling. A frustrating 17-10 loss to Ohio followed by a gritty overtime win against Pitt (31-24) showed that this team had a heart, but maybe lacked the depth to sustain it.
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The Mid-Season Slump
Things got ugly fast in October. If you're looking for the west virginia mountaineers football score from that stretch, avert your eyes.
- Kansas: 41-10 Loss
- Utah: 48-14 Loss
- BYU: 38-24 Loss
- UCF: 45-13 Loss
That's four straight games where the defense essentially became a revolving door. But then, something weird happened. The Mountaineers went to Houston and pulled off a 45-35 upset against a ranked Cougars team. They followed it up with a 29-22 win over Colorado. For a week or two, it felt like the season was saved.
Then came the Arizona State heartbreaker (25-23) and the Texas Tech disaster.
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Why the Scoreboard Didn't Always Tell the Whole Story
Scores are binary—you win or you lose—but the way WVU lost this year was nuanced. Against Arizona State, for instance, the Mountaineers actually outgained the Sun Devils. They controlled the clock. They just couldn't finish in the red zone. Kade Hensley was a bright spot, hitting big field goals, but you can't kick your way to a Big 12 title.
The offense saw flashes of brilliance from Scotty Fox Jr. and Curtis Jones. Jones, in particular, looked like a future star during the Colorado game, where his rushing touchdowns were the difference. But the consistency? It just wasn't there. One week the offensive line looked like a brick wall; the next, they were more like a bead curtain.
What to Watch for in 2026
The 2025 season is over, and the focus has already shifted to the transfer portal and the 2026 schedule. If you're a die-hard fan, you’ve probably already bookmarked the September 5, 2026, opener against Coastal Carolina.
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Rich Rodriguez isn't sitting still. He’s already overhauled the defensive staff, bringing in Larry Knight as the Edges and Pass Rush Specialist. The "Bandit" position, a staple of the WVU defense, needs a major upgrade if they want to stop giving up 40 points a game.
The 2026 Non-Conference Slate
The start of next season looks like this:
- Coastal Carolina (Sept 5)
- UT Martin (Sept 12)
- Virginia in Charlotte (Sept 19)
That neutral-site game against Virginia at Bank of America Stadium is going to be the real litmus test. If the Mountaineers go into that game 2-0 and come out with a win, the Texas Tech shutout will start to feel like a distant, bad dream.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’re trying to keep up with the team during the off-season, here is how you should spend your time. First, track the transfer portal specifically for offensive line depth. WVU lost two key linemen to the portal on January 12, and replacing that veteran presence is priority number one. Second, watch the recruitment of Matt Sieg, who was recently named the National High School Player of the Year. Keeping talent like that in the region is how the Mountaineers will eventually turn those losing scores into winning ones.
Basically, the 2025 season was a transition year that stayed in transition a bit too long. But with the recruiting classes coming in and the coaching staff tweaks, the 2026 west virginia mountaineers football score updates should hopefully look a lot more like the Robert Morris game and a lot less like the Texas Tech one.