Rodriguez Previews Texas Tech After Bye Week
West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez discussed the team's Week 9 bye and its upcoming matchup against No. 13 Texas Tech.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Football
West Virginia football head coach Rich Rodriguez spoke about the team's Week 9 bye week and the upcoming game against No. 13 Texas Tech. The bye was used to work on fundamentals and hold a scrimmage with young players.
Why it matters
The bye week gives the Mountaineers time to reset before facing a ranked opponent with multiple NFL-caliber defenders. Coaches also used the break to continue recruiting and to plan roster retention ahead of the offseason.
Texas Tech enters the matchup ranked No. 13 nationally, and its defense features multiple NFL players. Texas Tech's starting quarterback against Arizona was Tommy Castellanos, though the source does not confirm his status for the West Virginia game.
The players
Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez is the head football coach at West Virginia University, a veteran coach known for his spread offensive systems and previous head-coaching stints at Michigan and Arizona.
The details
During the bye, West Virginia coaches were on the road recruiting and the team held a scrimmage with young players. Rodriguez described Texas Tech's secondary as zone-heavy and not overly aggressive, and highlighted running backs J'Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey as key threats.
Timeline
Week 9: West Virginia's bye week ahead of the Texas Tech game.
December: High school signing period when the team plans to retain players.
January: Transfer portal window for roster additions.
Season Trajectory
The bye week arrives midway through the season as West Virginia prepares for a ranked conference opponent. Roster retention planning ties the team's current decisions to the established December signing period and January transfer portal window that shape college football rosters each year.
Fantasy managers tracking Texas Tech's running backs J'Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey will want to monitor their workloads in the matchup. Fans attending or following the game should note the Week 9 timing of the bye and the matchup against a ranked opponent.
The takeaway
A bye week gives teams time to fix fundamentals and plan roster moves, and West Virginia is using it to do both. Readers following college football can watch how bye-week preparation shows up in the next game's results.
What happens next
West Virginia plans to retain players ahead of the December high school signing period and the January transfer portal window.
Further reading
Explore more Football coverage for context on West Virginia's season.
