West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez made no attempt to hide his frustration following the Mountaineers’ loss to Arizona.

Rodriguez thanked the WVU fans for creating a strong home atmosphere but acknowledged that the Mountaineers failed to reward them, particularly on defense. He said the coaching staff has issues it must “figure out in a hurry and fix in a hurry,” while first-half turnovers prevented the offense from establishing the momentum it needed.

Rodriguez was especially frustrated with the explosive plays allowed in the second half, questioning how a missed gap could turn into a long run without the rest of the defense rallying to the football. He also praised Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, calling him one of the best quarterbacks in the country and highlighting his quick decision-making and ability to avoid sacks.

Offensively, Rodriguez said Michael Hawkins Jr. remained competitive but acknowledged WVU missed several opportunities against Arizona’s aggressive blitz packages. Prince Strachan provided a spark in the passing game, but Rodriguez said the Mountaineers did not create enough explosive plays to overcome their mistakes.

With the first half of the season complete, Rodriguez says the frustration surrounding the program is extremely high — but he remains confident West Virginia can improve.

“We’ll be a better team. We’ll get it fixed,” Rodriguez said, while stressing that WVU cannot simply forget what happened during the first six games. The Mountaineers must learn from those mistakes as they move into the second half of the season.

Rodriguez also indicated that a change in defensive play-calling responsibilities is not planned at this point, but said the coaching staff must put its players in better positions and begin making progress immediately.

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