Sophomore running back C.J. Donaldson Jr. is a special runner and he showed that off against Pittsburgh on Saturday and this season, carrying the weight of the offense on his shoulders on the way to a redemption win in the Backyard Brawl and throughout his impressive start in the 2023 season.
West Virginia struggled as a group offensively with only 211 total yards in the 17-6 victory, but Donaldson and the rushing attack gashed the Panthers for 161 yards rushing, including 102 yards and a touchdown from the second-year half back Donaldson. Donaldson also ran for 81 yards and a touchdown in his season-opening performance against Penn State and backed it up on Saturday.
Donaldson has taken over in the backfield and it was the deciding factor in coming away with a win in the team's most recent game, and in an historic rivalry like the Backyard Brawl, it was an energizing moment for him to get a chance to reach the endzone.
"I was definitely fired up, to have the opportunity to score in a big rivalry, that's an amazing opportunity," Donaldson said. "My offensive line trusted me, knowing I that I'm going to get this one yard and score this touchdown, so just them believing in me allowed me to play that much faster and believe in myself too. I'm just very thankful for my offensive line."
The sophomore tail back graded out as the best player for WVU offensively against Pittsburgh, with a 75.0 rating, while the run blocking as a group only graded at a 59.9 according to PFF.
However, there is an innate ability that Donaldson has shown outside of any statistics and that is his natural ability toting the football, along with his strength and decisiveness as runner and all of these qualities have flashed this season, but especially in a game where it was very much needed for the Mountaineers to beat their rivals.
"It's fun just running the ball. As I continue to play running back, it feels so natural and I really love playing the position," Donaldson said. "It's just a different feeling knowing that one person cannot tackle me and it just feels so great and I'm just so thankful for it."
This is not the first time that Donaldson has ran for over 100 yards against Pittsburgh in his career, since last season in his WVU debut he broke off 125 yards and touchdown on only seven carries, which really splashed him onto the scene. Although two of his career-best moments have come in the Backyard Brawl, it's no different for Donaldson running against them.
"I wouldn't really say that [running against Pitt is any different], the team needed me to step up today and I had to do what was needed for us to get the win," Donaldson said.
It seems like the offense has truly rallied around the sophomore running back through three games this season and for offensive coordinator Chad Scott, it's been impressive to watch him develop and to watch the way he ran the football against Pitt.
"I was so proud of that kid, he was in the zone. I talked about him running angry and having a different level of determination and refuse to be denied yards. He's ran hard and ran efficiently. It’s like running against goal line defense every snap, so for him to find yards beyond what was blocked was really good, I was really proud of how he ran," Scott said.
One specific aspect outside of physical development that has drastically changed for the young running back this season, is knowledge on the field and experience. Donaldson has learned what the college game is like and can reflect on how he's grown as a player.
"I'd say I just know a little more knowledge. Being a young running back last year, I made a lot mistakes, which was natural for a guy who'd been playing running back for three months," Donaldson said. "Now with the leadership role of the offensive line, we have a great bond between a running back room and offensive line room and it's a special unit, and it makes me feel comfortable back there."
After the moment sunk in a bit for Donaldson following Saturday's gritty win, he's grateful to be apart of the first West Virginia team to beat Pittsburgh since 2011, and he cherishes how big this rivalry is to WVU.
"It's definitely special. I've been watching West Virginia since I was probably in the sixth grade and I didn't even know this was a big rivalry until I got here," Donaldson said. "It's so amazing knowing that we are the team who beat Pitt in 2023 and we haven't beaten them since 2011, it's definitely so special knowing that we did that."
The season continues on for West Virginia in their third-straight home game on Saturday, as Donaldson and the Mountaineers host Texas Tech on Sept. 23. Kickoff for that game is set for 3:30 p.m.
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