First quarter
WVU TOUCHDOWN: Kennedy McKoy 5-yard run (11:44) WVU leads 7-0
On the game’s opening series, McKoy gashed the Cowboys defense for 55 yards on five carries. Along with 16- and 20-yard gains, he picked up 13 on a third-and-8 red-zone draw. Grier completed 2-of-4 passes for 18 yards, with one drop by Sills on a back-shoulder throw.
OKLAHOMA STATE TOUCHDOWN: Tylan Wallace 5-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (4:14) Game tied 7-7
OSU capitalized after starting near midfield. Cornelius went 4-of-5 on the drive, with the last three completions to Wallace. The sophomore’s TD grab offered a clinic in body-contortion and concentration with cornerback Keith Washington in terrific position.
WVU TOUCHDOWN: Gary Jennings 13-yard pass from Will Grier (11:44) WVU leads 14-7
The Mountaineers answered in rapid fashion on four consecutive completions by Grier. Pettaway took one for 34 yards after the OSU secondary abandoned the left side of the field. Jennings did all the work on the score, catching a quick pitch at the line and making the slot safety miss.
Second quarter
WVU TOUCHDOWN: David Sills 22-yard pass from Will Grier (14:55) WVU leads 21-7
Capitalizing on the short field, the Mountaineers overcame a first-play sack on Grier. They did it by converting a fourth-and-3 underneath pass to Jennings, who was being bear-hugged by safety Kenneth Edison-McGruder. On the opening play of the second quarter, Sills had his inside arm pinned by the cornerback, so he used his outside hand to collect Grier’s pinpoint pass. It was Sills’ 13th touchdown of the season.
OKLAHOMA STATE TOUCHDOWN: Logan Carter 20-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (4:14) WVU leads 21-14
Chuba Hubbard’s 36-yard kick return required a kicker tackle along the WVU sideline. The rest was too easy for the Cowboys, starting with a 12-yard pass to Landon Wolf and two carries by JD Long that netted 22 yards. Then West Virginia’s defense completely ignored the tight end (“Cowboy back” being the local parlance) and Carter scored.
WVU TOUCHDOWN: Kennedy McKoy 30-yard run (1:17) WVU leads 28-14
The Mountaineers shifted into their 2-minute offense but didn’t need that much. McKoy went for 7, then 14 and then 30 yards — breaking away through the left side when right tackle Colton McKivitz and right guard Isaiah Hardy pulled through the hole.
WVU FIELD GOAL: Evan Staley 43-yarder (0:00) WVU leads 31-14
Keith Washington’s interception 41 seconds before halftime provided WVU a chance to tack on more points. After a 22-yard sideline pass to Gary Jennings moved the offense into field goal range, Staley made the kick on the final play. He improved to 7-of-9 from 40-49 yards this season.
Third quarter
OKLAHOMA STATE TOUCHDOWN: Chuba Hubbard 1-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (12:25) WVU leads 31-21
Desperate to play catch-up, OSU’s offense came out crisp in the second half. Cornelius was 4-for-4 on the series including a 23-yard pass to Stoner. Hubbard mixed in three carries for 26 yards, before catching the TD pass in the flat.
OKLAHOMA STATE FIELD GOAL: Matt Ammendola 20-yarder (3:03) WVU leads 31-24
The Cowboys, not known for their clock-chewing drives, exercised patience to make it a one-possession game. Wallace caught a 7-yard pass on third-and-3,WVU defenders jumped offside on a midfield fourth-and-1, and Stoner got free for a 26-yard catch. Hubbard eventually lunged near the goal line, but the third-down spot was moved back to the 2. Exree Loe and Zach Sandwisch combined to drop Hubbard for a 1-yard loss on the pivotal snap when OSU lined up in an I-formation with three tight ends.
Fourth quarter
WVU FIELD GOAL: Evan Staley 34-yarder (14:56) WVU leads 34-24
Two McKoy runs went nowhere and Marcus Simms miscommunicated with Grier on an end zone incompletion, forcing West Virginia’s offense to settle for a gift three points after OSU’s fumbled punt.
OKLAHOMA STATE TOUCHDOWN: Tyron Johnson 6-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (10:49) WVU leads 34-31
The Cowboys confounded Tony Gibson’s defense with two unlikely conversions. A third-and-20 went for 38 yards when Cornelius escaped the pocket and found Johnson free on a deep sideline route. Third-and-13 proved to be no problem either when a simple swing pass to Hubbard gained 14 to the West Virginia 6. The touchdown play featured Johnson diving to catch a fade route.
WVU TOUCHDOWN: Will Grier 6-yard run (7:37) WVU leads 41-31
Grier ran in a fourth-and-goal keeper from the 6, replicating the same two-point play WVU used to beat Texas. Earlier, on fourth-and-5 from the OSU 20, WVU extended the drive when McKoy was interfered with in the end zone by linebacker Devin Harper. Trevon Wesco’s 43-yard catch-and-run got the Mountaineers rolling after a string of four unproductive possessions.
OKLAHOMA STATE TOUCHDOWN: Taylor Cornelius 9-yard run (4:47) WVU leads 41-38
The Cowboys refused to quit. A 22-yard pass to Stoner was the big gainer, but Cornelius mostly used his legs. A 17-yard run followed by a 13-yard scramble helped OSU into the red zone. He ran it in on a third-and-4 read-option.
OKLAHOMA STATE TOUCHDOWN: Tylan Wallace 11-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (0:42) Oklahoma State leads 45-41
Wow. Cornelius is making his last home game count. A huge drive featured two QB runs for 29 yards and Hubbard tacking on 35 more.
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