MORGANTOWN — It was billed as a crucial college football game for both West Virginia University and Oklahoma State. It quickly became a cage fight.
Actually, it looked like a one-sided sparring practice for the Mountaineers.
With every stiff arm, every shoulder pad into the chest, every breakaway run into the open field, WVU devoured turf and pummeled the Cowboys into submission with its run game, thumping OSU in a 38-14 win in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
The Mountaineers dominated Oklahoma State’s defense from the opening drive, muting Boone Pickens Stadium outside of the boos that rained from the stands as the Cowboys’ own offense could do nothing.
West Virginia churned up 389 rushing yards with nothing fancy, just 65 carries on simple, straightforward play-calling, bolstered by a pile of missed tackles by an overmatched Oklahoma State defense.
The Cowboys walked into Saturday’s game at a disadvantage. The knee injury that hobbled OSU preseason all-America linebacker Nick Martin in last week’s loss to Kansas State kept him sidelined against WVU.
His absence was obvious and, for the Cowboys, it was fatal.
That was most evident on WVU’s second drive of the second quarter. The Mountaineers ran up the middle for six of the eight plays of that drive, ending with Garrett Greene charging up the Cowboy defense’s gut for a 15-yard touchdown that made it 24-0, WVU.
Since the start of last season, when it came to Oklahoma State and running games, the story usually was Ollie Gordon II and his ability to barrel through opposing defenses. The Mountaineers saw that first hand last year, when Gordon single-handedly pulled victory from the clutches of defeat against WVU with 141 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone.
After winning last season’s Doak Walker Award, he’s had no such luck in 2024, eclipsing 100 yards just once this season. Against WVU, he was relegated to bystander. He finished Saturday’s game with a measly 50 yards on 13 carries and his last play came early in the third quarter on a short pass from Alan Bowman. Jaheem Joseph wrapped up Gordon’s right leg for the tackle and Gordon walked gingerly to the sideline, never to return.
Meanwhile, it really didn’t matter who carried the ball for West Virginia; that guy was gaining yards.
Three WVU players finished the game with at least 77 yards on the ground – Jahiem White with 158 yards and a touchdown, Garrett Greene with 86 yards and a touchdown and C.J. Donaldson with 77 yards and two scores. The Mountaineers averaged six yards per carry and used that to dominate time of possession. WVU held the ball for 42 minutes, 36 seconds on Saturday, compared to 17:24 for Oklahoma State.
“When we talked about running the football, we talked about a team approach and it’s all 11 guys,” WVU coach Neal Brown said on television following the game. “I thought our receivers and our tight ends were special in the run game today. … And I thought our O-line and our running backs were really good, and our quarterbacks helped as well.”
Much like last week, Oklahoma State had to turn to its passing game to try to get back into the contest. The results were identical. It didn’t work.
With 7:33 left in the third quarter, WVU linebacker Josiah Trotter leaped into the air and snatched a Bowman lob, stabbing his toes into the turf in bounds for an interception that essentially ended Oklahoma State’s chances early in the second half. By the fourth quarter, OSU coach Mike Gundy had seen enough of Bowman, pulling him for backup Garret Rangel.
Ultimately, the only thing that was stopping West Virginia’s run game was WVU itself. Late in the third, the Mountaineers turned it over on downs when Greene cut right into open field on fourth and 5 and slid for what looked like a first down. Officials overturned that, saying Greene started his slide behind the first down marker.
Saturday’s game sent the Mountaineers and Cowboys in wildly different directions. At 0-3 in the Big 12, Oklahoma State’s chances at a conference title are essentially over. The Cowboys made the Big 12 championship game last year with two conference losses, but they’re too much of a mess both offensively and defensively to rally.
But what about WVU? The Mountaineers are 2-0 to start the conference slate, chasing a furious comeback win over Kansas with Saturday’s beatdown of Oklahoma State. Their only losses this year are to Penn State and Pittsburgh teams that are a combined 10-0 following this week’s games.
West Virginia will face better defenses this season. At 129th out 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total defense, there are few worse than Oklahoma State’s. But a rushing performance like the one WVU put together against the Cowboys should give the Mountaineers confidence for the rest of the season.
That confidence will be tested quickly. WVU’s next two games are at Milan Puskar Stadium against Iowa State and Kansas State, two of the four Big 12 teams who entered the weekend nationally ranked. They’re also the only ranked teams that presently are left on the schedule.
“We’ve got a good football team,” Brown said. “I think because of how we started the year, people maybe quit paying attention to us, or maybe slept on us a little bit.”
If WVU can play like they did Saturday for the rest of the season, they could offer up a pretty loud wake-up call.
— Story By Derek Redd
