Oklahoma State Rallies Past West Virginia 41-24 in Big 12 Opener
The short version
- Oklahoma State overcame a 14-13 halftime deficit to beat West Virginia 41-24 in the Mountaineers' Big 12 opener, finishing with 609 total yards.
- Drew Mestemaker completed 20 of 27 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns and was not sacked; Wyatt Young caught eight passes for 192 yards.
- West Virginia rushed for 334 yards, including 193 from Cam Cook on 29 carries, but produced only 132 passing yards.
- Michael Hawkins Jr. ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns but completed 10 of 22 passes with an interception and was sacked four times.
The Cowboys scored 28 second-half points and gained 609 yards to end West Virginia's unbeaten start in the Mountaineers' conference opener.
Oklahoma State came from behind to defeat West Virginia 41-24 on Saturday night, spoiling the Mountaineers' Big 12 opener at home. The Cowboys trailed 14-13 at the break before scoring 28 points in the second half and finishing with 609 yards of total offense. West Virginia dropped to 3-1 after reaching conference play unbeaten behind one of the league's most productive rushing attacks.
The first half swung on a single turnover. West Virginia was moving toward a potential 21-6 lead when a tipped pass was intercepted, and Oklahoma State answered with a touchdown that made it a one-point game at 14-13, the halftime score. The Cowboys carried that shift in momentum through the final two quarters.
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. produced two very different performances in one night. Through the air he completed 10 of 22 passes for 132 yards with an interception and absorbed four sacks, while on the ground he ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns. Pro Football Focus credited Hawkins with a 72.2 overall grade, one of the better marks on the West Virginia offense.
The running game kept the Mountaineers competitive. Cam Cook carried 29 times for 193 yards, an average of 6.7 per attempt, and PFF graded him at 75.8 with backfield teammate Amari Latimer at 76.3. As a team, West Virginia rushed for 334 yards at roughly 6.3 yards per carry, with Hawkins accounting for 102 of them.
The passing attack never balanced it out. DJ Epps led all Mountaineer receivers with 39 yards on a night when the team managed only 132 yards through the air, and the tight ends were largely quiet as receivers. With Oklahoma State devoting resources to stopping the run, West Virginia grew increasingly one-dimensional and lacked a consistent downfield answer.
The offensive line reflected the same split. While the front cleared the way for 334 rushing yards, it also gave up four sacks amid steady Cowboy pressure. Right tackle Carsten Casady posted a 64.8 PFF grade but was charged with seven pressures allowed, and true freshman Kevin Brown, graded 59.1, allowed four pressures including two sacks.
West Virginia's defense could not solve Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who completed 20 of 27 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns without being sacked. The Cowboys added 220 rushing yards, and every Oklahoma State run to its left side gained at least six yards. Corey McIntyre Jr. (67.7) and Zeke Durham-Campbell (67.1) recorded the highest PFF grades among Mountaineer defensive linemen, and Isaiah Patterson's 70.7 topped the linebackers.
The secondary absorbed the biggest damage, with Cowboy receiver Wyatt Young catching eight passes for 192 yards. Coach Rich Rodriguez pointed to the pass rush afterward, saying West Virginia failed to pressure Mestemaker enough and allowed the quarterback to settle in and get comfortable.
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