Cowboys Rally Past West Virginia 41-24 in Morgantown

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Oklahoma State outscored West Virginia 28-10 after halftime and beat the Mountaineers 41-24 Saturday night at Milan Puskar Stadium. The win was the Cowboys' first Big 12 victory since Nov. 25, 2023, ending an 18-game conference losing streak, according to OSU Athletics.

The Cowboys are 3-1 and 1-0 in the Big 12, and on Sunday they moved into the AP Top 25 at No. 19. They have won three straight since a season-opening loss at Tulsa, and six in a row in Morgantown.

Head coach Eric Morris said the team pushed through a rough trip, including hotel problems and its first flight of the season.

"There were just a bunch of things that were distractions, and our guys did a phenomenal job of handling those and coming together," Morris said.

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A slow start

West Virginia scored first. Cam Cook broke a 75-yard run to the OSU 9, and quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. scored two plays later on a 5-yard run.

OSU answered with a 30-yard Sam Keltner field goal. That drive survived a Wyatt Young fumble at the West Virginia 14, which teammate Chris Barnes recovered.

The Mountaineers went up 14-3 early in the second quarter. The touchdown drive covered 16 plays and took 6:20 off the clock.

The swing came late in the half. OSU defensive end Keviyan Huddleston tipped a Hawkins Jr. pass on third-and-4 from the OSU 18, and safety Mose Phillips III intercepted it and returned it 30 yards. Six plays later, OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker hit wide receiver Justin Bowick for a 21-yard touchdown with 1:25 left. West Virginia led 14-13 at halftime.

OSU kicker Sam Keltner (16) kicks from the hold of Nate Ost (85) (left), and quarterback Drew Mestemaker (17) throws a pass (right) during Oklahoma State's 41-24 win Saturday, Sept. 26, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. Keltner made all four field goal attempts, including a 47-yarder in the fourth quarter. Mestemaker completed 20 of 27 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns. – Photos by Bryson Thadhani

Morris said West Virginia's defense kept its safeties deep to take away the long pass, so OSU leaned on the run.

"We committed to the run because they had three high safeties," Morris said. "Got outside zone going. Caleb Hawkins was phenomenal. And then it allowed us to set up some play action and hit Wyatt down the field on some deep passes."

The third-quarter shootout

The third quarter produced 25 combined points and three lead changes.

West Virginia went up 21-13 after a Kamari Wilson interception at the WVU 15. OSU tied it in four plays. Mestemaker found wide receiver Terrence Lewis for 27 yards, then Young for 40, then Lewis again for a 4-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion to Lewis made it 21-21.

Morris called Lewis "maybe the toughest kid on our team," pound for pound.

A Jack Cassidy field goal gave West Virginia a 24-21 lead. On OSU's next drive, Mestemaker hit Young for 48 yards, and running back Caleb Hawkins ran 22 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:40 left in the quarter.

Oklahoma State offensive lineman Tyler Mercer, No. 56, lifts running back Caleb Hawkins, No. 24, who holds the football overhead in the end zone. — OSU offensive lineman Tyler Mercer (56) lifts running back Caleb Hawkins (24) after Hawkins' 22-yard touchdown run gave Oklahoma State a 28-24 lead late in the third quarter of its 41-24 win Saturday, Sept. 26, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. Hawkins finished with 180 yards on 31 carries. – Photo by Bryson Thadhani

Mestemaker completed 7 of 8 passes for 225 yards in the third quarter alone, according to OSU Athletics.

"He's able to adjust the balls in the air as good as anybody I've ever coached," Morris said of Young.

The defense closes it

Morris credited defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity with the halftime adjustment. OSU had opened with a three-man front, and Morris said the defense went back to "some of our bread and butter and the stuff that our kids know."

OSU then stopped West Virginia on downs three times and forced a punt on the Mountaineers' final four possessions.

The first stop came on fourth-and-1 at the OSU 40. Saadiq Clements and Huddleston dropped Amari Latimer for a 2-yard loss.

OSU linebacker Ethan Wesloski (32) and defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson (95) bring down West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (left). At right, Johnson celebrates a stop during Oklahoma State's 41-24 win Saturday, Sept. 26, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. Wesloski finished with 17 tackles, and Johnson had 1.5 tackles for loss, including a shared fourth-quarter sack of Hawkins Jr. that forced a turnover on downs. – Photos by Bryson Thadhani

"The fourth down stop was huge," Morris said. "At that moment in the game, the crowd was still into it, and I thought that was where you could kind of see them deflate a little bit."

Young caught another 48-yard pass to set up a 29-yard Keltner field goal. OSU then put the game away with a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Mestemaker to Young, making it 38-24 with 5:42 left. Vincent Holmes and Jaleel Johnson sacked Hawkins Jr. on West Virginia's next fourth down, and Keltner added a 47-yard field goal.

Morris said Cassity dialed up a pair of well-timed blitzes in the second half, including one that forced a turnover on downs. "We hadn't blitzed a ton, and he sent the house one time," Morris said.

West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez put the loss on his game plan.

"We gave up 609 yards. Didn't give our guys a chance," Rodriguez said. "The plan we had failed. That's pretty obvious."

Oklahoma State running back Ayo Adeyi, No. 25, runs with the football as West Virginia linebacker Ben Cutter, No. 15, reaches toward him. — OSU running back Ayo Adeyi (25) carries the ball as West Virginia linebacker Ben Cutter (15) pursues during Oklahoma State's 41-24 win Saturday, Sept. 26, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. Adeyi ran for 44 yards on six carries. – Photo by Bryson Thadhani

Key performances

Mestemaker completed 20 of 27 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. He was not sacked. According to OSU Athletics, it was his third straight 300-yard game and extended his FBS-best streak of 200-yard passing games to 19.

Rodriguez said his defense never got to Mestemaker. "He's a good passer and he's got great vision," Rodriguez said.

Young caught eight passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. Hawkins ran 31 times for 180 yards and a score. Linebacker Ethan Wesloski made 17 tackles, 11 of them by halftime. Linebacker Tate Romney added 12 tackles and a sack. Keltner made all four field goal attempts and is 10 for 10 this season.

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By the numbers

12 — OSU plays of 20 or more yards, per OSU Athletics. West Virginia had five.
5 for 5 — OSU scoring trips in the red zone, but only two were touchdowns.
4-0 — Sacks: OSU had four, West Virginia had none.
335 — West Virginia rushing yards on 66 carries. Cook ran for 193 of them.
9-88 — OSU penalties and penalty yards, both season highs.

Morris pointed to two things to clean up. "I think we had three personal fouls and it just can't happen," he said. On the field goals: "We got to finish some of those great drives off with some touchdowns."