Casey Legg's faith key to success

WVU's very own Burlsworth Trophy nominee, Casey Legg, kicked a 25 yard field-goal as time expired on Saturday evening, lifting the Mountaineers to their first ever Big 12 win over Oklahoma.

In a rainy game with two missed field goals (from Oklahoma), conditions certainly weren't at their best. Legg had already had a PAT go awry when the placeholder was unable to secure the football, which caused Legg to take a massive hit.

“It's the only hit I've taken as a football player, I think. As I was jogging off the field, and there was a lot of adrenaline running through my body, I was thinking, 'that's probably going to look bad on video'.”

This surely would have rattled any ordinary kicker, but for Legg, it was no issue.

“The nerves really were not bad today, which I was thankful for... Any field goal they throw me out there for, I’m gonna kick confidently,” said the Lou Groza Award finalist.

High pressure scenarios are nothing new to the fifth year senior, who kicked a 22 yard game winner to lift his team over Baylor earlier in the season, a performance that won him Big 12 Player of the Week honors.

“In those type of moments, whether it's the Baylor game or this game, we have full confidence. And he has the full confidence of the whole team, not just me,” said head coach Neal Brown, adding, "He doesn't get rattled, he's really even keeled. He plays the game with a real peace.”

This composure seems to be working for Legg, who is 100% on all field goal attempts this season. The key to this composure, some may wonder, is his faith.

"There’s in reality no pressure," said Legg. "I care about winning games, I care about making field goals... it means a lot to me, but nothing of long lasting value in what determines who I am is at stake. There's nothing at stake really when I jog out on the field. Wins and losses are at stake, but my identity isn't, because thats in God. God's been really good to me to give me that peace, and I've experienced that many times on the field."

Legg and the rest of the Mountaineer squad will need faith going into their next matchup, where they will face a ranked Kansas State football team on Saturday, November 12th.