West Virginia dominated Oklahoma State all afternoon on Saturday as they finished off a 38-14 win over the Cowboys.
Staff writer Wesley Shoemaker picks out five things from the game yesterday that stood out and dives into each.
Complete Control
From the outset, West Virginia knew they were going to get Oklahoma State's best shot. Not only did WVU handle everything the Cowboys threw at them, but they gave out blow after blow to Oklahoma State as they were dominant across the board.
The first thing that stands out is the significance of this victory. WVU knew this stretch of October was going to make or break this season, and they are now sitting at 2-0 in the Big 12 heading into back-to-back home games against a pair of teams ranked in the top 20 in the country.
WVU never gave Oklahoma State a chance to get into the game. It started early on the ground and continued with both QBs (more to come on that.) The defense got a pair of interceptions, one deep in WVU's own territory in the second quarter and the other later on in the second half.
No matter how you slice it, this was a big win for the Mountaineers, and they did it in dominant fashion. West Virginia was coming off a bye, and they looked like the fresher team. WVU needed a win like this, and they got it in a big way, which sets the stage for a huge upcoming two weeks for the Mountaineers.
Greene and Marchiol both play well
Everyone surrounding West Virginia collectively held their breath when Garrett Greene was slow to get up in the first quarter on Saturday. Three plays later, it was a calm exhale as Nicco Marchiol threw a 10-yard strike on third down to Traylon Ray for a touchdown.
Marchiol ended up playing a drive and a half, leading WVU to two scores. He finished the day rushing for a total of 46 yards, completing his lone pass for the 10-yard score.
Marchiol never slowed the offense, and that was not something that could be said last year when Marchiol played during a two-game stretch. WVU's coaching staff raved about the step forward that Marchiol took, and it seemed that all that talk showed tonight.
Marchiol did what West Virginia needed him to, and there is now a confidence level that this offense shouldn't take much of a step back if Greene ever has to exit a game going forward.
Defense continues their turnaround
Two games ago, West Virginia's defense was the talk of the town, and not in a good way. Two games later, WVU's defense looks to have turned the page, shutting down Kansas late in the fourth quarter and then more of that against Oklahoma State, holding them to 227 total yards of offense and only 14 points.
It started with the run game and stopping the run. WVU held Oklahoma State to 36 total yards rushing after Ollie Gordon ran all over this Mountaineer defense a year ago. In addition, coming into the game, Oklahoma State led the country in sacks allowed, having allowed only one sack all season. WVU got two sacks on the afternoon, also holding the Cowboys to only 11 first downs.
WVU's defense was the topic of conversation after the Pitt game but if they continue to play like they did against Oklahoma State, they will have a chance to win a lot of games going forward.
The Offense We've Been Waiting For
There have been inconsistencies across the board for this team through their first five games, none more frustrating than the up-and-down nature of the West Virginia offense.
On Saturday, it looked put together as the run game ran all over the Cowboys, and both quarterbacks did exactly what was asked of them.
WVU had four rushers run for at least 46 yards, including both quarterbacks and both running backs.
Jahiem White looked like his former self, where, towards the end of last season, he was running all over opponents. CJ Donaldson ran hard all afternoon, and they played turnover-free football on offense.
There seemed to be a lack of flow at times on the offensive side of the ball through WVU's first four games of the season, but that wasn't the case at all on Saturday. They scored on all five of their first drives, with four of those scores being for touchdowns. They also were 9-for-15 on third down and 2-for-4 on fourth down (however, if not for a suspect call about Greene's slide, they would've converted three of those four attempts).
The 1-0 Mentality Is Working
Before the season, as West Virginia entered their game against Iowa State, most people assumed they would be 3-2. Did they think the loss would be to Pitt in heartbreaking fashion, no, but they are where they are thus far.
WVU's backs were against the wall against Kansas, and they turned it around with a late win. Now, they go on the road and beat Oklahoma State and are 2-0 in Big 12 play. West Virginia's mindset has been to go 1-0 each week, and it has paid off for the last two weeks.
WVU now has a massive opportunity against Iowa State and Kansas State at home over the next two weeks. If you can even split, you set yourselves up in a good spot heading into the final game of October.
Overall, WVU is in a great spot, considering how things felt two games ago. They continue to approach things as a one-game season, and it might just be working right now.
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