WVSports.com looks at the Oklahoma State postgame press conference from West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown and determines the three most interesting topics of discussion following West Virginia's 20-13 loss to the 21st-ranked Cowboys.
We examine what was said as well as what it means for the football team both this week and moving forward.
1. Same offensive mistakes plague the Mountaineers - It was a new week but a similar result for the West Virginia offense during Saturday’s 20-13 loss to No. 21 Oklahoma State.
Dropped passes, missed opportunities and the inability to run the ball were among the issues and miscues that plagued this unit during a game in which West Virginia seemed to be in control at times.
West Virginia’s 26 rushing yards on 22 carries marks the seventh time in 11 games this year in which the offense gained 51 or less yards. There’s never a good time for a dropped pass, but some of the ones the Mountaineers had especially came whenever they couldn’t afford to have them.
“We had critical drops,” Brown said. “I think we had four drops in the second half. Some of those were competitive catches, but you have to make those to win games, and we didn’t do it. As a staff, we have to get better. We have to do a better job in those areas.”
The Mountaineers also finished 5-of-14 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down with the lone turnover on downs coming on the team’s last chance late in the game on 4th-and-12 from the Oklahoma State 19-yard line.
But one of the other biggest differences in the game was the offense’s inability to score touchdowns in the red zone.
The Mountaineers were 2-of-3 in the red zone with the only conversions being field goals.
On one of those drives that ended in a field goal, West Virginia at one point had the ball on the one-yard line and on the other, the offense possessed the ball on the Oklahoma State 11.
The Cowboys on the other hand, who were held to a season-low 89 rushing yards, were a perfect 4-of-4 in the red zone with two touchdowns.
“Offensively, at some points today, we looked like we were getting ready to take off,” Brown said. “I think the story of the game came down to the issues that we had all year.”
2. Brown discusses the ruling on the Sam James catch - A controversial call took place during the second quarter when the West Virginia offense was on the field.
With Oklahoma State leading by a score of 7-0, many thought that West Virginia quarterback Jarret Doege completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Sam James which would’ve tied the game, but James was ruled down at the one-yard line and the call stood after a review.
The call standing after review was met with loud boos from the West Virginia fans in attendance.
“I thought the replay showed he was in,” Brown said following the game. “I don’t know if the replay was inconclusive--something about they felt like his shin was down. I didn’t see it that way. I don’t know. I’ve got to talk to Greg Burks (Big 12 Coordinator of Officials). I gotta get a clear understanding of that.”
With first-and-goal from the one-yard line, the Mountaineers ran two unsuccessful quarterback sneaks. A false start penalty moved the offense back five yards and an incomplete pass forced West Virginia to settle for a 22-yard field goal.
“I thought we were pretty close to getting in on the quarterback sneak--on the first one,” Brown said. “Again, I didn’t see it. I’m kind of wondering why they didn’t send that one to replay, so I’ll have to get an explanation through that sequence of plays.”
3. Kicker Competition - When asked whether he considered having Casey Legg kick a 47-yard field goal during the first quarter of Saturday’s loss instead of Evan Staley, Brown said that there was a competition during the week between the two.
Legg filled in for an injured Staley the past three games and booted a 51-yard field goal during last week’s upset win over Kansas State on the road. Overall, he was 2-of-4 on field goals and perfect on extra points during his three weeks in action.
Staley won the battle but wound up missing the 47-yard field goal. The miss though was preceded by a sack for a loss of seven yards, false start penalty and four-yard rush.
The redshirt junior did come back and hit field goals of 22 and 29 yards later on during the game while Legg continued to handle kickoff duties.
“Staley hit the ball better all week,” Brown said. “His ball flight was a lot better. Obviously he didn’t kick that one very well.”
“We’d love to make that kick, but the ball shouldn’t have been at that distance either,” Brown added.
Entering Saturday, Staley was 2-of-6 on field goals between 40-49 yards on the year.
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