West Virginia had surrendered 62-yards over 2:18 leading 24-20 against Kansas State deep into the fourth quarter of the game with 35 ticks left.

The Wildcats were going in at the 30-yard line facing a 2nd and 8 with 10-personnel on the field looking to take back the lead against a Mountaineers defense which had played inspired football all day long.

Dalton Schoen, who had already hauled in a 68-yard touchdown earlier in the game, lined up to Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson’s right to the boundary. The Wildcats were ready to take a shot.

Once the ball was snapped, Schoen switched with the inside receiver and started down the middle of the field before slowing up to present as if he was catching a short pass. It was then that he used the burners to execute a stutter and go to get down the seam of the Mountaineers defense.

“There were two different concepts in one there which is tough,” position coach Jahmile Addae said.

The West Virginia players responsible for coverage on that inside route was starting cornerback Hakeem Bailey, who had moved inside to the nickel spot in the coverage. It wasn’t a natural spot for him but it was something that he had repped in practice throughout the week.

“That was my first time playing it in a game,” Bailey said.

So while his responsibility was to initially wall the inside receiver, that quickly became Schoen and Bailey was initially beat after he executed the second portion of the route on the double move. But the cornerback never gave up on the play and was able to track things down.

An important aspect to the play because while Schoen was breaking free for a possible game winning score, pressure from the three-man rush forced Thompson out of his spot to step up and release the ball off one foot.

As it fluttered towards Schoen, Bailey was able to undercut the football and close the door on a comeback attempt with a leaping interception at the Mountaineers two-yard line.

“If that ball is placed a little bit better he’s going to have to make a heck of a play but that’s the game of football,” Addae said.

For Bailey it was an impressive play in a season where the senior has changed the perception about him at the cornerback spot and for Addae it was a sign of the teaching getting through as if you scan the field each of the Mountaineers secondary members did their job on the play.

“There were all kind of layers in that coverage and they were able to draw off their rules and make a play,” he said.

Attention to detail made the difference and for West Virginia it was the thin-line between a win and a loss as the program recorded its biggest win to date under Neal Brown.

WATCH: Musings from the Mountains | West Virginia Football vs. Oklahoma State Preview | Episode 43

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