What West Virginia Does Better Than Oklahoma State and Why It Matters

The West Virginia Mountaineers weren’t that much better than Oklahoma State last season. So what makes the difference in this game?

West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez. | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

In the transfer portal era, what one team does better than the other is a year-to-year proposition.

This September's matchup between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the West Virginia Mountaineers is a good example. OSU has a new coaching staff. WVU turned over its roster again. It’s possible the players that were in Stillwater two years ago, when the Mountaineers came in and beat the Cowboys, can be counted on one hand.

It's part and parcel with the era of college football. There is far more transience than there used to be. Still, there are ways to project what one team might do better than another. And when one looks at the Mountaineers, there's one area where they stand out over the Cowboys.

What WVU Does Better Than OSU

A West Virginia Mountaineers. | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

One thing is clear going into their matchup — both the Mountaineers and the Cowboys are going to look a lot different than they looked a year ago.

Both teams are coming off losing seasons. Morris is Oklahoma State’s brand-new head coach and Rodriguez is in the second season of his second stint with the program. Both implemented wholesale roster changes, the latter of which was due to Rodriguez’s unhappiness with how his team played.

But there was one thing the Mountaineers did well last season and, on paper, they’re poised to be good at it again in 2026 and that’s rush the passer.

OSU was tied for No. 86 in sacks per game last season with 1.83 per game (22 sacks). The Mountaineers were in the Top 50, ranked No. 42 at 2.33 per game (28 sacks). West Virginia put some heat on the quarterback. There were games against Houston and Colorado where the pass rush helped fuel back-to-back victories.

While the Mountaineers don't have a lot coming back from last season up front, they have infused the pass rush with players that could fit nicely into defensive coordinator Zac Alley’s system, a 4-2-5 that has plenty of speed on the edge.

West Virginia went out and grabbed two Group of 6 transfers to help it maintain that pass rush. Harper Holloman of Western Kentucky had two sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss last season. Zeke Durham-Campbell transferred in from Coastal Carolina and had 5.5 sacks last year. They’ll combine with projected starting defensive linemen Jaylen Thomas, another transfer, and holdover Nate Gabriel, to get to the quarterback. Thomas was a juco transfer who was an honorable mention all-American.

Anyone who plays the Cowboys knows that a big piece of the puzzle is going to be slowing down quarterback Drew Mestemaker. He was FBS’s passing yardage leader a year ago. On paper, it looks like the Mountaineers may have the talent to do it. On game day, it's a big matchup to watch