Score Predictions for WVU vs. Oklahoma State

Hard edge football is back and under the lights in primetime as the West Virginia Mountaineers will do battle against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big 12 opener this weekend. Both teams have a ranked win under their belt and are aiming to leap into the AP Top 25 with a win on Saturday.

Here is how our staff sees this one playing out Saturday night in Morgantown.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 34, Oklahoma State 30

It's been a long time since the Mountaineers beat the Cowboys in Morgantown. 2013, to be exact. It's also been a long time (eight years) since West Virginia played a night game at home that actually had some meaning beyond a rivalry.

After watching WVU punch Virginia in the mouth repeatedly in the second half, it proved to me that this team fully understands what it needs to do to have a successful season. They were able to run the ball right down Virginia's throat when everyone in the stadium knew they were going to run it, and they played a physical brand of defense, delivering bone-crushing hit after bone-crushing hit.

While I do fully expect Drew Mestemaker and that potent Cowboy offense to put up strong numbers, I do think the near-capacity crowd is going to bother them in critical moments. Mestemaker has been good, but he's put the ball in harm's way more than Eric Morris would like. He has six turnover-worthy plays in three games. Mike Hawkins Jr., for reference, has one.

As long as the defense is able to heat up Mestemaker, I really like WVU's chances to advance to 4-0 here.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 31, Oklahoma State 21

West Virginia has not beaten Oklahoma State in Morgantown since upsetting the Cowboys in 2013, the Mountaineers’ only win over OSU at Mountaineer Field since joining the Big 12 Conference.

Oklahoma State’s start to the season under first-year head coach Eric Morris. The loss at Tulsa to open the Cowboys’ schedule was quickly overshadowed by a stunning win over a top-10 Oregon squad a week later.

West Virginia is coming off a stunning win over then-No. 25 Virginia. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. is quickly garnering national attention after totaling 313 yards and five touchdowns against the Cavaliers.

The sample size is still small, although Oklahoma State’s win over Oregon is clearly the better of the two wins between the two programs, and Virginia may have been riding a trip to the ACC Championship a year ago, overlooking an average transfer quarterback Virginia acquired in the offseason.

Nonetheless, a win against an overrated Virginia team may have given the confidence an undersized Mountaineer group needed moving forward, and I’m not sure the Cowboys, in year one under Morris, are ready for Mountaineer Field at night.

A confident Mountaineer team is dangerous at home, enough that Vegas has WVU as a slight favorite, and Hawkins is a proven playmaker with home-run hitters at his side. Mountaineers improve to 4-0, 31-21.

Joey Bray: Oklahoma State 42, West Virginia 35

The West Virginia Mountaineers received votes in the AP Poll this week after soundly defeating the No. 25-ranked Virginia Cavaliers in Charlotte, North Carolina. Because the Mountaineers are 3-0 and on the cusp of cracking the top 25 for the first time since 2018, this is one of the most consequential games the program has played in years.

With that being said, I anticipate a ton of explosives in this game. After last week, we know that Mike Hawkins Jr. is capable of producing points with his legs and with his arm. It is reasonable to be comfortable with Hawkins Jr. and the West Virginia offense moving forward and to expect them to score points in bunches. However, he will be tasked with going blow for blow with one of the most dynamic offenses West Virginia will see all season.

I was wildly impressed with the defense last week for being able to out-physical a very experienced Virginia team. Cavaliers quarterback Beau Pribula recorded -1 rushing yard in the game, and his running is a large part of what makes him so successful. The Mountaineers' defense will face the polar opposite in Drew Mestemaker.

Mestemaker led the FBS in passing yards last season as North Texas had one of the nation's most efficient offenses. Now, Cowboys head coach Eric Morris has his quarterback making noise in Stillwater. After a Week 1 loss to Tulsa, the Cowboys have looked like a serious threat after taking down No. 6-ranked Oregon. Mestemaker has serious arm talent and escapability that could make him a name to watch in NFL Draft circles in the coming months.

One of the most impressive parts of this West Virginia team has been their front seven, which was apparent last weekend. However, I have concerns about how the West Virginia defense will perform against a serious passing threat like Mestemaker. If you like points, you are in luck this weekend. I will take the Cowboys to beat the Mountaineers in an instant classic at Mountaineer Field.

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