WVU Football Series History: The Oklahoma State Cowboys
West Virginia and Oklahoma State have a surprisingly storied history littered with intriguing matchups. With the first meeting of the two coming over 90 years ago, these programs have battled all across the country and have had impactful contests along the way.
The first meeting between West Virginia and the then-Oklahoma A&M Cowboys took place at Old Mountaineer Field all the way back in 1928. The Mountaineers dominated the game from the start, never trailing and leading 19-6 at halftime. Powered by 159 rushing yards from Clarence Keefer, West Virginia won the opening game of the series 32-6.
West Virginia made a return trip in 1929 - a game that would appear to be the exact opposite of what would be expected from these two Big 12 opponents in 2019. Both offenses screeched to a halt, with the two teams combining for exactly 300 yards of total offense. The Mountaineers performed better, in a relative sense, kicking a field goal in the second quarter and scoring a touchdown on one of Russell Larue’s five completed passes in the third. West Virginia led 9-0 entering the final quarter but Earl McCready returned a punt for a touchdown. However, the point after was unsuccessful and the Mountaineer defense held up for the rest of the game. A 9-6 win gave West Virginia a 2-0 lead in the series.
The rivalry between the Mountaineers and Cowboys dried up after those first two games and was not renewed until 1987 when the two squared off in the Sun Bowl. Oklahoma State trotted out arguably the best college backfield in history with 15 Pro Bowl selections, 15 All-Pro honors, and two NFL Most Valuable Player awards between Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders. Complemented by current head coach Mike Gundy under center and Hart Lee Dykes at receiver, this Cowboy team had as much offensive firepower of any squad in the nation. West Virginia had a then-redshirt freshman Major Harris at quarterback but relied on a study run game to support the young signal caller.
This was a back and forth affair with Harris, A.B. Brown, and Craig Taylor actually leading the way as the Mountaineers out-rushed Oklahoma State 331-185. However, Thomas was able to convert his carries into touchdowns four times and his final score gave the Cowboys a 35-27 lead in the fourth quarter. West Virginia drove down the field to score and Taylor took it in to cut the lead to two. Harris made an outstanding effort to extend the play on the two-point conversion attempt but tight end Keith Winn was stopped short of the goal line after catching Harris’ pass. The Cowboys drained the clock and won the third meeting 35-33.
The series reopened with West Virginia’s admission into the Big 12 in 2012 and Oklahoma State did not provide a warm welcome. Dana Holgorson’s team struggled to keep up with the offense he helped build and trailed 31-17 at halftime. A strong third quarter cut the lead to seven going into the fourth but the Cowboys offense fired back up. Josh Stewart scored his third touchdown of the game on a pass from Clint Chelf while Jeremy Smith put the game on ice with a 21-yard scoring run to extend the lead to 55-34. The Mountaineers could not play catch up and lost the first conference meeting of the series.
The first meeting between the two at Milan Puskar Stadium became one of the biggest upsets of the last decade. The 11th-ranked Cowboys entered to face a struggling Mountaineer squad turning to Clint Trickett as the third starting quarterback of the season. The Mountaineers were able to keep J.W. Walsh on his toes, forcing the signal caller to go just 20-for-47 passing with two interceptions. A dominant first half for West Virginia made the difference as the two teams combined for just 13 points in the second half. A pair of fourth quarter field goals from Josh Lambert kept the game out of reach and the Mountaineers pulled off the upset 30-21.
2014 was the most dominant performance for West Virginia in the series since 1928. A 17-point explosion in the fourth quarter finished it off but the result was never in doubt. Wendell Smallwood racked up 132 yards and two touchdowns while Trickett put together an efficient 238 yards and a pair of passing scores. Dravon Askew-Henry picked Daxx Garman off twice along the way and West Virginia put together a complete game, winning 34-10.
The 2015 game in Morgantown looked to be a major comeback opportunity for West Virginia. The defense did its part but the offense just could not finish the job. Mason Rudolph was held to just 20-of-40 passing while getting picked off three times. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, Skyler Howard only passed for 188 yards and struggled to stay efficient. Starting with less than eight minutes left in the third, West Virginia outscored the Cowboys 17-3 to force overtime. Oklahoma State took the ball first and a methodical drive led to a rushing touchdown for Walsh. The Mountaineers had the chance to tie the game but turned the ball over on downs. The Cowboys broke a two-game West Virginia series win streak by a score of 33-26.
Another high-scoring affair in 2016 continued a series of wins for Oklahoma State that continues to this day. Again the Mountaineers had serious difficulties keeping up with the Cowboys. A ten-point run at the beginning of the fourth quarter cut the lead down to seven but that was as close as it would get. Howard threw two costly interceptions including a drive killer in the fourth quarter while Rudolph put together a strong performance on the other side. The Cowboys won consecutive games for the first time in series history 37-20.
A ranked match-up in Morgantown did not go positively for West Virginia as the Mountaineers dropped in a high-scoring affair. Will Grier put up good numbers but the worst parts of his game came out as he tossed four interceptions on the day. Meanwhile, J.D. King and Justice Hill combined for 228 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys never trailed and West Virginia dropped its third straight in the series 50-39.
The 2018 game in Stillwater is one that will likely live in infamy for West Virginia fans. Chuba Hubbard broke 100 rushing yards, as did quarterback Taylor Cornelius who also threw for over 300 yards and five touchdowns. The Mountaineers could never get over the hump as the Cowboys led from the 11:44 mark of the first quarter on. Three touchdowns from Cornelius alone in the fourth quarter put the game away as West Virginia was all but eliminated from the Big 12 Championship race. A 45-41 gave Oklahoma State its fourth-straight win over the Mountaineers.
West Virginia has struggled in recent years against Oklahoma State. With the Mountaineers coming off of a huge momentum win at Kansas State, Neal Brown will look to lead his team to break the streak.
