MORGANTOWN, West Virginia —West Virginia leads Oklahoma State 14-13 at halftime, and while that score is a whole lot closer than it probably should be, there really isn’t any mystery about what the Mountaineers are trying to do tonight. They’re running the football right down Oklahoma State’s throat, and for most of this first half, the Cowboys haven’t been able to do much about it.
West Virginia has already run the football 32 times for 212 yards, an average of 6.6 yards per carry. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers have attempted just FIVE passes. Think about that for a second. West Virginia has basically told Oklahoma State exactly what is coming, lined up, and done it anyway. It might not be sexy to some people. It might not produce the passing numbers that get talked about all weekend. But this is winning football, and when you can run the football like West Virginia is running it tonight, you are incredibly difficult to beat.
Cam Cook has been an absolute monster. Cook already has 123 yards on just 13 carries, averaging an incredible 9.5 yards per attempt, including a 75-yard run. Michael Hawkins Jr. has added another 49 yards on 12 carries and has scored both of West Virginia’s touchdowns. Amari Latimer has chipped in another 32 yards on six attempts. Cook and Hawkins continue to make the case that they aren’t just the best backfield in the Big 12. They might be the best backfield in the NATION.
The frustrating part is that West Virginia had an opportunity to go into halftime with a much more comfortable lead. With the Mountaineers leading 14-6, West Virginia was driving again and appeared to be in position to really open up the scoring gap. Hawkins dropped back to pass, but the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted. That’s just a brutal break. The interception will show up next to Hawkins’ name in the box score, but it wasn’t a case of Hawkins simply making a terrible decision and throwing the football directly to a defender. The pass was deflected at the line and ended up in Oklahoma State’s hands at exactly the wrong time.
And Oklahoma State took advantage. Instead of West Virginia potentially extending its lead before halftime, the Cowboys scored a late touchdown and suddenly what had been a 14-6 West Virginia advantage became a 14-13 game going into the locker room. That’s a massive swing, and quite frankly, the halftime score doesn’t tell the story of how much West Virginia controlled stretches of this first half. One tipped pass and one late Oklahoma State touchdown completely changed the complexion of the game. Instead of potentially going into halftime with a two-score advantage, West Virginia is clinging to a one-point lead.
That’s why the Mountaineers can’t allow the way the first half ended to change what has been working. Hawkins is just 2-of-5 passing for 16 yards with the tipped interception. Those numbers aren’t pretty, but West Virginia hasn’t needed him to throw the football because Oklahoma State hasn’t shown it can consistently stop the Mountaineers on the ground. West Virginia has 212 rushing yards compared to just 16 passing yards. That’s about as old-school as it gets, and I absolutely love it.
This is the identity Rich Rodriguez wants. Physical. Tough. Relentless. Make the other team tackle Hawkins. Make them tackle Cook. Then make them do it again and again and again. Eventually, those four- and five-yard runs become eight- and ten-yard runs, and then Cook breaks one for 75. That’s how you wear a defense down. It’s also how you control the football, shorten the game and keep the opposing offense standing on the sideline.
The other major story tonight is the atmosphere inside Milan Puskar Stadium. Morgantown at night is unbelievable, and West Virginia’s defense has clearly fed off the energy of this crowd. Every Oklahoma State third down feels enormous, and every big defensive play sends another jolt through the stadium. This is what a night game in Morgantown is supposed to feel like, and the Mountaineers need that crowd to be even louder in the second half now that Oklahoma State has made this a one-point game.
West Virginia is 30 minutes away from 4-0. Thirty minutes away from another win. And potentially 30 minutes away from something Mountaineer fans haven’t experienced in eight years: seeing West Virginia’s name in the Top 25. But after Oklahoma State’s late touchdown, there is absolutely no room for the Mountaineers to relax. They controlled much of this first half and dominated on the ground, but none of that matters if they don’t finish.
So don’t overthink it. Feed Cam Cook. Let Michael Hawkins make plays with his legs. Control the clock. Keep Oklahoma State’s offense on the sideline. Let this crowd continue making life miserable for the Cowboys. West Virginia has already rushed for 212 yards in one half. If the Cowboys haven’t figured out how to stop it yet, make them prove they can before you do anything differently.
It might not be sexy. It might not always be pretty. But this is winning football, and West Virginia is one half away from being 4-0 and, in my opinion, a Top 25 football team.
Now go finish it.
