West Virginia
West Virginia runs for 389 yards in dominant 38-14 win at Oklahoma State – WV MetroNews
West Virginia felt it had to match or exceed Oklahoma State’s desperation in Saturday’s matchup at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Instead, the Mountaineers did one better, putting together a dominant performance on both sides of the ball to build a 24-0 first-half lead in a 38-14 victory that marks West Virginia’s largest road victory in Neal Brown’s six seasons as head coach.
“I was really proud how they handled the week. We asked them to go three days, and they went, and then we gave them some down time and they needed it,” Brown said. “Sometimes time away is real positive. We were ready to go today. We’re focusing week to week to just go 1-0 and compete on every single play. That’s all we can ask for. Across the board, we competed.
“Going into it, the keys were going to be who can run the football better and who can score in the red zone and preferably touchdowns. We won the rushing game big and in the red zone, we didn’t score touchdowns every time, but we were 6-for-7 and the one we didn’t get was a kneel down at the end.”
The Mountaineers (3-2, 2-0 Big 12) scored on all five first-half possessions and survived an injury scare to quarterback Garrett Greene to build rhythm offensively.
Michael Hayes’ 39-yard field goal provided the game’s first points as WVU received the opening kickoff for the fifth time in as many contests. Saturday marked the first instance that opening possession amounted to points against FBS competition.
Following the first of Oklahoma State’s four punts, the Mountaineers drove 65 yards in nine plays for the first touchdown, which came on Nicco Marchiol’s 10-yard pass to Traylon Ray.
“He threw a strike,” Brown said. “Traylon Ray ran a great route, not a good route — and he put it right on him. Proud of both those guys.”
It was Marchiol’s third play behind center after he took over for Garrett Greene, who exited momentarily due to an injury suffered on his 39-yard run.
Greene was out for the Mountaineers’ next series, which featured six rushes for 63 yards, including tailback Jahiem White’s 10-yard scamper into the end zone that allowed the visitors to hold a 17-0 lead with 11:16 left in the first half.
“We knew they were going to play a lot of man this week and that gave us an advantage with the safeties,” White said. “We had to take advantage in 1-on-1 situations.”
Cale Cabbiness returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the West Virginia 39, but the Cowboys’ scoring threat ended four plays later when safety Jaheem Joseph intercepted Alan Bowman on second-and-8 from the Mountaineers’ 23-yard line.
Greene then returned to action and showed no ill effects, leading an 87-yard drive that he finished off with a 15-yard touchdown run up the middle. Greene threw an incomplete pass on the first play of that series, before the Mountaineers rushed seven consecutive times, including CJ Donaldson’s 20-yard dash and White’s 26-yard burst that came one play before the score.
“He tackled me at a weird angle and landed on top of me,” Greene said. “The training staff did a good job getting out there, getting me checked out and getting me back on the field.
“It’s still a little sore, but I’m going to enjoy the plane ride home and deal with it tomorrow.”
At the time the Mountaineers led 24-0 with 5:55 left in the half, WVU had 270 total yards to the Cowboys’ 32.
Bowman’s 25-yard pass to Brennan Pressley on fourth-and-7 of the ensuing possession led to the Cowboys (3-3, 0-3) scoring their first touchdown courtesy of Bowman’s 8-yard pass to Rashod Owens.
Any momentum garnered from cutting its deficit to 17, however, was short-lived for Oklahoma State.
The Mountaineers got the ball back with 1:54 to play in the half, and after crossing midfield, Greene connected with tight end Kole Taylor for 21 yards. Two plays later, Donaldson reached the end zone for the first time on a 15-yard run 28 seconds before halftime, and the Mountaineers took a 31-7 lead into the intermission.
WVU had 345 total yards on 8 yards per play through the first two quarters.
After OSU punted on the opening second-half series, the Cowboys generated their first defensive stop when Donaldson was stopped near the line of scrimmage on a fourth-and-2 run.
The Mountaineer defense continued to thrive and redshirt freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter intercepted Bowman on fourth-and-17 to get WVU the ball back.
“They’ve been able to put up points against some really good teams and for us to be able to come out like that and play the way we did for a full 60 minutes, that’s a lot of confidence,” Trotter said. “Not only for the defense, but also the offense to trust us that we can get stops.”
WVU had a chance to add to its lead on its next series and Greene had plenty of room to convert a fourth-and-5 run from the OSU 32, but after the play was reviewed, it was determined WVU’s quarterback began his slide just short of the first down stick, allowing the Cowboys to take over at their 28.
That meant a scoreless third quarter, though WVU forced another punt early in the fourth after Garret Rangel had replaced Bowman at quarterback.
Donaldson’s 1-yard touchdown run 5:59 into the fourth capped off an 88-yard drive that featured a 40-yard one-handed reception from wideout Hudson Clement.
Only 31 seconds later, the Cowboys countered with a 43-yard TD pass from Rangel to De’Zhaun Stribling.
Oklahoma State never got the ball back despite forcing what would’ve been the Mountaineers first punt, only for a roughing the punter call allowing WVU to maintain possession and run out the remainder of the clock.
West Virginia finished with 389 rushing yards on 65 attempts.
“To come here and run for 389 is special,” Brown said. “This will be something we remember.”
White’s 158 yards on 19 carries were a game high. Greene aded 86 yards, Donaldson 77 and Marchiol 46 while running behind an offensive line that was dominant.
“We were really good. Best we played. It starts with Brandon Yates,” Brown said. “He’s the one that directs traffic up there and he did a really nice job. It’s a lot easier to evaluate those guys when I watch the tape. My assumption would be if you run for 389 yards, your o-line played pretty well.”
Greene completed 9-of-15 passes for 159 yards. Marchiol’s only throw was the touchdown pass.
West Virginia finished with a 558-227 advantage in total yardage.
Bowman completed 10-of-19 passes for 116 yards and Ollie Gordon was limited to 13 carries for 50 yards, before leaving the game for good early into the third quarter as a result of an injury.
“We were coming here to stop the run. They were throwing for 300-plus yards and if they did that today against us, I wasn’t going to be overly concerned, but I wanted to make them one dimensional and stop the run,” Brown said. “From a coverage structure, we were better in our drop zones and we’re getting better at that. We have to continue to work on it.”
Oklahoma State has lost three straight regular season games for the first time since 2014 when the Cowboys suffered through a five-game skid.
Former Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has committed to West Virginia, ESPN reported.
Hawkins and his brother Maliek Hawkins, a cornerback, are both expected to play for Rich Rodriguez in Morgantown next season.
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Hawkins played in nine games across two seasons for the Sooners. He threw for 950 yards and nine touchdowns. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Maliek Hawkins has four seasons of eligibility left. He had previously been a top recruit himself.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — This week, West Virginia hunters will get a chance to try hunting the way the original Mountaineers did it. The Mountaineer Heritage season is open from Thursday through Sunday.
The season allows hunters to use only primitive implements. Sidelock or flintlock muzzleloading rifles or pistols are the only firearms allowed. In-line muzzleloaders are not legal for the Heritage Season nor are scopes. Archery enthusiasts are allowed only long bows or recurve bows. You’re compound bow will have to hang on its hook for this time.
“It’s a special season and it’s kind of an all encompassing big game season,” said Vinnie Johnson, Biologist with the West Virginia DNR.
The season enables hunters to kill a deer, bear, or turkey provided they hunt with one of those primitive firearms or bows. The season started several years ago and has become a big hit with sportsmen for a variety of reasons. For some it cuts the monotony of cabin fever and gives them a chance to get back into the woods well after hunting season. The season also enables hunters to go after big game with snow on the ground which doesn’t always happen during the regular fall seasons.
The snowfall could potentially make killing a bear less likely, but not always.
“It really depends on where you’re at,” Johnson explained in a recent edition of West Virginia Outdoors. “Some of our areas that are heavy bear country, there’s still a good opportunity you’re going to see a bear.”
The bumper crops of mast across the West Virginia landscape this year will also keep bears out of hibernation longer. The sunshine and warm weather forecasted into the weekend may also be a plus for keeping bears active and moving in the upcoming season.
“If there’s food on the landscape, they’re gong to be out moving around. They go into their dens when there’s no food left and they need to reserve for the remainder of the winter season,” he added.
Killing a big buck may be tricky. Some have already started to drop antlers. The season allows for either sex, but for those who have already killed two bucks from this past fall’s hunting seasons, you cannot kill another buck. If a hunter shoots an antlerless buck, which turns out to be a buck that already dropped antlers, hunters can check that as an antlerless deer.
Turkeys are also legal. Unlike deer, turkeys and bears, do not count against the bag limit from last year. However, hunters to need to have their 2026 hunting license. Although a lot of the purists like to not only hunt with an old time rifle, they also like to dress the part and will go into the woods wearing buckskins. Primitive garb or not, modern safety is still the rule and since it’s a firearms season for deer, you’ll need to wear blaze orange.
UC Bearcats coach Miller, Houston coach Sampson, players on Cougars W
UC Bearcats coach Miller, Houston coach Sampson, players on Cougars Big 12 opening win
Two teams that started the Big 12 campaign against Top 10 opponents clash in Morgantown Tuesday, Jan. 6, when the Cincinnati Bearcats face the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers, now coached by Ross Hodge, who came from North Texas, got whirled by the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones on Jan. 2, 80-59. A day later, UC had plenty of chances against No. 8 Houston, but the Cougars closed in the final minutes to win 67-60.
“We’ve got to learn how to finish, but we’re right there,” UC coach Wes Miller said. “The guys in the locker room know it. We’ve got to block out the noise and get ready to play.”
Neither team will want to start 0-2 in the treacherous league and UC has not yet won in Morgantown since being part of the Big 12. UC’s last road win in West Virginia goes back to Mick Cronin’s second Bearcat team (13-19) that pulled off a 62-39 upset of the Mountaineers in 2008. Diehard fans may remember the game for a mustard-colored suit Bob Huggins wore for the contest.
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Cincinnati Bearcats were swept by West Virginia last season
Last Feb. 2, West Virginia beat UC handily 63-50. Current Bearcat Sencire Harris didn’t score for WVU in the game but had four steals. Eighteen days later in Morgantown, the Mountaineers prevailed again 62-59 with Harris scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds against his future team. UC was led by Day Day Thomas in both games with 10 and 13 points, respectively.
Cincinnati Bearcats could be without Kerr Kriisa
Kriisa, a starter for 12 of the 14 games, got hit hard by Houston after a basket and left the game holding his shoulder. He came back to hit his lone 3-pointer, then had to leave again with pain.
Kriisa was recruited to West Virginia by Bob Huggins and played in 2023-24 for the Mountaineers, averaging 11 points and shooting over 42% on 3-pointers.
“Nobody’s dealt with more injury crap than Cincinnati,” Miller said. “We’re getting resilient and we’re getting tough because of that. We’re just going to keep coming. Injuries are tough. We’ve had more than damn anybody in the last four years in all of college basketball. This team’s had its fair share and we’re still right there.”
Miller was worried about Kriisa’s injury and he couldn’t lift his left shoulder after draining his only shot.
3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to win at West Virginia Mountaineers
1. Bring Houston intensity to West Virginia
UC had its best crowd experience at Fifth Third Arena against No. 8 Houston with a halftime lead and a 10-point cushion early in the second half. For just the second time this season, they lost a game when they had a halftime lead.
That’s now two games where they had a Top 10 team on the ropes and couldn’t finish (No. 6 Louisville at Heritage Bank Center and No. 8 Houston). They looked like a tournament team in parts of those games, but then lost to teams who showed why they are perennial tournament players.
2. Locate Huff, Floyd
It sounds like someone looking for a law firm, but Honor Huff and Jasper Floyd are both 40% marksmen from three-point range. Huff led the country in triples last season at Chattanooga and Floyd comes from Coach Hodge’s system at North Texas. The Mountaineers average over eight made 3s per game, which is how many Houston made vs. UC Jan. 3.
The Bearcats made only six of their 3-pointers against the Cougars, after making 11 in their previous game with Lipscomb Dec. 29. UC is 5-1 when making 10 or more treys, with the one loss being Xavier. Xavier also beat West Virginia 78-68 in November, shooting a torrid 16-for-25 from the arc.
3. Keep Mountaineers below 70
West Virginia has been held to less than 70 points in four of their five losses. The exception is the 89-88 double-overtime defeat at Ohio State. UC held Houston below their average at 67 and is in that ballpark for the season. The difficult thing is all of West Virginia’s wins have been at home and Hope Coliseum could have a crowd because, well, it’s Tuesday night in Morgantown.
Tip: Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. at Hope Coliseum (14,000)
TV/Radio: ESPN2/700WLW
Series: WVU leads 13-12 (Mountaineers won at Fifth Third Arena Feb. 19, 2025, 62-59)
West Virginia Mountaineers scouting report
Record: 9-5
Coach: Ross Hodge, first season 9-5 (55-29 overall)
Offense: 74.9 ppg
Defense: 61.6 ppg
Projected starting lineup
(Position, Height, Stats)
Treysen Eaglestaff (G, 6’6″, 9.1 ppg)
Honor Huff (G, 5’10”, 16.6 ppg)
Harlan Obioha (C, 7′, 6.3 ppg)
Chance Moore (G, 6’6″, 12.9 ppg)
Jasper Floyd (G, 6’3″, 7.9 ppg)
Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report
Record: 8-6
Coach: Wes Miller (90-65, fifth season; 275-200 overall)
Offense: 74.6 ppg
Defense: 65.6 ppg
Projected starting lineup
(Position, Height, Stats)
Day Day Thomas (G, 6’1″, 13 ppg)
Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 11.5 ppg)
Sencire Harris (G, 6’4″, 6.9 ppg)
Baba Miller (F, 6’11”, 13.4 ppg)
Moustapha Thiam (C, 7’2″, 11 ppg)
Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia Mountaineers to watch
Guard Honor Huff helped Chattanooga win the NIT and nailed a record 131 trifectas last season for the Moccasins, shooting 41.6%. Now he’s West Virginia’s top scorer and is shooting at a similar rate from beyond the arc.
In their second games as starters for this season, UC’s “Buck” Harris and Jizzle James were off against Houston, shooting a combined 2-for-14. James had just four points and Harris two.
James played 36 minutes, and it’s doubtful he can be held down for that long again. Harris was a Mountaineer last season and should have some comfort in the arena.
Rankings
KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 66, West Virginia No. 72
NCAA NET: West Virginia is No. 93, Cincinnati No. 95
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