West Virginia returns home for the first time in about a month for their Homecoming game against Oklahoma State. WVU is coming off a loss against Houston, while the Cowboys head into Saturday on a two-game winning streak. Both teams are 2-1 in Big 12 play.
Our staff gives their prediction on how they think the game will go this weekend.
Ashley O’Brien: West Virginia returns home for the first time in a month and they are in a tough spot following the final 12 seconds against Houston. I think they will have a lot to prove but that will have to come against a good Oklahoma State team. The Cowboys are playing good football, the Mountaineers want to get back in the win column, and something will have to give. I think West Virginia ends up winning this late, on a field goal from Michael Hayes.
West Virginia 23, Oklahoma State 20
Wesley Shoemaker: The Mountaineers return home after a bitter ending in their game against Houston. Their reward for getting back to Morgantown is facing an Oklahoma State team that the Mountaineers have historically struggled against since joining the Big 12. West Virginia is looking to repeat the best offensive performance given the opponent under Neal Brown, and their defense is looking to flush away what is probably still haunting them from the Houston game. Overall, it comes down to Garrett Greene. Will he show up, and I think the answer is yes. The defense will prove last week was an anomaly and be able to stop the run and build from there. Mountaineers get a Homecoming win against the Pokes.
West Virginia 27, Oklahoma State 23
Aaron Parker: It’s no secret that the Mountaineers lost in one of the most brutal ways possible last Thursday at Houston. The emotional highs and lows of that game can really take a toll on a team. With that said, I think the Houston loss beats WVU twice. Despite burying some demons last season with a win in Stillwater, Mike Gundy has West Virginia’s number in Morgantown, and with the Cowboys surging as of late, I see them pulling off the road win in ugly weather with a good defensive performance. Garrett Greene played some of his best football last week, but it’ll be tough to spin the ball like he did in Houston in cold, rainy conditions.
Oklahoma State 31, West Virginia 20
Patrick Reneau: Last week the Mountaineers finally saw themselves move the ball efficiently on the offensive side and I don’t see that stopping this week. I see West Virginia taking everything from last game and using it to help give a complete performance against the Cowboys this week.
West Virginia 34, Oklahoma State 20
Ryan Roddy: After an obviously devastating loss, expect the Mountaineers to play with pure frustration. While the defense plays the best they have all year, I think Garrett Greene gets it done in the air and on the ground to help WVU to a victory. I think the defense rebounds in a big way and then Greene is able to lead the offense for a second straight week.
West Virginia 24, Oklahoma State 10
Mark Wratchford:One thing I have seen from Oklahoma State in recent weeks is that they have not thrown in the towel despite a 33-7 loss to South Alabama earlier in the season. They are coming off back-to-back wins over ranked teams, but they were both at home. We will have to see if this red hot play translates on the road when they pay a visit to West Virginia. West Virginia was playing strong defense until they struggled against Houston. I am not sure which teams will show up when we go to have this game on Saturday. I am giving Oklahoma State the edge for now.
Oklahoma State 35, West Virginia 24
Bryce Cohen: West Virginia hosts Oklahoma State in a huge Saturday afternoon matchup. The Cowboys began their season in limbo with question marks at quarterback but have found their footing with senior quarterback Alan Bowman. The Mountaineers are fresh off of a heartbreaking loss in Houston after a last second hail mary put a stamp on a night in which the Mountaineer defense allowed 41 points. Ultimately, the outcome of the season is determined by how the Mountaineers play in their homecoming bout. I believe the Mountaineers will have a bounce back game led by a ground attack. CJ Donaldson will rush for over 100 yards while Garrett Greene will punch two touchdowns in himself. The Mountaineers have shown this season that they’ve resilient when obstacles are thrown their direction and I believe this game will be no different. Consider this a statement win.
West Virginia 28, Oklahoma State 13
Korey Moore: Though I do not believe the Cowboys’ win over Kansas makes them too much competition for the Mountaineers, I think this is simply where things start to go wrong for Neal Brown and his team. There are a couple of injuries for WVU that should not keep its victims sidelined but could cause some defensive inconsistencies and issues in handling this red-hot Oklahoma State team. I find it likely that the Cowboys shine defensively this weekend while continuing their strong offensive efforts. The game will likely stay pretty close throughout, but West Virginia will allow a big fourth quarter from Oklahoma State to cause more worries than necessary in the loss. Nevertheless, the home crowd for West Virginia’s homecoming game could keep the team’s momentum going throughout the game, but I expect Oklahoma State to really take over once again in the fourth quarter in efforts of making that a trend for the remainder of their season.
Oklahoma State 31, West Virginia 20
