By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – In front of a packed Milan Puskar Stadium, the West Virginia Mountaineers fell to the Oklahoma State Cowboys last Saturday, 41-24. After leading for the entire first half, the defense simply couldn’t contain Drew Mestemaker and the red-hot Cowboys offense in the second half. Now, with a few days to sit on the result, I am prepared to make my FIVE OVERREACTIONS to the loss, as well as where the Mountaineers stand moving forward.
- Defense…yikes!: Just one week after praising the WVU defense for their outing against Virginia, the worries surrounding the unit reared their heads on Saturday. The Cowboys were able to generate 609 total yards, all while Drew Mestemaker consistently carved up the Mountaineer secondary. It is just one game, but the competition only gets steeper from here on out. If things can’t get turned around in a hurry for Zac Alley, WVU could be on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator this offseason.
- I’m not worried about the passing game: Yes, quarterback Michael Hawkins had an “off game” on Saturday when it came to passing. However, I think the Oklahoma transfer played well. The Mountaineer offense didn’t capitalize on many opportunities to make explosive plays in the passing game. They were there, but for whatever reason the receivers and Hawkins weren’t connecting. I don’t foresee this being a consistent problem moving forward. The passing game will ultimately begin to gel eventually.
- The running game remains lethal: As expected for a Rich Rodriguez offense, the WVU rushing attack is lethal. Cam Cook and Michael Hawkins regularly carved through the Cowboys defense on Saturday – a unit that, to that point, had been solid against the run. Eventually, this rushing attack will wear down a defense en route to a win that the Mountaineers ultimately shouldn’t have gotten.
- WVU will still make a bowl game: It’s easy to get discouraged after a loss. Fans across social media shared their concerns for the program in its current state, as well as its ability to win games moving forward. This is not a concern that I have. The Mountaineers are too talented not to notch at least three more wins on the remaining schedule. West Virginia will return to the postseason this December.
- The OSU and WVU rebuild can’t be compared: Losing to a team in the first year of a rebuild is disheartening. However, the Oklahoma State and West Virginia rebuild simply cannot be compared. Eric Morris came to the Cowboys with all of his key contributors from North Texas. Rich Rodriguez did not get this luxury coming from Jacksonville State. Instead, WVU is having to build the roster from the ground up. In the end, I believe the Mountaineer program will be more sustainable in the future.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
