Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker delivered a dominant second‑half performance on Saturday night at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia, guiding the Cowboys to a 41‑24 victory over the Mountaineers. The win marks Oklahoma State’s third straight triumph after an opening‑week loss to Tulsa.
Offensive explosion
Mestemaker finished the game completing 20 of 27 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns. He connected early in the second half with receiver Chris Barnes for a 52‑yard gain that set up the Cowboys’ first score of the period. After West Virginia responded with a rushing touchdown by Michael Hawkins Jr., Mestemaker answered with a 40‑yard strike to Wyatt Young, followed immediately by a touchdown pass to Terrance Lewis, tying the game at 21‑21.
Not content to settle for a tie, Mestemaker continued to find Young, delivering a 48‑yard pass that set up a 22‑yard rushing touchdown by Caleb Hawkins, putting Oklahoma State ahead 28‑24. Young proved to be Mestemaker’s favorite target, hauling in eight receptions for 192 yards and a touchdown that pushed the lead to 38‑24 with under six minutes remaining.
Ground game and total yardage
The Cowboys balanced the aerial attack with a strong rushing effort, amassing 220 yards on the ground. Caleb Hawkins contributed 180 of those yards, while the team recorded a total of 609 yards of offense, averaging nine yards per play. West Virginia’s defense, which had limited the Cowboys in the first half, allowed 359 yards in the second half and failed to record a sack.
Mountaineers’ struggles
West Virginia entered halftime with a one‑point lead but managed only ten points after the break. Hawkins Jr. ran for two rushing touchdowns in the first half but was limited to 102 rushing yards and a single interception in the second half. Running back Cam Cook posted an impressive 193 yards on 29 carries, contributing to the team’s total of 334 rushing yards, but the offense could not sustain momentum.
Coaches’ comments
Oklahoma State head coach Rich Rodriguez praised Mestemaker’s poise, noting, “When you don’t pressure the guy at all … you let him get comfortable. He’s good. Good players like that, NFL quarterback, he’s going to beat you.” Rodriguez also acknowledged his own defensive shortcomings, stating, “Defensively, we didn’t play well at all. We gave up 609 yards. It’s the head coach’s responsibility to make sure we have a plan that can succeed, and it didn’t succeed.”
Rodriguez admitted to feeling impatient in the second half, saying, “They were moving the ball so easily. I got probably a little impatient with that, and then they did a better job with that.”
Looking ahead
West Virginia heads into its next Big 12 matchup against Iowa State in Week 5, hoping to rebound from the loss. Oklahoma State, now on a three‑game winning streak, will look to build on its offensive firepower as the season progresses.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
