West Virginia suffered its first loss of the season as Oklahoma State erased an eight-point second-half deficit and pulled away for a 41-24 victory at Milan Puskar Stadium.

The Mountaineers led 21-13 early in the third quarter after Michael Hawkins Jr. scored his third rushing touchdown of the game, but Oklahoma State responded by scoring on five consecutive possessions and taking control of the Big 12 opener.

Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker delivered a huge performance, completing 20-of-27 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns. Oklahoma State finished with 609 yards of total offense, including 359 in the second half.
Wyatt Young was Mestemaker’s top target, finishing with eight receptions for 192 yards and a touchdown, while Caleb Hawkins rushed for 180 yards and another score.

WVU’s offense produced several explosive moments of its own. Cam Cook rushed for 193 yards, including a 75-yard run, while Hawkins added 102 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

The turning point came after Jack Cassidy’s 27-yard field goal gave WVU a 24-21 lead late in the third quarter. Oklahoma State immediately answered with a Caleb Hawkins touchdown before stuffing Amari Latimer on fourth-and-1. From there, the Cowboys controlled the fourth quarter.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez took responsibility for the defensive struggles, saying West Virginia failed to generate pressure on Mestemaker and needed a better overall plan after allowing 609 yards.

The loss drops WVU to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play, while Oklahoma State improves to 3-1 and snaps an 18-game conference losing streak.

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Photo Credit: Ben Queen Imagn-Images