STILLWATER, Okla. — No. 9 West Virginia coughed up a 17-point advantage and its share of the Big 12 lead, losing 45-41 to Oklahoma State on Saturday.
The Mountaineers (8-2, 6-2) need to upset Oklahoma next week to have a shot at the conference title game, while the Cowboys (6-5, 3-5) are bowl-eligible.
Recapping the live updates throughout the game:
Final stats
— Taylor Cornelius led a senior-day comeback, throwing five touchdowns and running in a sixth. Cornelius finished 30-of-46 for 338 yards passing and ran for 106.
— Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State’s Biletnikoff semifinalist, made seven catches for 62 yards. Dillon Stoner caught nine passes for 127 yards.
— OSU outgained the Mountaineers 605-553.
— It was Oklahoma State’s second upset of top-10 visitor in the past month. The Cowboys beat WVU for the fourth straight year.
— Kennedy McKoy ran for a career-high 148 yards for West Virginia, which was vying to stay at the front of the Big 12 race.
— Will Grier completed 27-of-48 passes for 364 yards and scored on a clutch fourth-down keeper in the fourth quarter, but he also lost a red-zone fumble in the third quarter.
Fourth quarter
— WVU FAILS AS TIME EXPIRES: The Mountaineers reached the 14 with 1 second left, but Grier’s end zone pass to Sills was batted down by cornerback A.J. Green.
TOUCHDOWN: Tylan Wallace 11-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (0:42) Oklahoma State leads 45-41
Wow. Cornelius is making his last home game count. A huge drive featured two QB runs for 29 yards and Hubbard tacking on 35 more. (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards in 1:56)
— WEST VIRGINIA PUNT: Sills made a 22-yard catch and the Mountaineers consumed 2 minutes before punting. The punt occurred only after Sills false started on fourth-and-5 from WVU’s 46. Holgorsen clearly doesn’t trust his defense right now, and nor should he.
TOUCHDOWN: Taylor Cornelius 9-yard run (4:47) WVU leads 41-38
The Cowboys refused to quit. A 22-yard pass to Stoner was the big gainer, but Cornelius mostly used his legs. A 17-yard run followed by a 13-yard scramble helped OSU into the red zone. He ran it in on a third-and-4 read-option. (Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards in 2:50)
TOUCHDOWN: Will Grier 6-yard run (7:37) WVU leads 41-31
Grier ran in a fourth-and-goal keeper from the 6, replicating the same two-point play WVU used to beat Texas. Earlier, on fourth-and-5 from the OSU 20, WVU extended the drive when McKoy was interfered with in the end zone by linebacker Devin Harper. Trevon Wesco’s 43-yard catch-and-run got the Mountaineers rolling after a string of four unproductive possessions. (Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards in 3:12)
On fourth-and-5 from the OSU 20, after the initial play-call broke down, McKoy end zone linebacker Devin Harper Trevon Wesco’s 43-yard catch-and-run
TOUCHDOWN: Tyron Johnson 6-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (10:49) WVU leads 34-31
The Cowboys confounded Tony Gibson’s defense with two unlikely conversions. A third-and-20 went for 38 yards when Cornelius escaped the pocket and found Johnson free on a deep sideline route. Third-and-13 proved to be no problem either when a simple swing pass to Hubbard gained 14 to the West Virginia 6. The touchdown play featured Johnson diving to catch a fade route. (Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards in 3:01)
— WEST VIRGINIA PUNT: Three incompletions killed only 13 seconds.
— OKLAHOMA STATE PUNT: Landon Wolf’s 15-yard catch got the Pokes moving, but he couldn’t hold a third-down pass and Gundy punted on fourth-and-3 from OSU’s 47.
FIELD GOAL: Evan Staley 34-yarder (14:56) WVU leads 34-24
Two McKoy runs went nowhere and Marcus Simms miscommunicated with Grier on an end zone incompletion, forcing West Virginia’s offense to settle for a gift three points after OSU’s fumbled punt. (Drive: 4 plays, 1 yards in 1:17)
Third quarter
— OKLAHOMA STATE TURNOVER: After a WVU three-and-out, Stoner made a huge gaff. The returner mishandled Kinney’s bouncing punt and was snowed under by the coverage unit. WVU linebacker Josh Chandler recovered at the Cowboys’ 18.
FIELD GOAL: Matt Ammendola 20-yarder (3:03) WVU leads 31-24
The Cowboys, not known for their clock-chewing drives, exercised patience to make it a one-possession game. Wallace caught a 7-yard pass on third-and-3,WVU defenders jumped offside on a midfield fourth-and-1, and Stoner got free for a 26-yard catch. Hubbard eventually lunged near the goal line, but the third-down spot was moved back to the 2. Exree Loe and Zach Sandwisch combined to drop Hubbard for a 1-yard loss on the pivotal snap when OSU lined up in an I-formation with three tight ends. (Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards in 6:40)
— WEST VIRGINIA TURNOVER: After marching to the OSU 9-yard line, the Mountaineers blew a chance to extend the lead when Grier fumbled on a third-and-1 keeper. The play, initially whistled dead, was overturned by replay.
TOUCHDOWN: Chuba Hubbard 1-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (12:25) WVU leads 31-21
Desperate to play catch-up, OSU’s offense came out crisp in the second half. Cornelius was 4-for-4 on the series including a 23-yard pass to Stoner. Hubbard mixed in three carries for 26 yards, before catching the TD pass in the flat.(Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards in 2:35)
Halftime notes
— WVU leads in total offense 329-208.
— Kennedy McKoy has a season-high 131 rushing yards at the halftime on 13 carries. (His career-best was 137 yards at Oklahoma last season.)
— QB comparison: Grier stands 16-of-26 for 167 yards and two scores. Cornelius has two interceptions while completing 11-of-18 for 119 yards and two TDs.
Second quarter
FIELD GOAL: Evan Staley 43-yarder (0:00) WVU leads 31-14
Keith Washington’s interception 41 seconds before halftime provided WVU a chance to tack on more points. After a 22-yard sideline pass to Gary Jennings moved the offense into field goal range, Staley made the kick on the final play. He improved to 7-of-9 from 40-49 yards this season. (Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards in 0:41)
— OKLAHOMA STATE TURNOVER: Cornelius was intercepted for the second time this quarter, failing to see Keith Washington in zone coverage underneath Wallace.
TOUCHDOWN: Kennedy McKoy 30-yard run (1:17) WVU leads 28-14
The Mountaineers shifted into their 2-minute offense but didn’t need that much. McKoy went for 7, then 14 and then 30 yards — breaking away through the left side when right tackle Colton McKivitz and right guard Isaiah Hardy pulled through the hole. (Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards in 0:53)
— WEST VIRGINIA PUNT: Jennings returned from a thigh injury only to drop a potential first-down pass.
— OKLAHOMA STATE PUNT: The Pokes did nothing after the defensive stand, going three-and-out.
— WVU FAILED FOURTH DOWN: Unable to turn the interception into points, West Virginia came up empty when OSU stuffed Grier on fourth-and-1 inside the 5.
— OKLAHOMA STATE TURNOVER: Cornelius’ throw into double-coverage became an interception for Toyous Avery, whose 11-yard return reached the OSU 35. The senior QB had not thrown a pick in the past three games.
— WEST VIRGINIA PUNT: No points but Billy Kinney wedged a 42-yard punt that was downed at the 8.
TOUCHDOWN: Logan Carter 20-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (4:14) WVU leads 21-14
Chuba Hubbard’s 36-yard kick return required a kicker tackle along the WVU sideline. The rest was too easy for the Cowboys, starting with a 12-yard pass to Landon Wolf and two carries by JD Long that netted 22 yards. Then West Virginia’s defense completely ignored the tight end (“Cowboy back” being the local parlance) and Carter scored. (Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards in 1:44)
TOUCHDOWN: David Sills 22-yard pass from Will Grier (14:55) WVU leads 21-7
Capitalizing on the short field, the Mountaineers overcame a first-play sack on Grier. They did it by converting a fourth-and-3 underneath pass to Jennings, who was being bear-hugged by safety Kenneth Edison-McGruder. On the opening play of the second quarter, Sills had his inside arm pinned by the cornerback, so he used his outside hand to collect Grier’s pinpoint pass. It was Sills’ 13th touchdown of the season. (Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards in 2:43)
First quarter
— OKLAHOMA STATE TURNOVER: Wallace gained 14 on a slant only to lose the ball on a collision with Kenny Robinson. Linebacker David Long recovered at the OSU 40.
TOUCHDOWN: Gary Jennings 13-yard pass from Will Grier (11:44) WVU leads 14-7
The Mountaineers answered in rapid fashion on four consecutive completions by Grier. Pettaway took one for 34 yards after the OSU secondary abandoned the left side of the field. Jennings did all the work on the score, catching a quick pitch at the line and making the slot safety miss. (Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards in 1:13)
TOUCHDOWN: Tylan Wallace 5-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (4:14) Game tied 7-7
OSU capitalized after starting near midfield. Cornelius went 4-of-5 on the drive, with the last three completions to Wallace. The sophomore’s TD grab offered a clinic in body-contortion and concentration with cornerback Keith Washington in terrific position. (Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards in 2:07)
— WEST VIRGINIA PUNT: Staring from its own 8, WVU endured a near-interception on a pass tipped and ultimately defended by tight end Jovani Haskins. Them came a false start, and a perilous scramble by Grier out of his end zone.
— OKLAHOMA STATE PUNT: After Dillon Stoner’s fly sweep gained 17 yards, a third-and-4 bomb from Cornelius to Tyron Johnson fell incomplete in the end zone (with Bailey in tight coverage). The crow booed when Gundy chose not to try the fourth down at WVU’s 37.
— WEST VIRGINIA PUNT: Grier missed a third-and-8 swing pass on which Pettaway was uncovered, leading to a Mountaineers three-and-out. OSU’s Logan Carter got a piece of Billy Kinney’s punt, which wobbled only 26 yards.
— OKLAHOMA STATE PUNT: A three-and-out for the Pokes when Dravon Askew-Henry tackled Stoner a yard shy of the sticks on a third-and-7 catch.
TOUCHDOWN: Kennedy McKoy 5-yard run (11:44) WVU leads 7-0
On the game’s opening series, McKoy gashed the Cowboys defense for 55 yards on five carries. Along with 16- and 20-yard gains, he picked up 13 on a third-and-8 red-zone draw. Grier completed 2-of-4 passes for 18 yards, with one drop by Sills on a back-shoulder throw. (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards in 3:16)
Pregame notes
— OSU won’t have running back Justice Hill today, but his freshman backup is a star in the making. Chuba Hubbard averages 6-plus yards per carry and has one more catch than Hill the season. Where Hubbard makes OSU vulnerable is in pass-protection.
— Two defensive notes for WVU: (1) Hakeem Bailey working at CB in front of Josh Norwood. Both figure to be tested by Tylan Wallace and Tyron Wallace; and (2) Shea Campbell, back from last week’s stinger, working at Mike linebacker.
— My “5 Questions” pregame column.
— Dana Holgorsen can’t figure out OSU. Join the crowd.
— Final-score predictions: I took WVU 47-33. Hoppy has the Mountaineers (45-34), as do Brad Howe (41-34), Kyle Wiggs (45-35) and Goose Gyorko (41-28).