STILLWATER, Okla. — Kevin White hopes defenses who double-cover him understand the consequences.
Oklahoma State certainly learned them Saturday.
The Cowboys held the nation’s No. 1 receiver to a season-low three catches only to leave themselves vulnerable in other areas. West Virginia’s No. 2 receiver Mario Alford piled up 136 yards, and deep-dropping safeties helped Wendell Smallwood gain 132 on the ground as the Mountaineers rolled 34-10.
“If you want to pay that much attention to me, then everything else is going to open up,” said White, who caught a 19-yard touchdown on WVU’s first series but was only targeted four times thereafter.
After beating freshman cornerback Ramon Richards on the score, White was tracked by junior Kevin Peterson for much of the game. And a safety.
“Double-coverage, cover-2, (defensive backs) bailing out,” said White, describing the coverages that OSU rolled to his side. “But we got the victory, so I’m just as happy. We’re just going to take what they give us.”
White had a chance at a second touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Clint Trickett narrowly overthrew the leaping 6-foot-3 senior at the goal line. White finished with 27 yards, nowhere close to his 145-per game average entering Saturday.
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson credited the Cowboys for “strategically taking him out of the game.” They also strategically took him out of the Heisman conversation, at least temporarily.
Not that White minded.
“I don’t care about the Heisman,” he said. “They can take me off the (contenders) list or drop me. I couldn’t care less about the Heisman. That’s not why I play the game. I’m just happy we got the win.”