3 Cowboys Takeaways: Win Over West Virginia, Emergence Of Gordon Puts OSU Back Big 12 Title Contention

A road trip across the country for Oklahoma State became a back-and-forth shootout that resulted in a monumental performance for Ollie Gordon II and a victory for the Cowboys in Morgantown.

Bowman had 210 passing yards with two touchdown passes, Ollie Gordon rushed for 282 yards and four touchdowns and Oklahoma State scored 28 fourth-quarter points to put West Virginia away, 48-34.

According to OSU Athletics, the win marks three consecutive victories over opponents that defeated the Cowboys in 2022.

With five games left in the regular season, the Cowboys (5-2, 3-1 in Big 12) sit in third place in the conference standings ahead of a matchup with Cincinnati next week.

1st Takeaway: Ollie Gordon's Monster Day In Morgantown

It was one for the record books on Saturday for running back Ollie Gordon II. He was the first OSU player since Rennie Childs in 2016 to score four rushing touchdowns in a single game. He tallied his fourth consecutive 100+ rushing yards game this season, the first since Jaylen Warren in 2021. He set a career-high for carries, yards and scores and had the most yards in a game since Chuba Hubbard's 296 against Kansas State in 2019.

"We want to get him going downhill, he's that type of runner," said Head Coach Mike Gundy. "We've just been fortunate he's so big and strong he can stay in and get a lot of carries."

Gordon got better as the game progressed, too. He scored half his touchdowns and gained 99 rushing yards during the most crucial points of the game with under five minutes on the clock.

His 46-yard touchdown put the Cowboys up two scores and then when West Virginia answered with a score of its own, he took his next carry 53 yards to the endzone to ice the game.

"I don't think I've ever been a part of a game like that," said West Virginia coach Neal Brown. "This one stings more than even the one last week." That is a surprising statement considering the Mountaineers lost on a hail mary the week before.

If the Cowboys want to keep the wins stacking, Gordon's usage next week against Cincinnati will be essential for Gundy and the offense.

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2nd Takeaway: Nickolas Martin Is A Defensive Anchor

The breakout season for sophomore linebacker Nickolas Martin included another exciting chapter on Saturday.

It's his third season in Stillwater but the first to see significant action on the field and he's making the most of it.

Against West Virginia, Martin had 10 solo tackles with two tackles for loss and was a part of seven other tackles on the defensive. He was everywhere for Oklahoma State.

The 17 total tackles were a career high, according to OSU Athletics.

The Cowboys have been a new team since the bye week, with a new identity that has players flourishing.

Since the loss to Iowa State and the ensuing week off, Martin's been involved in 43 tackles and has two sacks in the three wins over Kansas, Kansas State and West Virginia.

"That bye week came at a really good time for us to kind of focus on ourselves," said quarterback Alan Bowman. "I think we kind of have an identity now as who we are. The first three weeks, we didn't have much of an identity."

As big of a turnaround as it's been for Oklahoma State this season, fans can't help but wonder what their record would be if Bowman had started since the first game.

Either way, OSU is rolling and looking to make it four straight against a stout defensive team in Cincinnati.

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3rd Takeaway: Cowboys' Reliable Special Teams Unit

A crucial aspect of the game that's never talked about enough is special teams. Why is it important? Well, other than kicking field goals for three points, being able to execute punts and kickoffs on offense and covering the opposing teams' punt and kick returns make a major difference in field position.

In the age of analytics, something college coaches may not have adapted to as much as the NFL, special teams can be the difference between winning and losing.

Senior kicker Alex Hale has been successful and reliable for OSU this season. He's 17/21 on kicks with a long of 53 yards and has yet to miss an extra point in 2023. On Saturday it was more of the same. He made 2/3 kicks, and his miss was questionable, to say the least.

Freshman punter Hudson Kaak has held his own on fourth down for Oklahoma State too. He averages 40.3 yards per punt and on Saturday, he did his job by pinning West Virginia inside the 20 on one of his two punts.

Special Teams ace Brennan Presley is always a threat to take a kick or punt to the house for Oklahoma State. He had two kick returns for 50 yards on Saturday but was unable to get a spark for the offense returning punts.

He made his impact heard on offense anyway. Presley brought in nine passes for 62 yards and a score, one of his best games this year.

If games come down to special teams this season, Oklahoma State has confidence in who they have to get the job done.

UP NEXT: Oklahoma State vs. Cincinnati in Stillwater on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.