Gordon Leads Big Fourth Quarter for OSU in Win at West Virginia

Oklahoma State’s football team scored 28 fourth quarter points, powered by a big day from running back Ollie Gordon, and beat West Virginia 48-34 at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Saturday.

Gordon finished with 282 yards rushing and four touchdowns, three coming in the final quarter to put the game away.

Gordon’s rushing total is the eighth most in a single game in OSU history and the most since Chuba Hubbard had 296 vs. Kansas State in 2019.

Gordon’s four touchdowns is tied for fourth most in a game in OSU history and only Barry Sanders had more, with three games with five rushing touchdowns.

OSU’s big fourth quarter concluded a game that saw the lead change hands four times.

West Virginia got the ball to start the game and had to punt, but OSU’s Brennan Presley muffed the catch and the Mountaineers recovered at the OSU 33-yard line.

Two plays later, WVU gave it right back, as Kendal Daniels knocked the ball out of the hands of Kole Taylor and recovered at the OSU 29-yard line.

Ollie Gordon then broke off a run of 32 yards, setting up a 37-yard field goal by Alex Hale to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead with 9:19 to play in the first quarter.

OSU’s defense got the ball back on the ensuing WVU possession, as Korie Black intercepted Garrett Greene and returned it 16 yards to the Mountaineers’ 39-yard line.

It took the Cowboys six plays to capitalize on the turnover, with Ollie Gordon scoring from two yards out to put OSU up 10-0 with 7:19 to play in the first quarter.

West Virginia kept the ball for the rest of the first quarter, marching to the OSU 22-yard line when the first quarter ended.

On the first play of the second quarter on 3rd and 8, Garrett Greene completed a pass to Preston Fox for a gain of 19 to the OSU 3.

Justin Johnson scored on a touchdown run on the next play to cut OSU’s lead to 10-7 with 14:17 left in the second quarter.

After forcing an OSU punt, WVU got the ball at their own 41-yard line when the punt of Wes Pahl deflected off the back of one of his own players for a punt of just 24 yards.

The Mountaineers got a 34-yard field goal from Michael Hayes to tie it at 10 with 8:49 to play in the first half.

The Cowboys responded, getting a 29-yard pass from Alan Bowman to Jaden Bray.

That set up a 29-yard field goal by Alex Hale to put OSU back on top 13-10 with 5:06 left in the first half.

West Virginia responded, and on 3rd and 8, Greene passed to an open Devin Carter, who got behind the OSU defense for a 45-yard touchdown to give the Mountaineers their first lead at 17-13 with 2:37 left in the second quarter.

OSU got another big run from Gordon for 34 yards to the WVU 20.

Alex Hale missed a 31-yard field goal wide right with 13 seconds left and West Virginia led 17-13 at halftime.

Both teams punted on their first possessions of the second half, then OSU moved the ball into WVU territory, before Bowman had a deep pass intercepted by Anthony Wilson at the Mountaineers’ 4-yard line.

West Virginia had to punt after three downs, and OSU responded with a six-play, 52-yard drive to take the lead.

Gordon had another big run of 27 yards, then Bowman passed to Jaden Bray for a 5-yard touchdown to put OSU back on top 20-17 with 4:52 to play in the third quarter.

The Mountaineers immediately regained the lead, going on an eight-play, 75 yard drive, with Greene passing to E.J. Horton over the middle for a 32-yard touchdown to put WVU up 24-20 with 1:30 left in the third quarter.

Greene was 15-for-30 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for 117 yards on 16 carries.

OSU only gained nine yards on the ensuing possesion, but on the punt, a West Virginia player collided with the return man Preston Fox, who muffed the punt and Parker Robertson recovered for OSU at the Mountaineers’ 27-yard line.

It took the Cowboys just three plays to convert, with Gordon scoring on a 16-yard touchdown run to put OSU back on top 27-24 with 13:16 to play.

West Virginia responded to tie it.

Justin Johnson gained 30 yards on a run to the OSU 9, then Hayes kicked a 29-yard field goal to tie it at 27 with 9:39 left.

On OSU’s ensuing possession, West Virginia was called for two personal foul penalties on the same play, for a facemask and late hit on a run by Gordon, giving the Cowboys 30 yards and moving the ball to the WVU 36.

Three plays later, Bowman threw a short screen pass to Brennan Presley, who escaped a couple of tackles and went 29 yards for a touchdown to put OSU up 34-27 with 7 minutes to play.

Bowman was 24-for-36 for 210 yards passing and two touchdowns.

Presley had nine catches for 62 yards.

OSU’s defense came up with a big stop on the ensuing possession.

At the 50-yard line on 4th and 2, Greene was tackled for a loss of four by Kendal Daniels and OSU took over on the WVU 46-yard line.

On the next play, Gordon went 46 yards for the touchdown to put the Cowboys up 41-27 with 4:15 to play.

It took West Virginia just 1:38 to answer, going 75 yards in six plays, with Greene passing to Preston Fox for 34 yards to the OSU 3.

C.J. Donaldson scored on a run up the middle on the next play and WVU had cut the Cowboys’ lead to 41-34 with 2:37 to play.

West Virginia elected to onside kick, but OSU recovered, and it took the Pokes just two plays to score.

It was Gordon again, going 53 yards for his fourth touchdown to put the Cowboys up 48-34 with 1:40 left.

The game was the 400th game in the career of Mike Gundy as an OSU player, assistant coach or head coach.

The Cowboys are 9-3 in the Big 12 era against West Virginia and have won five in a row in Morgantown.

OSU has won three in a row, all against teams that beat them last year, and they improve to 5-2 on the season, 3-1 in Big 12 play.