The Road Warrior Report - West Virginia Review - November 12, 2022

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – The Sooners’ lost season continued down the tubes this afternoon on a cold and rainy day in West Virginia. Penalties and inconsistent play teamed up to doom the Sooners to a second straight three-point loss, this one by the count of 23-20, as the Mountaineers hit a short field goal on the final play of the game to seal it.

Dillon Gabriel was 17-28 for 190 yards on a day when it was hard to throw/catch the ball due to the cold, wet weather. Jalil Farooq had five catches for 49 yards, while Marvin Mims had four for 96. Mims also had a couple of drops again, including a post route that was absolutely a TD that he just flat dropped. Drake Stoops had four catches for 41 yards, while Eric Gray had four for 12.



Gray was the offensive star of the day for the Sooners, as he ran for 211 yards and a pair of scores on 25 carries. Jovante Barnes carried five times for 23 yards in periodic relief of Gray.

After a scoreless first quarter highlighted by a Danny Stutsman interception and lowlighted by a missed 54-yard field goal, the Sooners broke on top in the second quarter. A Zach Schmit 32-yard field goal with 9:42 to play in the second quarter gave the Sooners a 3-0 lead. WVU moved into OU territory on the ensuing possession, but Woodi Washington forced a fumble that the Sooners recovered at their own 27.



The Sooners were stopped on downs on the next possession at the WVU 42. After a Mountaineer punt, the Sooners embarked on the first TD drive of the afternoon. Gray ran for four and 13, before Mims hauled in a 67-yard bomb from Gabriel to put the Sooners in business at the WVU 12. Gray took it in from there on the next play, and the Sooners led 10-0 with only 1:06 to play in the first half. 33 seconds later, WVU answered with a TD of its own. The snap on the extra point was bobbled, though, and the resulting fumble was picked up by Billy Bowman and returned all the way to the other end for two points. The teams went to the locker room with the Sooners up 12-6.

WVU used a 63-yard, 12-play drive to take the lead at 13-12 with 3:36 to play in the third quarter. The Sooners would quickly take the lead back. After a nice kickoff return out to the OU 41, the Sooners would score quickly. Gray ran for seven before Gabriel hit Mims for 10. After a five-yard Gray run and another catch from Mims, it was all left up to Gray, and he delivered. A 21-yard run was followed by a three-yard run and a five-yard TD run. Gabriel kept it and was successful on the two-point conversion to make it 20-13 with 1:22 to go in the third quarter.

WVU tied it with a 12-play, 72-yard drive on the ensuing possession. On that drive, the Mountaineers faced fourth and 15 from the OU 46. A bomb was picked off in the end zone, and the Sooner defender got his clock cleaned while trying to take a knee, and a flag was immediately thrown. OU was lined up offside, so it seemed that worst case it would be offsetting penalties. Instead, the personal foul flag was inexplicably picked up, and WVU had fourth and 10 to overcome. They did overcome it on the next play and went on to tie the game at 20 with 11:22 to play in the fourth quarter.



After the teams exchanged punts, the Sooners rode Gray for five, five, six, and 24 yards. Barnes came on to carry for two and five, before Gray was stuffed on third and three. Schmit’s 46-yard field goal attempt bounced off the upright and out. The Sooners would not have the ball again. WVU took over and embarked on a drive of 15 plays, 65 yards, and the remaining 6:24 of the game to close out the Sooners with a field goal on the final play of the contest.



OSU comes to Norman next week with the Sooners sitting at 5-5 and needing another win to become bowl eligible. See you there.