West Virginia enters Oklahoma State game with 'confidence,' not 'momentum'

Field Level Media|published: Tue 1st October, 17:02 2024

Sep 21, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) runs the ball and shakes out of a tackle during the fourth quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Coming off its first conference win of the season, West Virginia would love to ride that momentum into Saturday afternoon's Big 12 road game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla.

That said, Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said he doesn't believe that momentum carries over through a bye week. He prefers to use a different word: confidence.

"How we finished the game defensively, we definitely have some confidence. How we finished the game offensively, we definitely have some confidence," Brown said, reflecting on his team's 32-28 win over Kansas on Sept. 21. "And I think that (confidence) continues to build as you go through your bye week, but I don't know if the momentum from the win actually does."

Garrett Greene was the hero for the Mountaineers (2-2, 1-0), throwing two touchdown passes in the final 3 1/2 minutes, including the game-winning, 15-yard strike to Rodney Gallagher III with 26 seconds left.

Greene also ran for a score and registered a team-high 87 yards on the ground. He'll certainly be a focus of the Oklahoma State game plan, as will Hudson Clement (seven catches for 150 yards vs. Kansas).

The Cowboys (3-2, 0-2) need to tighten things defensively after a 42-20 defeat at then-No. 23 Kansas State last weekend. Oklahoma State gave up 559 total yards, including 300 on the ground, in losing for the second straight outing, causing the Cowboys to drop from the AP Top 25 poll.

"Just have to have a short memory. You can't dwell on it," said offensive lineman Cole Birmingham. "You can't change the past -- it's happened. We got to focus on what's ahead. We've got to focus on this game."

Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II is off to a relatively quiet start at an average of 3.8 yards per carry this season, but Brown remembers him well from last year's performance against West Virginia, when he racked up 282 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 48-34 win by the Cowboys.

"He's special," Brown said. "I don't know if we've tackled him yet from last year's fourth quarter."

--Field Level Media