Oklahoma vs. West Virginia: Game Grades, Analysis for Sooners vs. Mountaineers
Despite snowy conditions in Morgantown, it was heated between Oklahoma and West Virginia when a pregame scuffle broke out at midfield on Saturday night.
But when the ball was kicked off, it was the No. 9 Sooners (9-2) flexing their muscle, scoring the game's first 34 points in a 56-28 rout of the No. 14 Mountaineers (8-2).
It was a resume-boosting win for Bob Stoops' squad, which has ripped off eight consecutive victories since falling to Ohio State in Week 3. The Sooners are one of the hottest teams in the country, but they needed a statement win like the one they registered over West Virginia to get the playoff committee's attention.
That's exactly what they did on Saturday night, using a strong running game and an opportunistic defense to remain perfect in conference play.
Here's how both teams graded out from Saturday's action.
Oklahoma: Offense
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Oklahoma wanted to come out and establish the running game on a snowy night, and that's exactly what it did with the two-headed monster of Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine.
Both running backs eclipsed the 100-yard mark before halftime as the West Virginia defense had no answer for either. Mixon got things started early while Perine hammered away down the stretch. The two combined for 307 yards and three touchdowns on 55 carries.
Dede Westbrook produced what has become a weekly highlight routine in the first quarter, when he hauled in a quick bubble pass, broke a tackle and raced away from the Mountaineers defense for a 75-yard touchdown.
But with the ground game working so well, it was a relatively quiet night for Baker Mayfield and the passing attack. Mayfield completed 9-of-15 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns, but the offense as a whole amassed 485 total yards against the overmatched West Virginia defense.
Grade: A
West Virginia: Offense
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West Virginia was going to have to run the football successfully to keep the ball out of the hands of Oklahoma's offense, and it looked like those hopes were dashed when Kennedy McKoy was knocked out of the game on the first offensive play.
But Justin Crawford came in and absolutely gashed Oklahoma's defense. In the first half alone, he had runs of 36, 29 and 61 yards to trigger a 178-yard first-half performance. He didn't slow down after the break, as he finished with a career-high 331 yards on 24 carries and was easily the Mountaineers' best playmaker, despite fumbling once.
It was turnovers and uneven quarterback play that doomed West Virginia. The Mountaineers turned the ball over four times, two of which came inside Oklahoma's 5-yard line. Skyler Howard was uncharacteristically off, completing just 12-of-27 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns (against one interception).
Grade: B-
Oklahoma: Defense
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Turnovers hid how poorly Oklahoma's defense played in the first half.
Despite giving up just seven points through two quarters, the Sooners were absolutely gashed by running back Justin Crawford, who gained an incredible 178 yards on just 12 first-half carries. That helped the Mountaineers pile up 259 total yards before the break, but Oklahoma deserves credit for clamping down when it mattered most, forcing two red-zone fumbles in the second quarter.
Jordan Evans made the defensive play of the game to open the second half when he picked off Skyler Howard and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown. He tweaked his hamstring on the return and was sidelined the rest of the game, which helped West Virginia chip its way back into the game.
The Mountaineers scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives to pull within 13 before the offense bailed the Sooners out. West Virginia piled up 579 yards of total offense despite scoring just 28 points.
Grade: C-
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West Virginia: Defense
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West Virginia's defense was so completely outmuscled in the run game that Baker Mayfield only had to throw seven passes in the first half as the Sooners built their 34-point lead.
Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine averaged six yards per carry and each ran for more than 100 yards in the first half alone as Oklahoma bulldozed its way to 357 first-half yards.
The unit came out much more inspired in the second half, though, forcing three consecutive punts and an interception of Baker Mayfield. But after cutting the lead to 13, the defense just ran out of gas as Perine and Mixon paved the way for a Sooners win. West Virginia only surrendered 128 total yards in the second half, but it needed turnovers to break through.
Grade: D
Oklahoma: Coaching
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Head coach Bob Stoops was asked on the broadcast before the game whether the snowy conditions would change Oklahoma's game plan. Stoops indicated there would be some adjustments, and apparently those adjustments centered around highlighting Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine and a powerful rushing attack.
That was a winning decision, as Stoops knew he could outmuscle and out-flank West Virginia's 3-3-5 defense. There were a number of drives when Baker Mayfield didn't attempt a pass, and that didn't stop the Sooners from cruising their way down the field.
It was clear that Stoops had the better team, and he put his guys in position to prove that.
Grade: B+
West Virginia: Coaching
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The Mountaineers blew the game away in the first half.
West Virginia was simply outclassed by a much better team through two quarters. The defense was consistently gashed by Oklahoma's superstar running backs, and the offense couldn't get out of its own way as it committed costly penalties and coughed up costly turnovers.
Saturday night was just the second time this season that the Mountaineers faced a team that's currently ranked in the Top 25, and those matchups have produced deflating losses for Dana Holgorsen's squad. West Virginia is certainly a talented squad with an excellent coach, but it's a few pieces away from competing at the highest level on the national stage.
Grade: C-
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