Mason Rudolph Leads Oklahoma State to Win vs. WVU; Cowboys Force 5 Turnovers

In the first game of its most difficult stretch of the season, the No. 11 Oklahoma State Cowboys earned an impressive 50-39 win over the No. 22 West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday.

The Cowboys needed a statement win against a ranked opponent with the first College Football Playoff rankings coming out Tuesday. They got it by posting 462 yards and forcing five turnovers against the nation's fourth-highest scoring offense.

This matchup was built around a battle of Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph and West Virginia's Will Grier, arguably the two best quarterbacks in the country:

The Cowboys entered Saturday with the nation's most prolific passing attack, averaging 392.7 yards per game.

Rudolph continued his outstanding performance in 2017. The Heisman Trophy contender finished 20-of-34 for 216 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also set a program record with his 76th touchdown pass on a third-quarter score to J.D. King.

It was a big day for Rudolph, as he also set the program record for total touchdowns (89) with his one-yard score in the first quarter. And he broke Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy's record for most career victories (29):

As impressive as Rudolph was, the story of the game was the Cowboys running game and defense. Things got off to a bad start when Justice Hill lost a fumble and was injured on the second play from scrimmage, though he returned in the second half.

King, who is a true freshman and had 53 carries coming into the game, looked comfortable as Oklahoma State's lead running back. He set career highs in carries (36), rushing yards (142), receptions (five), receiving yards (29) and total touchdowns (two) in the win.

ESPN's Jeannine Edwards summed up King's performance:

It's rare when the Cowboys defense stands out because it tends to give up points in bunches and the offense is so often the focal point.

That has been shifting, at least to some extent, in 2017. The defense surrendered just 283 yards and 10 points in an overtime win against Texas last week.

"Defense won the game," Gundy told reporters after that game. "I can't give enough credit to our defense. I don't mind saying it: It's the best effort I've seen or I can remember in a long, long time."

Against West Virginia, Gundy's defense came to play. Mountaineers quarterback Will Grier had five interceptions though the first seven games this season, but the redshirt junior was picked off four times Saturday.

The interceptions weren't all Grier's fault, with Chris Anderson of 247Sports noting he didn't get much help from wide receiver Marcus Simms on one of them:

There were also unfavorable weather conditions thanks to persistent rainfall in Morgantown, though Rudolph didn't have a problem navigating it.

Grier wasn't helped by his running game like Rudolph was. West Virginia had just 62 yards on 30 carries.

Oklahoma State was also sloppy when it came to holding on to the ball, but the difference in the game was its ability to convert turnovers into points:

Despite the statistical gap between the two teams, the Mountaineers got within shouting distance at 30-17 late in the third quarter when Osman Kamara blocked a punt that Marvin Gross Jr. secured in the end zone for a touchdown.

On the Cowboys' ensuing possession, Rudolph was picked off when Kenny Robinson undercut a route and went 39 yards for a score.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long provided a visual of West Virginia's resurgence:

"

West Virginia pic.twitter.com/Rd8p0z94Zk

— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) October 28, 2017"

Mark Cooper of the Tulsa World noted the Mountaineers needed those two non-offensive touchdowns because the offense had done almost nothing in the third quarter up to that point:

After the teams traded punts, Oklahoma State got momentum back on its side when Hill scored from five yards out on 3rd-and-4 with 10:38 to play.

That it weathered the storm suggests this could be a different season for Gundy and his team. The Cowboys have struggled to overcome quality opponents on the road recently. Two of their three losses last season were at Baylor and at Oklahoma.

This game should serve as a springboard for Oklahoma State with Bedlam against Oklahoma looming next weekend at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Cowboys will follow that up by going on the road to face Iowa State on Nov. 11.

The road to the Big 12 title goes through TCU, which is the only team to defeat Oklahoma State this season. The Cowboys will need some help to capture their first conference title since 2011, but they are very much in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff.