Oklahoma Sooners vs West Virginia Mountaineers Match Player Stats On Nov 19, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Nov 20, 2016

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Ninth-ranked Oklahoma, continuing to make up ground for two September losses, overpowered No. 14 West Virginia 56-28 on Saturday night.

Behind 160 rushing yards from Samaje Perine and 147 by Joe Mixon, the Sooners (9-2, 8-0 Big 12) won their eighth straight game while defeating the Mountaineers (8-2, 5-2) for the fifth consecutive time.

West Virginia's Skyler Howard ran for two second-half touchdowns but not before throwing a pick-six interception that linebacker Jordan Evans returned 80 yards to make it 41-7.

The Mountaineers' Justin Crawford rushed for a career-high 331 yards on 24 carries.

Howard finished 12-of-27 passing for 191 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown to Ka'Raun White that pulled West Virginia within 41-28.

But the Sooners countered with a 65-yard drive capped by Baker Mayfield's 1-yard clincher. The quarterback tacked on another 1-yard score in the final 27 seconds.

Crawford lost a first-quarter fumble at the Sooners' 4. Another Mountaineers' threat ended at the Oklahoma 3 on a botched snap between Howard and center Tyler Orlosky.

Capitalizing on West Virginia red-zone fumbles, the Sooners marched 96 and 97 yards for second-quarter touchdowns. Mixon's 5-yard run stretched the lead to 28-0 before Perine's 9-yarder made it 34-0. Both Sooners running backs eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the first half, reducing the early workload for Mayfield.

Mayfield was only 4-for-7 passing at the break though two of his completions went for scores.

Mayfield's 5-yard pass to Jeffrey Mead made it 21-0, capping a 78-yard, nine-play drive. That followed Dede Westbrook taking a third-and-8 screen 75 yards by shaking free from linebacker Justin Arndt.

A fumbled punt at the West Virginia 34 set up Oklahoma's first score, a 2-yard run by Perine on a direct snap from the Wildcat formation.

Wet Virginia's 20-yard pass from Howard to Jovan Durante just 1:13 before half trimmed the deficit to 34-7.

NOTES: West Virginia entered with the Big 12's stingiest defense, allowing 20.6 points per game. Oklahoma surpassed that total with 3:24 left in the opening quarter. ... The Mountaineers were riddled by personal fouls early, including unsportsmanlike conduct flags against defensive linemen Noble Nwachukwu and Christian Brown on the same play. ... With little to cheer in the first half, the near-sellout crowd at Milan Puskar Stadium rose to its feet when Oklahoma's Austin Siebert's missed extra point left the score 34-0. ... Mountaineers RB Kennedy McKoy left with an injury after his first carry.