3 Takeaways from WVU Football Making History by Beating Oklahoma

MORGANTOWN, W.Va – West Virginia won a conference game against Oklahoma in football. Those are words that were not possible before Saturday.

And the win over the Sooners accomplished two things head coach Neal Brown desperately need to make happen – keep the hope of a bowl game alive and offer a positive staple moment for this otherwise disappointing season. It’s also true that what happened out there at Milan Puskar Stadium generated a good feelings, but also lingering questions.

Either way, here are the three key takeaways from the historic win.

Garrett Greene can throw some too

Everyone knew Greene could run. That was never a question. But up until this game, his ability to complete enough critical throws was in doubt. In Greene’s defense, he wasn’t allowed an opportunity to prove any of his doubters wrong prior to this game against Oklahoma.

The sophomore, who had previously only been used in designed run plays, finished with a stat line of 12 for 22 for 138 yards through the air with a touchdown pass. He then added 119 yards on the ground for an average of 8.5 per and two scores. Brown talked about how the matchup with the Sooners led to this being the game for Greene to get a true chance. Oklahoma entered the game allowing the most rushing yards in the Big 12, which was something WVU wanted to take advantage of and knew would be their recipe to victory.

Even with all of the big runs, including multiple touchdown runs, Green’s most important highlight came with the laser he threw to Bryce Ford-Wheaton in the back of the end zone.

Watch: WVU WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton Goes Up to Make TD Catch Over Sooners

He put the ball where only his receiver could get to the ball, allowing Ford-Wheaton to go up and make the catch. Throws like that one are what may earn Greene the starting gig, something Brown is not comfortable announcing just yet.

WVU HC Neal Brown Noncommittal About Starting Quarterback Moving Forward

Casey Legg is a luxury and might be 2022 team MVP

When someone unfamiliar from Oklahoma media asked me how good WVU’s kicker is as the Mountaineers approached field goal range, I responded with the truth – he’s perfect. My accurate comment since he hasn’t missed a field goal or extra point all year didn’t jinx Legg either, as he kicked the game winning field goal in the final seconds to give West Virginia the program’s first Big 12 win over the Sooners. It was only a 25-yard field goal, but it would’ve been good from much further.

It’s about time everyone realizes just how great the former high school soccer player turned college kicker truly is. It’s also time to recognize Legg, the most consistent player on this team, as the 2022 team MVP. WVU now has four wins as a team, two of which are thanks to a game winning kick by Legg.

The defense has improved from earlier in the season

While it’s fair to say the defense let down the offense early in the season, most notably in the loss to Kansas, it’s also now only right to recognize the defense has greatly improved and become the better unit in recent weeks. Inserting Greene, dual threat quarterback, helped to boost the Mountaineer offense, but West Virginia doesn’t beat Oklahoma without a strong showing from the defense.

The performance by the WVU defense can’t even be judged in yards or numbers in this game. They did allow 211 yards on the ground from Eric Gray, but their “bend but don’t break” play led to critical stops. Oklahoma was only 1 for 11 on third down and 0 for 2 on 4th down attempts. Those stops alone turned momentum and ensured all the production didn’t lead to as many points as it should have for the Sooners

Despite an emotional win over Oklahoma, there’s still pressure on the WVU coaching staff and players to keep winning. In fact, there’s still a sense that winning out and reaching a bowl game is the only way to close the season on a high note. What type of West Virginia team will show up next week and who will be conducting the offense as the starting quarterback? We will get those answers soon enough.