Flashback: Mountaineer Sensation Tavon Austin Dazzles with Historic All-Purpose Performance

Even though West Virginia has never beat Oklahoma since joining the Big 12, there are still some moments Mountaineer fans can look back on fondly from playing the Sooners.

The one that immediately jumps out is when WVU Sports Hall of Famer Tavon Austin went completely off with a performance that is usually only seen in a video game. Austin accumulated 572 all-purpose yards in the game.

But that doesn’t do his game justice or tell the whole story. Austin set a school record with 344 rushing yards, averaging 16.4 per on 21 carries. on 21 carries. He added four catches for 82 yards and eight kick returns for 146 yards. Austin came just eight yards shy of breaking the NCAA record for all-purpose yards in a single game.

In honor of @WVUfootball taking on @OU_football this weekend, throwback to when when @Tayaustin01 went CRAZY for 572 all-purpose yards in a one-point loss for the Mountaineers 😳😰 pic.twitter.com/nKghthpGOa

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 9, 2022

This insane night for Austin was fueled by former WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen deciding to insert his play making wide receiver in at running back in an effort to snap a four-game losing streak. While the decision worked out individually for Austin and provided one of the most entertaining games ever by any college player, it did not lead to a win. The Sooners won a riveting 50-49 shootout, a gut-wrenching loss for WVU that season.

In the midst of another rough season team wise, West Virginia is looking to do something the program could not even accomplish despite an historic game by one player – pick up a victory against the Sooners. Fortunately for WVU, this year’s Sooners team is not nearly as good as the one the Mountaineers faced with Austin.

West Virginia and Oklahoma are set to kickoff at noon with FS1 broadcasting the game.