WVU WR Jaden Bray Connects Current Adversity to 2023 Oklahoma State Cowboys

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – It’s only natural for any team enduring down times to look for motivation from anywhere they can find it. And while this group of Mountaineers could look at examples from past WVU teams, they are also able to draw from what one of their own experienced elsewhere.

On Monday, just two days after West Virginia squandered a 10-point lead and lost the Backyard Brawl to Pitt, coaches and players were forced to answer questions about their mindset now that they sit at 1-2. Then, in a somewhat surprising turn of events, wide receiver Jaden Bray stood out from the rest for his calm demeanor and confidence.

Bray has been through this before. His current team’s situation is even somewhat similar to what he faced with Oklahoma State in 2023. One year ago, Bray and the Cowboys were opening up Big 12 play on the heels of one of the worst losses ever for a Mike Gundy team.

Back then, Oklahoma State was coming off a 33-7 loss to South Alabama – a program that was an FCS school not that long ago. That loss made most in the national media view the Cowboys as overrated and an afterthought in terms of being a contender.

Oklahoma State didn’t respond well at first. They would then turn around and open Big 12 play with another loss, this one in heartbreaking fashion. OSU lost 34-27 to Iowa State.

But Bray and his ex teammates still believed they were a good team and responded with five-straight wins, including over the Mountaineers in Morgantown. The Cowboys would eventually make it all the way to Dallas and the Big 12 Championship Game, making their early season issues just a hiccup in an otherwise solid season. A bowl win and the Cowboys finished 10-4 (7-2, Big 12).

Of course, Bray was asked how the 2023 Cowboys managed to turn their season around.

“That just comes from not looking at the outside noise and realizing that the only players and people that know what’s going on with this football team are the people here every day and out there practicing and out there working with us,” explained Bray.

“Just keeping the outside noise out and just focusing on what we know we’re capable of, cause we know what we’re capable of and what type of team we are.”

For a related story, WVU head coach Neal Brown doesn’t believe his team will let the negativity ruin their season.