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Every Tuesday and Thursday (barring anymore dental emergencies) through late June, we’re working through all 12 opponents on WVU’s 2026 schedule.

Here’s our First Look at Oklahoma State

Game Vitals

When: Saturday, September 26, 2026

Where: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia

Series Record: Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 10-6, but the two programs have split the last four meetings evenly. WVU won the most recent game 38-14 in Stillwater in 2024 — during what turned out to be the final stretch of the Gundy era’s collapse — but the Cowboys won the last game played in Morgantown, 48-34 in 2023.

2025 Record: 1-11 (0-9 Big 12)

Head Coach: Eric Morris (1st season)

Preview

Oklahoma State went 1-11 last season — one of the more stunning collapses in recent college football history for a program that had 18 straight winning seasons under Mike Gundy. Eric Morris comes in from North Texas, where he coached the country’s top offense, and he didn’t come alone. He brought the quarterback, the running back, the top receiver, the linebacker, the defensive backs, and most of the coaching staff with him. This is essentially North Texas in orange.

North Texas went 12-2 last season and had the No. 1 offense in the country — first in scoring, second in passing. But they got exposed when the competition stepped up. USF beat them during the regular season, and Tulane handled them in the American Conference Championship game. The Mean Green defense struggled in both of those games, and neither USF or Tulane is as talented as what the Pokes are going to see every week in the Big 12.

Oklahoma State’s offense is going to be fun to watch, but probably not much fun to go up against. Drew Mestemaker led the nation in passing yards last season with 4,379 and in yards per attempt at 9.46. Mestemaker was a walk on at Sam Houston before transferring to Denton and becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the country. There is, of course, another big jump in talent level from the AAC to the Big 12, but everything Morris said this spring suggests he’s ready. The receivers are legit — Wyatt Young had 1,246 yards last season, third in the country, and Justin Bowick gives them a 6’5” matchup problem on the outside. 5-foot-7, 168lb speedster Chris Barnes transferred from Wake Forest after breaking out as a redshirt freshman with 547 yards and three TDs on 39 receptions, and gives the offense an explosive element that’s hard to account for. Miles Coleman — who had 47 catches for 550 yards last season — followed Mestemaker from Denton to Stillwater. The two have been teammates since high school, growing up in the same neighborhood in Austin. The chemistry between Mestemaker and this group is already there.

Caleb Hawkins is the other name to know. As a true freshman last season he set the FBS record for touchdowns by a freshman with 29, led the country in rushing touchdowns (25), and finished first nationally in total points scored. He racked up 1,434 rushing yards on 231 attempts on his way to being named AAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-AAC. Tre Page III and William Mason add depth behind him.

The offensive line is the weak spot in the Pokes’ offense. Braydon Nelson and Johnny Dickson III come over from North Texas and give the unit some continuity, but three tackles missed significant time in the spring with injuries — including Nelson, who was banged up and Ashton Lepo sat out as a precaution. Morris said after the spring game he was still working toward having the starting five solidified by the first fall camp scrimmage. For an offense that wants to operate at tempo and keep defenses off balance, getting those five guys on the same page before September is crucial.

Defensively, the most interesting group is the defensive line. On the interior, Jerry Lawson, Saadiq Clements, and Enai White give the Cowboys size and depth at tackle. On the edge, Jaleel Johnson and Malik Charles both stayed through the coaching change. James Williams, a Florida State transfer, was the standout of the spring game, and Morris specifically singled out the pass rush as the unit he was most excited about heading into fall. Keviyan Huddleston, a North Texas transfer, had five sacks last season and gives the group a proven rusher. Morris believes he has seven or eight guys at that position he can win with.

The linebacker corps is led by Ethan Wesloski, a four-year veteran in the Morris system who is the vocal leader of the defense. UCLA transfer Isaiah Chisom, who finished with 84 tackles for the Bruins last season, anchors the middle alongside him.

The secondary is largely transfers still learning each other, though there are pieces worth watching. Cameron Epps made his presence known on the first play of the spring game with an interception. Kollin Lewis held opponents to a 42.1% completion rate against him at North Texas last season, which was the best mark on that defense. The concern with the unit isn’t talent, it’s competition level. The Mean Green finished 8th in the nation in pass defense last season, but USF and Tulane were the two toughest teams they faced and the defense struggled in both of those games. They’re going to be tested every week in the Big 12.

For West Virginia, this is a measuring stick that cuts both ways. Oklahoma State is a program in transition with a brand new identity and real questions about whether it can hold up against Power Four competition. WVU is a program in its second year of a rebuild with real questions of its own. Morris specifically called out this game as the point where his team needs to start showing who they are. Rich Rodriguez is probably thinking the same thing.

Way Too Early Prediction

Oklahoma State’s offense is going to be a problem for somebody this season, and I’m just thankful the Mountaineers have them early. Mestemaker is the real deal, the skill positions are loaded, and Morris has more returning production heading into 2026 than he had at North Texas heading into their 12-win season. The defense is unknown. They got exposed when competition stepped up in the American, and the Big 12 is a significant jump from that. The Mountaineers squeak by at home in a nailbiter.

West Virginia 31, Oklahoma State 28

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