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WVU’s Jaylen Anderson breaks free for a few of his 155 yards speeding in Saturday’s 24-19 win over Oklahoma State.

MORGANTOWN — In a recreation that may have been higher served being performed within the Mylan Park Aquatic Center than via a downpour in Boone Pickens Stadium within the not-so-aptly named city of Stillwater, Oklahoma, West Virginia discovered a life raft within the individual of operating again Jaylen Anderson and defeated Oklahoma State, 24-19.

It was a recreation the place a lifetime of sidebars merged right into a dramatic story to enable the West Virginia senior class to end its remaining recreation feeling as if it might — and did — stroll on water.

Though the coach was maybe teaching to preserve his job and people of his employees; although they wanted to pull it out regardless of dropping their “light up the house” quarterback Garrett Greene to a concussion, forcing them to flip the second half over to true freshman quarterback Nicco Marchiol; although within the closing moments, punter Ollie Straw dropped the snap earlier than managing to choose it again up and get off a punt.

The victory allowed the Mountaineers to end 5-7, giving them a protracted, lengthy, longshot probability of getting in a bowl if all spots should not crammed by six-win groups. While it was the third dropping season in Brown’s 4 as coach, it was vital in two methods.

WVU had misplaced 7 in a row to Oklahoma State, in order that streak ended, as did the Cowboys’ streak of getting gained 14 consecutive house video games.

The Mountaineers handed for simply 76 yards within the recreation the place the ball was each heavy and slippery from the rain, however they’d the bottom recreation to survive that.

To Neal Brown’s credit score, he mentioned to sideline reporter Jedd Drenning at halftime that he was mad they’d not run sufficient within the first half and that they’d come out operating.

The solely first-half landing for the Mountaineers belonged to Garrett Greene from 36 yards out, and with the emphasis on operating the ball, he was going to be a key determine.

But 36 seconds into the second half, he carried into the road, put his head down and was hit helmet to helmet by linebacker Mason Cobb. It was an unintentional head-to-head hit, Greene happening and laying on the sphere, instantly taken to the locker room along with his hand to his head and rapidly declared out for the remainder of the sport.

Luckily, someplace on the sideline there was a telephone sales space into which Anderson should have stepped, popping out as Superman.

“I knew it was going to be a battle because their interior is very good, but I found a little hole and was able to just pop into it and took it to house,” Anderson mentioned. “Man, I’ve been waiting to see that for a long time, It was a dream come true, honestly.”

Four performs after Greene’s exit, Anderson went to his left, minimize up discipline via a gap and 56 yards later established residency within the end zone. That could not have been the best run of the possession, for Brown grew to become a riverboat gambler on fourth-and-1 at his personal 29 and gave the ball to Anderson, who fought for 2 yards.

After crossing the purpose line, only a step or two forward of operating again coach Chad Scott, who shadowed him down the sidelines, Marchiol got here in to congratulate him, trying much more excited than Anderson.

“He definitely was more excited,” Anderson mentioned. “I was out of breath. Nicco’s my guy.”

Next possession, Brown went again to Anderson. On first down, he gave him the ball for a 15-yard run that left tacklers in his wake.

On the subsequent play, he speedboated towards the end zone for 54-yard rating, and WVU was forward 21-10. It was a lead it might not cede.

If Anderson stunned Oklahoma State, he didn’t shock Brown or the Mountaineers. Brown had talked about Anderson being a slew of touchdowns ready to occur within the wake of popping out recreation every week earlier.

“You’re seeing Anderson now,” Brown mentioned. “I’ve talked the past two years about the talent he has, but he’s had to put it all together. He is talented, and he’ll get more work this week.”

“Jaylen has been given a whole lot of talent,” added offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. “I’ve only had a few months with him, but from when he got here to now, like most people going from high school to college, you just have to grow up a little bit. Knowing he had an opportunity to get some reps made him grow up in a hurry.”

He wrapped a lifetime of yardage into this recreation, speeding 15 instances for 155 yards.

Marchiol’s function was sudden, being a real freshman who had to wait his flip.

“To be honest, he wasn’t ready earlier in the season,” Brown mentioned, and Marchiol agreed.

“Just being a young guy coming into college football, things are moving a thousand times faster than in high school,” Marchiol mentioned. “I could sit back and process the situation and see how the speed of the game goes and see how the quarterbacks ahead of me handle the situations all helped me for this moment.”

It’s exhausting to are available chilly, as Marchiol did when what Greene was injured, particularly contemplating the climate.

“Oh, man, that’s football weather,” mentioned the child from Chandler, Arizona. “That’s what makes it electric out here. The atmosphere was so fun.”