Quarterback to Back: Will Grier Looking for a Little Payback against OSU

Oklahoma State has two games to win one if it wants to extend its season and a current 13-year bowl streak. First up is a tough and visiting West Virginia team with a high-powered offense and an improved defense from last year.

The Mountaineers have several playmakers but everything runs through senior quarterback Will Grier. His first meeting with the Pokes didn’t go so well so.

Oklahoma State earned the 50-39 win in Morgantown at least partially due to what was at that time a season-low 285 yards and what is still a career-high four interceptions from Grier.

But Grier and the 8-1 Mountaineers have plenty to play for including a ticket to the Big 12 Championship game and a bid for the College Football Playoff. They’ll be looking to earn a little payback on the listless 5-5 Cowboys who stand in the way of both.

Cornelius and his Pokes need to win one of the next two games to keep one of the top 10 bowl streaks in America alive.

So let’s take a look a couple of senior QBs and see how they stack up in a what will be a big game for both schools.

Taylor Cornelius is coming off maybe the best game of his career in a loss to Oklahoma. It was definitely his most productive as he logged just the third 500-yard outing in OSU history.

But his Week 12 counterpart is no stranger to big numbers. The Heisman contender is second in the Big 12 and fourth nationally throwing for 329 yards per game. His total numbers look lower because West Virginia is short its matchup with NC State that was canceled due to Hurricane Florence.

Grier has been extremely efficient all season. Last week we talked about how Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa were posting historically good passer ratings. Well, if it were any other year, Grier would likely be leading the nation with his 180.7 rating.

Grier has lowered his interception rate, increased his completion percentage from 64.4 percent to 69 percent and he’s seen an uptick in yards per play, yards per game and several other categories.

A Wealth of Options

Oklahoma State may have star power and big numbers, but Grier has a plethora of options at wideout and likes to spread the ball around.

West Virginia has three receivers with over 600 yards through nine games — David Sills V, Marcus Simms, Gary Jennings Jr. Sills, Tylan Wallace’s fellow Biletnikoff nominee, and Jennings hold the top two posts in the Big 12 with 12 and 10 receiving touchdowns, respectively.

This year West Virginia has seen a resurgence of the tight end (Mountaineer Back?) position with the pair of Trevon Wesco and Jovani Haskins combining for 367 yards and 3.4 catches per game, up from 37 total yards by tight ends last year.

The Mountaineers provide another tough challenge for Oklahoma State following that shootout in Norman. Last year the Cowboys were able to limit Grier’s effectiveness with consistent pressure and those four interceptions. But the Pokes have only grabbed five INTs in 10 games, their lowest number since 2005 if it holds.

We know the Cowboys can bring pressure but based on their scheme change, OSU’s secondary is going susceptible to getting beat deep. Rodarius Williams and A.J. Green will be put to test maybe more than they have been all season when you look at how much Grier spreads the ball around. There’s not one or two guys that OSU can key in on.

This game will go as the QBs take it. West Virginia has one of the best in the nation, and an offense that can put up points quickly and will do its best to stress an already exposed OSU defense.