Chuba and Cornelius Key Unlikely OSU Comeback to Top No. 9 Mountaineers

With zero timeouts and 2:38 left, the Cowboys defied logic and ran their way to victory.

On Oklahoma State’s final possession of its 45-41 upset victory against West Virginia on Saturday, Taylor Cornelius and Chuba Hubbard combined for 64 rushing yards before the go-ahead score. Hubbard and Cornelius each finished with more than 100 rushing yards on a West Virginia defense that held TCU to -7 rushing yards just a week earlier.

“It was a great team win,” Hubbard said. “Coach (Mike) Gundy said it was going to be a battle and it was. We just kept hitting back. They knocked us on the ground a couple times, but we kept getting back up and played as a team. It was an awesome win.”

It’s amazing how it all came to be. The Cowboys were down three starting offensive linemen and All-Big 12 running back Justice Hill. Yet Hubbard, a redshirt freshman, ran for 134 yards, and Cornelius, a 6-foot-6 quarterback, ran for 106.

Cornelius and Hubbard combined for 669 all-purpose yards against the team that entered the day second in the Big 12 in total defense. Cornelius had a rushing touchdown and five passing touchdowns, one of which was to Hubbard.

Cornelius had a particularly rough first half. He had 119 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions — and only 20 rushing yards. He finished the game with 338 passing yards and the six total touchdowns. Gundy has raved about Cornelius’ unyielding temperament all season, and Gundy referenced it again postgame.

“He got confused, made a couple (poor) throws in the first half,” Gundy said. “Things don’t bother him. That’s the position that has to be that way, but most young people aren’t that way. I say young, he’s 24, and it makes a difference. He stays even keel.”

Down to Ry Schneider at center, who was playing small-school Oklahoma high school football in 2015, and without their preseason Heisman hopeful in the backfield, the Cowboys became bowl eligible for the 13th straight season against the No. 9 team in the country.

“When you think about the injuries and who had to step up,” OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said. “Going into the game plan, we had a heavy dose of Jelani Woods and when he goes down and you are playing with your backup center and you don’t have Justice Hill, you are just hoping that guys step up to the opportunity. And they sure did. It’s just very exciting to be a part of it.”