OSU Football: West Virginia Players to Watch in Week 6 Showdown
Oklahoma State is not eliminated from the Big 12 race yet, but it has no room for error.
On Saturday, OSU will look to earn its first win in conference play when it hosts West Virginia at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Cowboys dropped their first two Big 12 games to Utah and Kansas State, and the once-favorite team is on the brink of elimination from the conference title race.
Meanwhile, the Mountaineers rebounded from a tough nonconference slate and won their lone Big 12 contest against Kansas. While each team enters Saturday with two losses, they have dramatically different perspectives in the Big 12 standings.
Three Mountaineers to watch against OSU:
QB Garrett Greene
Greene has been around college football for a while and is no stranger to environments like Boone Pickens Stadium. This season, Greene has 902 passing yards for seven touchdowns and four interceptions.
No better way to end the half 🤙 pic.twitter.com/85wW1u20TH
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) September 21, 2024
Along with his ability to sling the football, Greene is also a threat to run. He has 209 yards and two touchdowns on the ground this season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. With a season-high 382 total yards against Kansas, Greene could be settling into his role as the Mountaineers look to make a statement in Stillwater.
DL T.J. Jackson
While West Virginia’s defense has had some issues early this season, Jackson has been a bright spot for the Mountaineers. After playing his first three seasons at Troy, Jackson has been a star along the line for Neal Brown’s team through four games.
Jackson has 3.5 sacks this season, recording at least one in each of his past three games. He also has 17 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss, and he recovered a fumble against Penn State.
RB CJ Donaldson
One of West Virginia’s two reliable running backs alongside Jahiem White, Donaldson is his team’s leading rusher through four games. So far this season, he has 51 carries for 284 yards and three touchdowns.
First strike ⚡️@garrett3greene → @Sp3Cj pic.twitter.com/7CDiE3OqBe
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) September 14, 2024
Donaldson can also be an occasional threat in the passing game, making a 10-yard touchdown catch against Pittsburgh. Stopping the run has not been a strong suit for OSU’s defense this season, and Donaldson could be the key to West Virginia’s offense.
READ MORE: Ranking the Big 12's Most Exciting Games in Week 6
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.