Mountaineers Fall to Sooners
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MORGANTOWN (AP) -- Kyler Murray threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score and No. 6 Oklahoma scored two defensive TDs as the Sooners beat No. 12 West Virginia 59-56 Friday night to earn a spot in next week's Big 12 championship game.
The Sooners (11-1, 8-1, No. 6 CFP) survived a wild and mostly defenseless affair that featured 1,372 yards of offense to earn a rematch Dec. 1 in Arlington, Texas, against No. 11 Texas, which beat Kansas earlier Friday.
Oklahoma also kept its College Football Playoff chances alive.
"When you score two touchdowns defensively, you like your chances," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said.
West Virginia (8-3, 6-3, No. 13 CFP) lost to Oklahoma for the seventh straight time since joining the league in 2012.
Murray finished 20 of 27 for 364 yards and converted a late fourth down to seal a matchup of Heisman Trophy hopefuls. West Virginia's Will Grier threw for four touchdowns and a career-high 539 yards on 32 of 49 passing. But Grier lost two fumbles, both of which were returned for touchdowns.
Oklahoma linebacker Caleb Kelly had a 12-yard TD return in the second quarter.
With the Mountaineers trying to regain momentum early in the fourth, Grier was spun around by defensive end Kenneth Mann during a scramble and lost the ball. Oklahoma linebacker Curtis Bolton picked it up and ran 48 yards for a touchdown to put the Sooners ahead 59-49.
"I'm disappointed for our seniors. We fought hard and came up a little bit short," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. "As well as we played offensively, giving them 14 points is inexcusable."
Martell Pettaway's 17-yard TD run with 4:20 left made it a one-score game. But Oklahoma recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock, thanks to Murray.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oklahoma: The Sooners were unremarkable on defense yet again, but those two stellar plays were the difference. On offense the Sooners surpassed 290 rushing yards for the sixth straight game, coinciding with their six-game winning streak. They also improved their national-best road winning streak to 20 games dating to the 2014 season.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers matched the Sooners punch for punch offensively but made a few more mistakes than Oklahoma and finished the regular season with two straight losses, a huge disappointment for a team that believed they had the right mix to win their first league championship. The Mountaineers will also likely miss out on a New Year's Six bowl for the seventh straight season.
BIG
PERFORMANCES
Oklahoma leading receiver Marquise Brown was Murray's favorite target again. Brown had 11 grabs for 243 yards and two scores. West Virginia's Gary Jennings finished with seven catches for a career-high 225 yards. He and David Sills caught two TDs apiece.
The Sooners' Kennedy Brooks ran for a season-high 182 yards while Murray had 115 yards on the ground, including a 55-yard TD. He averaged 12.7 yards per rush.
POLL
IMPLICATIONS
West Virginia will fall in the AP Top 25 but should maintain a top-20 ranking.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma: Meets Texas, which beat the Sooners 48-45 on Oct. 6 in Dallas. Oklahoma is going after its fourth straight league title.
West Virginia: Will await the Dec. 2 announcement of its bowl destination.
NO. 16 WASHINGTON 28, NO. 7 WASHINGTON STATE 15
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) -- Myles Gaskin broke free for an 80-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and Washington won its second Pac-12 North Division title in three years.
On a blustery cold night with snow falling and blanketing the turf at Martin Stadium, Gaskin found enough traction to carry the Huskies into the Pac-12 title game and ruin yet again the title hopes of Washington State.
It was Washington's sixth straight win over the Cougars and the third straight year the Huskies denied Washington State the North crown. Gaskin rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns, a year after running for 192 yards and four scores against the Cougars.
NO. 8 UCF 38, SOUTH FLORIDA 10
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- UCF lost quarterback McKenzie Milton to injury but still trounced South Florida to extend the nation's longest winning streak to 24 games and complete a second consecutive undefeated regular season.
Milton hurt his right knee when he was tackled at the end of a 5-yard run in the second quarter. Darriel Mack Jr. replaced him and may make his second start of the year when UCF (11-0, 8-0, No. 9 CFP) faces Memphis next week in the American Athletic Conference title game.
NO. 11 TEXAS 24, KANSAS 17
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Sam Ehlinger threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score and Texas held off Kansas to reach the Big 12 title game.
The Longhorns opened a 24-7 lead on Cameron Dicker's 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but the lowly Jayhawks responded with Peyton Bender's 31-yard touchdown pass to Daylon Charlot and recovered the ensuing onside kick.