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Man, what a fun game, huh? It had a little bit of everything: offense, defense, special teams miscues, heart attacks, choice words, duping roommates...
Funny moment from today: My roommate thinks I'm psychic bc I'm 4-4 on TD calls. We are streaming and @CowboyFB tweet notifications are fast.
— Tyler Wiederhoeft (@TDWiederhoeft) October 28, 2017
When @TDWiederhoeft goes 5 for 5 on TD calls. Even called the play and the players involved. Must be some kind of wizard
— Jacob Pekrul (@JPekrul_211) October 28, 2017
...ya know, all the fun parts of gameday.
This week was the first week that I, as head gamemaker, forced the participants to pick different players. Is this the week Cade finally climbs out of the cellar? Let’s find out.
Here’s the standings.
Standings after Week 8:
T1 - Dustin: 9
T1 - Micah: 9
T1 - “Pete”: 9
4 - Joel: 7
5 - Cade: 5
Oklahoma State
Offense
TRUE FRESHMAN J.D. King had a heck of a week, rushing 36 times for 142 yards and a touchdown. He added 29 more yards and a receiving TD to his already-impressive stats.
James Washington continued his Biletnikoff-worthy season, hauling in seven catches for 91 yards and two scores.
However, I would be remiss not to give the point to Mason Rudolph this week.
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QB1 completed 20 of his 34 passes for 216 yards, three TDs and an interception. He also called his own number on a goal-line rush and found the end zone for four total TDs on the day.
The main reason he gets the point is Rudolph set multiple records this weekend - three of which were pretty big records. He passed Zac Robinson for most touchdowns responsible. Robinson had 89, Rudolph now sits at 91. He also passed now-Tennessee Titan Brandon Weeden for career passing touchdowns. The old record was 75, and Rudolph now has 77 (and counting) to his name. Finally, he passed his head coach Mike Gundy for total career wins with 29.
Any time you have a game where you set records like that pretty much guarantees the point.
Defense
A.J. Green also had a great game, registering five tackles - all solo - to go with two interceptions and two passes defended. I’ve been blown away by the play of both Green and Rodarius Williams this season. The cornerback position was one of the biggest question marks going into the season, and the two underclassmen have risen to the challenge and surpassed expectations.
Justin Phillips continues to be a force to be reckoned with, notching six solo tackles and two tackles for loss.
However, it’s Ramon Richards that takes the point this week.
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Richards continues to thrive at the safety position. The ball-hawking senior is continuing to make plays and excel at his new position. He had six tackles, two passes defended and an interception off Will Grier on Saturday. He, along with the rest of the defense, helped shut down one of the best receivers in the Big 12, holding David Sills V to three catches for 44 yards - 40 of which came on one play.
West Virginia
Offense
I already mentioned Sills was held in check for most of the day.
Will Grier was less than stellar, completing 20-of-42 for 285 yards, two TDs and four INTs. Grier’s 3.6 QBR narrowly beat Baylor’s Zach Smith QBR of 3.4, good for second-lowest of the season against the surprisingly good Oklahoma State defense.
West Virginia needed all the help it could get on offense, and Marcus Simms stepped up to the plate.
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Simms had three receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. He was also productive on kick returns, returning four for 85 yards, averaging 21.3 yards per reception.
Defense
Kenny Robinson had the lone pick off of Rudolph, and he returned it for a touchdown. However, he only registered five tackles, three of which were solo.
David Long Jr. on the other hand was a beast. The sophomore linebacker was credited with an astounding 18 tackles, 14 of which were solo. He had seven tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Outstanding. However, he wasn’t picked.
Kyzir White was picked, and he had a respectable day.
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The senior safety had seven tackles on the afternoon. He also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. That’s good enough for me!
Let’s tally up the points!
Cade - 1 point
OSU: O - Jalen McCleskey | D - Chad Whitener
WVU: O - Marcus Simms | D - Dravon Askew-Henry
“Pete” - 0 points
OSU: O - Marcell Ateman | D - Tre Flowers
WVU: O - Justin Crawford | D – Mike Daniels Jr.
Dustin - 0 points
OSU: O - Justice Hill | D - Jordan Brailford
WVU: O - Gary Jennings | D - Adam Shuler II
Joel - 1 point
OSU: O - James Washington | D - DeQuinton Osbourne
WVU: O - David Sills V | D - Kyzir White
Micah - 2 points
OSU: O - Mason Rudolph | D - Ramon Richards
WVU: O - Will Grier | D – Al-Rasheed Benton
Standings after Week 9:
1 - Micah: 11
T2 - Dustin: 9
T2 - “Pete”: 9
4 - Joel: 8
5 - Cade: 6
Micah was finally able to break the tie at the top as she now has a two point lead over the rest of the field.
Come back on Friday morning to see the Bedlam picks!