Samaje Perine (32) was a load for the West Virginia defense to handle. (Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Samaje Perine helped Oklahoma forget — at least momentarily — about the loss of Keith Ford.
The Sooners freshman running back ran for 239 yards and four touchdowns to help No. 4 Oklahoma to a 45-33 win over West Virginia on Saturday night at Milan Puskar Stadium.
The game didn’t have the late drama of the 50-49 Oklahoma win the last time the teams met in Morgantown in 2012, but it had nearly as much action, going back and forth until the Sooners took control in the second half.
Perine and sophomore Alex Ross were tasked with replacing Ford, who suffered a broken fibula in last week’s win over Tennessee that is expected to keep him out for at least two games.
Ross had a couple of explosive plays — a 100-yard kickoff return for a score and a 34-yard run in the third quarter.
But it was Perine that made the offense go. The Sooners scored on every first-half drive in which he got a carry other than the final drive of the half when Oklahoma had just two seconds to work with. On their other four drives, not only did they not score, but they picked up just one first down.
The Sooners won despite another big game from West Virginia’s Kevin White, had eight catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. Mario Alford had 101 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Oklahoma improved to 5-0 (1-0 Big 12) going into a bye week before traveling to TCU. West Virginia (2-2, 0-1) also has the week off before hosting Kansas.
Oklahoma kicker Michael Hunnicutt accounted for nine points to become the Sooners’ career scoring leader. He broke DeMarco Murray’s record of 390 points with an extra point after Perine’s third touchdown of the game late in the third quarter.
The game started slowly before the offenses took over.
White slipped behind Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez in the final minute of the second quarter for a 68-yard touchdown to put the Mountaineers up 7-3.
It was the first points given up by the Sooners in the first quarter all year. Oklahoma had outscored its first three opponents 55-0 in the first quarter.
The Sooners struggled to respond on the offense side, going three-and-out on three consecutive drives before Perine finally got involved in the offense once again.
Knight hit a 31-yard pass to wide receiver Sterling Shepard and then Perine — on his first carry since the first quarter despite averaging more than 5 yards per attempt — broke off for a 38-yard gain that set up a game-tying touchdown pass.
It wasn’t Knight throwing, though, as wide receiver Durron Neal got the ball on a reverse and then fired a 4-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Knight.
After the teams again traded touchdowns, West Virginia looked like it would carry the momentum into halftime after Rushel Shell’s 5-yard run, helped by a failed onside kick after Oklahoma’s previous touchdown and several Sooners penalties on the drive.
But the Sooners immediately pulled even. Ross, who started in place of Ford, returned the kick 100 yards to send the game to halftime tied at 24.
NOTES: The last Oklahoma quarterback to catch a touchdown pass before Trevor Knight did it in the second quarter was Hunter Wall in 2001 from receiver Antwone Savage. A Sooners starting quarterback hadn’t caught a touchdown pass since Jack Mitchell did it from Darrell Royal in 1948. … West Virginia WR Kevin White had his fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving game, a first for the Mountaineers since Stedman Bailey surpassed the mark in five consecutive games in 2011. … An alternate official had to be called onto the field after the head linesman was injured after a scuffle between Oklahoma tackle Daryl Williams and West Virginia linebacker Wes Tonkery. … Sooners CB Zack Sanchez intercepted a pass from Clint Trickett in the final seconds of the second quarter, giving Sanchez an interception in five consecutive games. … Oklahoma RB Alex Ross’ kick return was his third play of 80 or more yards this season. … Oklahoma wore its new alternate cream jerseys with crimson pants for the first time this season. The last time the Sooners wore alternate uniforms on the road, they were upset 41-14 by Texas Tech in 2009. … West Virginia wore gold helmets with blue jerseys and pants.
