Oklahoma State can improve its hopes for a better bowl Saturday when the Cowboys travel to TCU for 7 p.m. kickoff.

Getting bowl eligible is a big plus for the Cowboys.

“It’s super important for the development of your program,” said OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. “The biggest thing is our guys deserved to win. With what they put forward and what they put forth effort-wise, it’s a tremendous feeling to know that your players are now being rewarded that bowl game. We have TCU next and I know they are looking forward to that challenge because it’s going to be a challenge. It always is with those folks. We just have to be consistent with how we prepare. They don’t get down and you see the results of it.”

The Cowboys came from behind Saturday and knocked off No. 12 West Virginia, 45-41, and at the same time became bowl eligible by winning their sixth game.

“Obviously, that was a fun one, great college football game,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said Saturday. “I’m really proud of our players and their ability to fight back. I thought our coaches made tremendous adjustments at halftime, maybe as good as I’ve been around in a long, long time. I’ve always said – I’ll be honest with you about whether we get out coached, out played, gave it away or whatever, but our coaches made tremendous adjustments at halftime – gave our players a chance.”

The Cowboys were within one play of upsetting No. 6 Oklahoma a week before.

“We beat two top-10 teams,” Gundy said. “And three yards away from beating three last week. So I’d say the guys are doing pretty good. They’re playing hard, I’m proud of them. We’re doing it with some new guys. We played a center that’s never played before today. Didn’t have Justice (Hill), didn’t have (JD) King. So I’m proud of them for their effort and what they give to the program, and the character and culture to them means a lot.”

In his second career start, OSU running back Chuba Hubbard finished career highs of 138 rushing yards and 225 all-purpose yards. Hubbard had five catches for 24 yards and a touchdown, as well as 67 kick return yards. His 225 all-purpose yards marked the highest total for any Cowboy in a game this season.

“It was a great team win,” said Hubbard, who filled in for the injured Justice Hill. “Coach 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.

“We knew we had to do something big for the seniors. We wanted to let them go out with a bang and we just gave it all we had. It was a big win.”

OSU quarterback Taylor Cornelius tied a career high with five touchdown passes. Cornelius was 30-of-46 passing for 338 yards, marking his sixth 300-yard game of the season. That total is tied for the fourth most by an OSU quarterback – only Brandon Weeden and Mason Rudolph had more in a season.

Cornelius had 106 rushing yards to become the first OSU QB to go past the 100-yard rushing mark since J.W. Walsh had 125 yards on the ground against Mississippi State in 2013.

“He is a good player,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said of Cornelius. “He has gotten better every week. He has been there for a while. We couldn’t get pressure on him. Couldn’t get off blocks. He scrambled around and kept his eyes down field.”

Cornelius became just the third player in Big 12 history to have 300 yards passing, 100 yards rushing and five passing touchdowns in a game. The last to do it was Baylor’s Seth Russell in 2015.

He now ranks fifth in OSU history in passing touchdowns in a season with 28. He also moved into seventh on the single-season lists in attempts (401) and completions (245). His 2,461 passing yards is just 17 shy of cracking the top 10.

Cornelius ended a streak of 142 pass attempts without an interception, marking the fifth-longest streak in OSU history.

Gundy said some halftime adjustments made a big difference.

“We went to four wide (receivers),” Gundy said. “We got rid of what we were doing, revamped it, went to four wides, ran six or seven base plays and then we’ll roll with it and play fast.

“That is why we did it, based on what they were doing. They played considerably different than what they played other people. And so we had to make adjustments and go from there.”

OSU wide receiver Tylan Wallace had two touchdown catches for the third time in the last four games. The Biletnikoff Award semifinalist finished the game with seven catches for 62 yards and now has 75 catches for 1,344 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season.

“I’m really proud of the group as a whole because the rest of our guys really stepped up,” Wallace said. “I felt like I wasn’t playing as well as I should have and made a few mistakes out there, but I’m just happy that those guys could go out there, make plays and help our team win.”

“They spread us out, we had too many guys blow some and miss tackles,” said West Virginia defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. “It was an ugly second half. I thought the first half we came in and played well, created turnovers and created momentum a little bit.”

Oklahoma State is 5-1 in their past six games against opponents ranked in the Top 25. Gundy has beaten Top 10 ranked opponents 10 times in his career. The Cowboys are now 6-4 against West Virginia.

OSU is battling injuries.

“When you think about the injuries and who had to step up,” said Yurcich. “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.”