MORGANTOWN — The state of Oklahoma was built on the surging rush of settlers streaming inside its borders to claim the free land.

That “land rush” was duplicated over 100 years later, when West Virginia overpowered Oklahoma State, 35-10, with a ground game that called for second looks from all across the college football world.

Scoring on every offensive thrust in the first half, the ground-happy Mountaineers already had staked themselves to a 24-point lead at the half.

When reviewing the two-touchdown game of running back CJ Donaldson and the 158 rushing yards in 19 carries by Jahiem White, the Mountaineer game plan appeared to be executed almost without flaw.

“Land Rush” totals showed the thriving Mountaineers had 389 ground yards on 65 tries.

Starting quarterback Garrett Greene accounted for 245 all-purpose yards and when injured enough to leave the game, replacement Nicco Marchiol had 53 ground yards on seven carries and threw a 10-yard TD pass to Trayon Ray.

Greene returned to the field as West Virginia barely missed a beat, co-featuring its defense that usually blunted any Cowboy running play. Oklahoma State had a teamwide 21 running plays that netted only 36 yards.

The usually busy crowd at T. Boone Pickens Stadium sat transfixed and silent as the Mountaineers throttled the home side in a way nobody could have seen coming.

A week of rising anticipation will be climaxed tomorrow, when unbeaten Iowa State (5-0) rides into Puskar Stadium with its early-season momentum intact.

Morgantown will be bubbling in much the same way as it was when an overflow crowd invaded the stadium for the season opener against Penn State.

West Virginia is now 3-2, with a win in a game that was decided long before the last minute, as were the previous two games against Pitt and Kansas.

“Land Rush” football can defuse an opponent’s morale, because it is being outmanned along the line of scrimmage. And without penalties, that style of offense can keep the football away from the opponent for a long time.

Does West Virginia University have that kind of game to put on display again? Or does undefeated Iowa State have the defense to force a change in the Mountaineer plans? Saturday’s sold-out stadium crowd won’t want to sit idly by like last week’s stunned audience had to in Stillwater, as West Virginia literally shocked the home side with its game-wide excellence.