Defense for real?
I understand it’s early, but the Cowboys defense looks much improved.
They just registered their first sack I remember in quite a while.
Granted it’s kind of a rum-dum Wazzu offense, but OSU looks faster and stronger than it has in several years.
– Asst. Sports Editor Ryan Sharp
OSU 10, WSU 0
Cowboys score on a Kendall Hunter run.
Looks like the offense is shaking off the rust. Looked good on that last drive.
Defense isnt’ looking too shabby either. Don’t think WSU’s gotten the ball into OSU territory.
– Asst. Sports Editor Ryan Sharp
Offense stalls
Offense settles for a Dan Bailey field goal after having 1st-and-goal from inside the 10.
Don’t think the Cowboys have thrown a pass yet.
– Asst. Sports Editor Ryan Sharp
Good start in Seattle
Cowboys off to good start in Seattle.
Forced a fumble (though didn’t recover) on first defensive series. Then Dez Bryant rolls off a nifty punt return giving the Pokes the ball deep in WSU territory.
– Asst. Sports Editor Ryan Sharp
Gameday: What to watch for
By Scott Wright
The clock is ticking toward kickoff at Qwest Field and here are a few things that could be worth keeping an eye on:
– Running backs: Who gets the carries? Are they used situationally? How much does Kendall Hunter be used? That, I think, will be particularly interesting to watch. Only once last season did he have more than 15 carries in a game.
– Play calling: Technically, Gundy’s real first play-calling test as a head coach will come next week, when he’s had only a few days to prepare. But today will be interesting to see how creative he gets.
– Receivers: They can’t throw every pass to Dez Bryant and Brandon Pettigrew. Who gets the rest?
– Defense: This is probably the most obvious one. Everyone’s eyes will be on the ‘D’ to see if it actually is better. I think it will be, but time will be the better test. WSU is only better than one or two Big 12 teams.
sight seeing at qwest
Hello from Seattle, where I just took a little self-guided tour of Qwest, going wherever my press pass would take me.
Some notes of interest.
- Coming in from some warmup stuff, all the players and some of the coaches filed by while I was standing in a hallway saying hello to Mike Holder. Holder got high fives from a couple of guys, and as a very intense, riled-up Trooper Taylor came by Holder smiled and said, “Easy, Trooper.” Trooper’s response was something to the effect of: “I don’t do easy.”
-While admiring the turf (and getting the history of it from a nice Qwest employee named Doug) we saw the special teams guys come out to stretch. All wearing black shirts with the phrase “Set the tone” on the back.
-Staff members assure us that there aren’t any injuries we don’t already know about.
And I think that’s all I know for now, 40 minutes until kickoff.
-andrea cohen
Pregame thoughts
By Scott Wright
Sitting at home watching the first night of college football (during commercials of the Cubs-Phillies game) I got to thinking about Saturday’s OSU-Washington State game.
I’ll pose the question to you that I’ve been pondering for the last three innings (btw, the Cubs just tied it up, 1-1 in the fifth in case you’re scoring at home):
If you’re Mike Gundy, what is your first offensive play call? The first snap of the game, what play do you run?
There’s always so much anticipation for the first play, and sure, the fans are excited if it’s a handoff up the middle or a post route.
Here’s my call (which is not impacted by the fact that the Cubs just gave up three runs in the top of the sixth)…
Play-action pass off the option. With a new defensive coordinator coaching a team in a league that doesn’t see the option all that much, I guarantee the WSU defensive coaches have been preaching assignments on the option play for about a month now.
So once the Cowboys show option, the defense will fall into the routine it has been practicing over and over. Then, when Zac Robinson drops back to throw, the linebackers will freeze.
You send Dez Bryant deep and drag Brandon Pettigrew over the middle. Even if the cornerback stays tight on Dez and isn’t peeking at the option look, Pettigrew should have plenty of room between those frozen linebackers and the safety hoping Dez doesn’t get behind him in his two-deep zone.
Not only that, but it’ll keep them off-balance at least the next three or four times you choose to run anything resembling the option, run or pass.
Any other ideas from the readers out there?
and some women’s basketball news, too
To replace assistant coach Kenya Larkin, who took a position at LSU over the summer, Kurt Budke announced Tuesday that he is promoting Richie Henderson. Henderson, an OSU graduate, was a GA on the staff last season.
“The main thing with Richie is he is an Oklahoma State graduate and was born
and raised in Oklahoma,” Budke said. “Everyone in our community that knows
him has great respect for him and realizes how bright he is. He is a rising
star in the coaching business.”
-andrea cohen
Keller to Kansas
Some news on a former OSU men’s basketball staff member …
Kansas has hired former OSU basketball staff member Kyle Keller as its video coordinator, the Jayhawks announced Tuesday.
Keller was on both Eddie and Sean Suttons staffs for the last nine years. He was promoted to assistant coach in 2005-06, after serving the previous four years as the director of basketball operations for the Cowboys. In the middle of last season he was demoted from assistant coach to the director of student-athlete development.
-andrea cohen
Court-less GIA, for the moment
There’s an interesting sight — and smell — in Gallagher-Iba Arena at the moment. That floor re-painting that we talked so much about this summer is underway. At least, the sanding down is underway. It’s very, very strange to see that arena without a court painted on it. As for the smell, that would be the sawdust (is that the right word for it?).
The unusable floor means men’s and women’s basketball have been sharing time in the practice gym, and occassionally up at the Colvin Center. I’m hoping to catch the men’s team playing some pickup this afternoon. If I do I’ll let you know how it looked.
– andrea cohen
