Tracking Bill Young’s five preseason goals
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
1. Focus on finding the best 11 on defense. And then the next 11.
Analysis: The Cowboys have been willing to move guys around to make sure they have the top 11 on the field at all times. Linebacker James Thomas has emerged as a guy who makes plays and is often on the field with the first team. He’s athletic and seems to be around the ball on a consistent basis. The move of Derek Burton inside appears to be a good move as well. The senior from Muskogee has held his own in the interior.
Grade: B. Young has been hampered by injuries at the safety position. The Grambling State game was the first game they had Markelle Martin, Johnny Thomas, Victor Johnson and Lucien Antoine available at the same time. It will be interesting to see how Young uses their talents because its clear they are among the best defenders on the squad.
2. Keep implementing the package.
Analysis: I’d imagine OSU’s defense will continue to evolve and the packages will continue to change each week. I won’t be surprised to see three, maybe even four of those safeties on the field at the same time especially against spread offenses. That will allow OSU to have speed but with Martin and Antoine closer to the line of scrimmage, also give them the ability to handle the pass.
Grade: B. OSU’s defense hasn’t been completely installed but they run packages that cause problems for offenses and have resulted in good pressure on the quarterback thus far. When they’ve had problems the culprit has been tackling not scheme.
3. Create turnovers.
Analysis: OSU has forced nine turnovers in four games. That’s 2.25 turnovers per game, that’s an excellent ratio. If they can continue to do that, that will change games and could be the difference in big games like Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Grade: A. Forcing more than two turnovers per game is excellent. The Cowboys just need to continue to be opportunistic and hard hitting.
4. Stop the run.
Analysis: The Cowboys rank No. 47 in the nation in run defense, allowing 118 rushing yards per game. They held Georgia to 95 rushing yards in the opener but then had breakdowns against Houston, allowing 146 rushing yards.
While 118 yards per game isn’t a great stat, the Cowboys are allowing just 3.4 rushing yards per carry. They have been solid with their run defense thanks in large part to their linebackers. Patrick Lavine, Andre Sexton and Donald Booker have been solid as the Cowboys starting linebackers and Booker has been superb, replacing Orie Lemon and leading OSU in tackles with 26.
Grade: B-. The Cowboys rise above a C simply because they are allowing only 3.4 yards per carry. But they don’t get a solid B or even an A because they could be better. Only sloppy tackling has kept this from being a very good run defense.
5. Contribute to the feel-good vibe of a team getting top-10 looks.
Analysis: With all the talk about OSU and their expectations heading into the season, the defense has held up its end of the bargain. They were supposed to be “the weak link” but they’ve been anything but that. They’ve forced 2.25 turnovers per game, are allowing only 3.4 yards per carry and have held two teams to 10 points or less.
If and when the offense finally finds its rhythm, expect the defense to play even better. Just look at Saturday’s game against Grambling, the offense came out and a roll and the defense matched them with excellent play from start to finish. Now we need to see that against Big 12 competition.
Grade: A. Some may disagree with this assessment but the defense has done enough to win every game on the schedule thus far, the offense has just put them in tough positions with their turnover troubles. And let’s be honest, all OSU is asking from its defense is to play well enough to win, and that’s exactly what they’ve done in the non-conference schedule.
Tracking Mike Gundy’s five preseason goals
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
This preseason, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy had five goals heading into the season. Here’s a look at those goals and how the Cowboys have progressed thus far.
1. Make sure the Cowboys are in good condition, yet avoid burnout
Analysis: Clearly the Cowboys camp was physical. OSU lost running back Kye Staley and linebacker Orie Lemon before the season even started.
But it was because preseason camp was physical that the Cowboys defeated Georgia. It was a physical football game against an SEC power and OSU was up to the challenge largely because Gundy had prepared them well for the opener.
Grade: B (just because of the season ending injuries to Staley and Lemon)
2. Name a legit backup quarterback
Analysis: Gundy named Alex Cate the backup quarterback before the season started. But he wasn’t exactly heaping praise on the junior from Salt Lake City when he did so.
Cate saw his first playing time against Grambling and promptly took a shot to the head and left the game. Brandon Weeden, the Cowboys’ No. 3 quarterback, came in and impressed. He threw two touchdown passes and showed surprising mobility on a 13-yard scramble. Weeden has great tools so it makes you wish you could have seen more of Cate since he beat out Weeden for the backup gig.
Grade: A. Gundy accomplished his goal of naming a backup and he said he wouldn’t name one just to name one so the naming of Cate meant there was separation between the two quarterbacks.
3. Get a great feel for new system put in place by new DC Bill Young
Analysis: The players seem to really enjoy playing for Young. The Cowboys defense has had its ups and downs but throughout all the games they’ve had positive stretches in which they showed signs of being a solid defense. Now it’s a matter of getting the consistency they are searching for.
Not to mention I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some things they’ve held back defensively heading into Big 12 play.
Grade: B. There haven’t been a lot of blown assignments and the players seem to like the system. But I’d imagine they are still adding things to the system heading into conference play.
4. Become better tacklers
Analysis: This is one area it seems the Cowboys have struggled. After a good tackling game against Georgia, missed tackles against Houston contributed to the Cowboys only loss.
And their tackling, while improved, still hasn’t returned to the level it was at against the Bulldogs.
Grade: D. After the past three games, Gundy mentioned one-on-one tackling as an area he hoped to improve. The one bright spot was the UGA game in which OSU’s D showed it can be a defense full of solid tacklers.
5. Take better care of the ball offensively to avoid turnovers
Analysis: Before the season Gundy talked about the turnovers the defense was getting against the offense. While the defense has proven to be very good at forcing turnovers, the offense has struggled to protect the football.
Limiting turnovers is critical to the Cowboys success and they’ve had 10 turnovers already which is half of their total of 2008 (20 turnovers) and nearly 2.5 turnovers per game. From this point forward, OSU must limit its turnovers to one per game or they’ll have a tough time winning the Big 12 south.
Grade: F. Clearly this goal has not been accomplished. The Cowboys are doing a worse job protecting the ball than they did a year ago. OSU seems confident they will be better at protecting the ball as their young players get more game experience but that remains to be seen.
Tuesday’s power lunch transcript
Here’s a transcript of today’s power lunch chat:
Six Former Pokes Open NBA Camp
By John Helsley, Staff Writer
NBA training camps are opening everywhere, some with an Oklahoma State flair.
Former Cowboys show up on the rosters of six NBA teams, with practices due to begin today.
Tony Allen maintains stability, starting his sixth season with the Boston Celtics. But for four other former Pokes, new teams offer new beginnings.
Joey Graham, who spent the past four seasons with the Toronto Raptors, moves to the Denver Nuggets.
Stephen Graham, Joey’s twin, signed on Monday with the Charlotte Bobcats – his sixth NBA team.
Desmond Mason, who spent last season locally with the Thunder, went West with a one-year deal to play with Sacramento.
David Monds, who finished at OSU in 2007 and spent last season in the NBA Developmental League, is trying to make it with the world champion Los Angeles Lakers.
And John Lucas, who played in 60 games for the Houston Rockets over two seasons from 2005-07, is trying to make it with the Miami Heat.
Allen, who has battled injuries throughout his career, is questionable for the preseason as he continues recovery from June 3 ankle surgery to repair a torn tendon.
Graham waited five months to hook on with a new team, then hustled in to join the Nuggets’ first practice. Denver is hoping he fills offense lost when Linas Kleiza signed with Olympiakos and defense lost when Dahntay Jones signed with the Pacers, according to the Denver Post.
“I like covering guys like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James,” Graham told the Post. “I’m a rough-neck guy, a blue-collar guy.”
OSU 56, Grambling State 6: Thoughts and observations
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
–The Cowboys offense did exactly what I expected them to do… for the first time this season. True enough it was Grambling State, but that’s how the offense should perform when they have more talent than the opposition.
–The offensive line seems to be coming around but it’s tough to tell when going against an overmatched Tiger front.
–Keith Toston had a good game but that’s what should have been expected of him.
–I wasn’t surprised to see Jeremy Smith’s redshirt pulled. I had been hearing too many good things about him during the preseason, I felt he would play his way out of the redshirt and he did.
–Smith had a great debut– but I wouldn’t get too carried away with it. The large majority of his 160 yards came after the game had been decided with Zac Robinson and other key starters already on the bench.
–I wouldn’t read too much into Smith’s redshirt being pulled in relation to Kendall Hunter’s injury. I think it has as much to do with the fact the Cowboys understand Smith could end up being the man next year if Hunter leaves. And even if he doesn’t Smith had shown enough in preseason and September practices to convince the Cowboys staff that he’s going to be counted on to make plays next year. So why not get him some game experience this season and know that you can count on him next year? He appears to have passed Travis Miller on the depth chart and Kye Staley will be coming off his season-ending knee injury so Smith could easily end up being THE GUY in 2010 and at the very least, see the amount of carries Toston will see this season.
–Dameron Fooks looked really good. He’s a big, smooth receiver and the body control he showed on his touchdown catch was outstanding. The more he gets involved in the offense and the more comfortable he becomes, the better for OSU.
–The defense was solid, but again, and I know I sound like a broken record with this but… the Cowboys have no problem getting into opponents’ backfield. The problem comes when they have to tackle the quarterback. Again, the other team’s QB scrambled and made plays. So when Colt McCoy, Blaine Gabbert come to town in October, OSU needs to have found a answer for that.
–It was good to see the Cowboys keep Dez, Perrish and Kendall out. They had no reason to play and OSU really needs those guys to be successful in the Big 12 and reach their goal of a Big 12 south title.
–Turnovers may be the downfall of this squad. If OSU’s offense didn’t turn it over or even just turned it over once per game up to this point, they might still be undefeated and the offense definitely wouldn’t be getting as many questions about why it has struggled to get going.
–Overall it was about what you’d expect from the Cowboys and they should be happy with how they played, especially putting the game away by halftime and not even having to use their first-team offense.
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Behind Enemy Lines: Grambling State
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
It’s time for another edition of Behind Enemy Lines:
This week my Q&A session is with Nick Deriso of TheDerisoReport.com. Nick has followed Grambling for a decade including six SWAC championship game appearances.
Few people know Grambling State football like Nick Deriso.
So here we go:
Brandon Chatmon: Who are the offensive players on the Grambling roster that OSU fans should keep an eye on?
Nick Deriso: Grambling’s principal big-play threat so far this season has been Frank Warren, a junior running back in his third year with the offense. Warren leads the program’s home league, the Southwestern Athletic Conference, in yards per carry, total yards and yards per game.
Fellow junior Greg Dillon is an athletic presence at quarterback, but has struggled with turnovers a season after earning MVP honors in the season-ending Bayou Classic (a nationally televised NBC game against in-state rival Southern University) and in the SWAC Championship Game.
He’s found a solid option in 6-2, 205-pound wideout Van Phillips, a sophomore, but a Grambling offense still rounding into shape for 2009 doesn’t have any receivers in the SWAC Top 10.
BC: Who are the Tigers’ top defenders?
ND: Junior defensive end Christian Anthony is this team’s most explosive athlete, and a contender for the Buck Buchanan Award recognizing the FCS’s defensive player of the year. Already, he’s had a hand in three scores off interceptions made in the flat. That helped him to national FCS defensive player of the week honors after Grambling’s win over Northwestern State two Saturdays ago.
The team is rebuilding along its interior line and in the linebacking corps, but has played well in the secondary — in particular Nigel Copeland and T.J. McCord, who leads the team in stops.
Together, they’ve pushed Grambling to a 20th ranking among FCS programs for in pass efficiency defense (98.35); the Tigers are No. 32 in passing defense (159.7 ypg). Anthony leads the SWAC in tackles for a loss; linebacker Cliff Exama leads the league in fumble recoveries.
BC: What is the atmosphere around the team heading into this game? How do they view it?
ND: This is a program that has, over the years, made a habit of playing up. So Grambling players don’t enter Saturday’s matchup in an unfamiliar spot.
That said, they know just what that spot is: An underdog of dizzying proportions. Grambling has played six FBS foes since 2000, losing by an average of 33 points — and twice (Louisville, 2000; San Jose State, 2003) getting shut out.
That said, they played competitively against Houston in 2006 and Pittsburgh in 2007, and history shows that the team learns much from these difficult challenges.
Grambling went 11-1 in 2008 after an opening loss to Nevada, earning head coach Rod Broadway his first SWAC championship. The Tigers won 8 games in a row after falling to Louisville in 2000; and 10 consecutive games after losing to Washington State in 2005 — claiming the league crown in each of those years, as well.
BC: Does Grambling have any true freshman expected to make an impact on Saturday?
ND: Rod Broadway has made a habit of starting the best performer on his roster, regardless of classification — beginning in his first season with Warren, who runs in tandem with another third-year starter in junior Cornelius Walker.
This year, the team has a pair of freshmen in the kicking game: Punter Fabian Carter (8th in the SWAC with a 36-yard average), who has been solid when protected; and placekicker Ari Johnson, who is No. 3 in the league for scoring among kickers.
BC: Who are the top NFL prospects on the team?
ND: Anthony is the team’s best NFL prospect right now, though only a junior. This FBS contest will play a critical role in his eventual candidacy for the draft — just as the Washington State game did for Jason Hatcher, the Grambling product (also a defensive end who wore No. 90) taken in 2006 in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys. Scouts that year visiting Grambling focused most intently on how Hatcher fared against an upper-divisional foe — and I think the same will hold true for Chris.
BC: The Tiger band is internationally known for its exploits, do the football players hold any ill will towards the band? (Because this week I’ve had more people ask me about the band than the actual team.)
ND: Grambling football made its name nationally in combination with the Tiger Marching Band, and both have been a point of pride at the university for decades. That’s not atypical of black college programs across America, really. The pageantry of this brand of football is, by history and design, intertwined with the schools’ musical travelling companions. Together, they make for quite a show.
BC: What does Coach Broadway want to get out of this game? His statements to you make me think he’s not happy with how his team is playing heading into Saturday.
ND: He’s just not one to settle into complacency.
This is a coach who criticized Anthony’s gap-control the week he was named FCS national defensive player of the week.
I was surprised, in fact, that Broadway didn’t talk about improving as a team in the post-game news conference after capturing his 10th win in a row at the SWAC Championship Game in 2009. That was, as far as I could remember, the only time he didn’t.
Broadway keeps his eyes on the horizon.
That said, he knows exactly what he’s heading into at Oklahoma State. Broadway coached defensive linemen for six seasons at the University of Florida with Steve Spurrier (a stint that included the Gators’ 1996 national championship). He knows he’s outnumbered, both on the field and in the stands. He’ll judge the team’s performance on how well they handle this steep adversity, and find coachable moments in how the players compete.
BC: Which Cowboys player scares the Tigers the most? Dez Bryant, Zac Robinson, etc?
ND: I can’t speak for the team, but I expect they have a healthy respect for Robinson, who has been terrific. Perhaps he’ll make a mistake. That’s what an opportunistic Grambling defense has to be hoping, anyway.
BC: Who is the most overlooked/underrated player on the team?
ND: I’d say senior tight end Larry Donnell. He’s got a good frame at 6-5, 225, and dependable hands. He’s not just underrated from the outside looking in; I don’t think Grambling does all that great of a job in integrating him into the playcalling. If they ever do, Donnell will be a dangerous weapon — both as a check down and as a punishing over-the-middle target.
BC: What’s the one thing Cowboys fans will learn about Grambling football on Saturday?
ND: The same thing a trio of “state” schools already have this season — South Carolina, Northwestern and Jackson — no doubt came away with: Christian Anthony is for real.
I don’t know that he can take over this game with the same ease that he did against those more evenly matched foes, but I expect him to hold his own.
OSU scouting report: Grambling State
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Nick Deriso of the Derisoreport.com takes a closer look at Grambling’s offense. Much like OSU, it appears the Tigers are struggling to get their offense going.
Check in later today as I’ll post another edition of behind enemy lines with Nick Deriso.
And here’s a video of a great play by GSU defensive end Christian Anthony, the preseason SWAC player of the year:
Helsley’s Back and Forth: Stay Awake Saturday
By John Helsley
Five things to review and anticipate in the world of OSU sports:
Rewind
1) Rice Remains. The biggest news coming out of the Rice win, other than the win, was the injury list. Jermiah Price (hand). Justin Blackmon (shoulder). Kendall Hunter (ankle). Dez Bryant (hamstring). Perrish Cox (shoulder). The hurts are mounting, and those don’t include the longer list of Cowboys playing with assorted bumps and bruises and aches.
2) Running in Place. OSU’s running game hasn’t been all that. The problem is three-fold: Struggles at guard, where two new starters are in place; Kendall Hunter’s injuries (past and present); an inability to adjust to either of the previous two. While it goes against the grain for Mike Gundy, if allowed to don the offensive coordinator hat (or bench), I’d work in reverse and pass to open things up for the run.
3) Richetti’s Ready? We’ve been waiting to see what made Richetti Jones the touted recruit before his very serious hip injury. Maybe Saturday night’s performance against Rice is a hint that he may be coming around and not becoming the next XLK. Jones looked quick off the ball and provided pressure at DE, something that’s been lacking. It was only a start, but at least it was something.
4) Zac’s Back? Answering a week of heavy questions concerning his health/performance, Zac Robinson played his best game of this season. Passes were sharper. Runs again featured a burst. Upon further review, the opinion (trotted out by yours truly first) that Zac was still overcoming the mental side of his previously sore hammy looks more accurate all the time.
5) Hoops Recruit. The Cowboys added another basketball commit, with Juco swing man J.P. Olukemi pledging to the Pokes. Sounds like a slashing scorer that Scout.com considers one of the top Juco recruits in the country. Travis Ford, with four commits to date, appears to be building something in Stillwater.
Fast Forward
Note: With the absence of opponent story lines — beyond the band — to consider this Saturday, we’re going to provide five players to watch against Grambling.
1) Beau Johnson. Because of a sore shoulder, Johnson wasn’t all that effective against Rice. If he’s better, we may get a better glimpse of what he has to offer. With Hunter’s status still in doubt, the Cowboys need to show some explosiveness at the RB spot, or risk becoming one-dimensional.
2) James Thomas. The sophomore linebacker out of LaMarque, Texas, played extensively against Rice, finishing with five tackles and a pass breakup. DC Bill Young said he made some mistakes, but overall played well. At a position loaded with seniors, Thomas represents the future of the position.
3) Tracy Moore. With Bryant ailing, the true freshman wide receiver from Tulsa Union could get a more prominent role in the offense. OSU coaches need to see what he can offer and there’s better time than this before hitting Big 12 play. At 6-2, 237 pounds and fast, Moore offers an appealing target.
4) Jeremy Smith. Watch to see if his redshirt is yanked. By all accounts, Smith is the real deal. And if the prognosis on Hunter and the running game don’t improve, coaches may be tempted to get Smith involved to help energize things and keep what was supposed to be a special season on track.
5) Alex Cate/Brandon Weeden. No sightings, so far, of the Cowboys’ backup QBs. Surely this Saturday.
OSU insider in-depth: Tommie Saunders
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
It’s a good time to take a closer look at some of the Oklahoma State commitments: Today, I decided to take a closer look at Tommie Saunders.
Here’s his vitals: Tommie Saunders, 6-1, 200, LB/DB, San Antonio (Texas) Madison 4.5 speed, 33 inch vertical, 305 bench, 405 squat
Future position: Saunders could line up at safety or linebacker for OSU. He’s ideal for OSU’s “star” back position.
Analysis: There’s not a lot of talk about Saunders when people discuss the top commitments of OSU’s 2010 class. But there should be. A look at Saunders on film shows a player with great closing speed, great hitting ability and exceptional talent. He is excellent in his pursuit of the football and arrives with an angry mindset. He has to be one of the hardest hitters in the Cowboys class. I could see him excelling at either position, linebacker or safety, but I could see him stepping into Andre Sexton’s spot in two or three years. The lone potential drawback I see is his ability in coverage but if he plays the “star” back spot, that’s not as big of a concern and I think he can hold his own against tight ends and even slot receivers at times. He is athletic enough to do that.
Bottom line: I would not be surprised to see him redshirt during his first year on campus. But I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him play his way out of a redshirt. If he redshirts, it will have more to do with OSU’s talent and depth than lack of ability to play immediately.
Here’s some youtube highlights of Saunders in action:
