Oklahoma State Cowboys sports blog from NewsOK.com

Oklahoma State football: belated post-spring thoughts

Apologize for the delay on one of these types of blogs, folks. I’ve been a little slammed with draft preview coverage.

We covered a ton of angles from the OSU spring finale in Sunday’s and Monday’s papers, but here are some additional random observations that I had from the game, and from the spring in general, that weren’t noted or explained thoroughly in previous stories.

Not shocked we didn’t get a starting quarterback announcement today. It sounds like it might come Thursday. If that’s the case, can I request it happen in the morning? Some of us are covering Justin Blackmon, and possibly Brandon Weeden, getting drafted Thursday night.

J.W. Walsh told me that he didn’t know the finale/game/whatever was going to be “live” (as in tackling) until Saturday morning. “We didn’t know what (the spring finale) was.” None of us did, really. I was under the impression that it was going to be another “thud” scrimmage. Granted, the quarterbacks didn’t get hit unless they took off running, and running plays were often blown dead early. But there was definitely more hitting than I expected.

Have a day, Charlie Moore. As I mentioned in my Monday Insider, I certainly did not expect him to explode for nine catches, 243 yards and three touchdowns. But I was not surprised to see him become a solid target and make some really athletic plays. One of the best plays of the entire spring was a connection between him and Lunt on a 40-50-yardish deep ball in a scrimmage about two weeks ago. Moore ran either a wheel route or a go route down the far sideline. Lunt slightly overthrew the ball, and Moore made a remarkable diving catch in the end zone. I’ve also seen him out-jump defenders on more than one occasion and use his size to snag the ball. I was surprised, however, at his speed on that first touchdown grab. He split the defense and outran a quick secondary on his way to the house. Spring stars don’t always become fall stars, and I still expect Tracy Moore and Josh Stewart to be the Cowboys’ go-to receivers in 2012. But “Chuck” definitely showed this spring that he can contribute.

The defensive linemen have been really good at tipping balls at the line of scrimmage. Part of that could be on the quarterbacks, but you’ve got to have solid awareness and athleticism to get a hand up.

Staying with the defensive line, I thought one overlooked player was Ryan Robinson. He had three tackles (two for loss) and one sack. He’s quick off the edge. Mike Gundy has praised Robinson throughout the spring, saying he’s in so much better shape now and has finally “gotten it” after transferring from junior college a year ago.

I thought we’d see more of Herschel Sims. Running backs coach Jemal Singleton was extremely high on Sims’ development when I spoke to him a couple weeks ago. He had really started to show up in recent scrimmages, displaying some speed to get to the outside and then cut up the sideline. That said, it was a positive sign to see Desmond Roland rip off a big 30-yard run run. OSU is pretty stacked at running back, which will be a big help to whoever wins the starting quarterback job.

Cowboy fans better hope that David Glidden can catch a punt.

One of the most entertaining moments happened after the game. While I was in the middle of a media group around Joseph Randle, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a couple reporters were talking to new tight end/inside receiver Blake Jackson. Interviews are a big no-no for first-year players—yes, even junior college transfers. It took a couple minutes before an OSU media relations staffer noticed this madness, grabbed Jackson and pushed him away. I think this is a silly rule with how much these kids talk to the press during the recruiting process, but it’s something Gundy is pretty adamant about. This means if Wes Lunt wins the starting QB job, you won’t hear from him all season unless the rule is changed or an exception is made.

Once this starting quarterback decision is made—or the decision is made that they will not yet decide on a starter (see what I did there?)—we’ll head into some down time in the summer months. I might even take a vacation…eventually =)

But until some QB news breaks…

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OU 47, OSU 41: Thoughts and observations

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

—This ^^^^ says it all for OSU fans

—The Cowboys had their opportunities to win the game, they just didn’t capitalize. The defense had two seperate chances to get a stop and hand the ball back to the offense with a two-point deficit. And the offense got the ball with a change to drive for a game-winning touchdown and turned it over.

—You have to give Brent Venables a lot of credit. Great gameplan, well executed.

—Brodrick Brown’s tip to Shaun Lewis may be the best play I’ve ever seen. Simply outstanding.

—The Sooners defensive line was better than advertised. They got consistent pressure on Brandon Weeden and took advantage of their opportunites to make big plays. Austin Box’s interception was a perfect example, a great diving catch by a linebacker.

–It’s not like OU’s offense was significantly better than OSU’s. They just ran 41 more plays. OU averaged 5.5 yards per play, OSU averaged 5.7 yards per play.

—I felt like Kendall Hunter and the rest of the Pokes running game needed to get more involved. 23 rushes for 122 yards. I thought Jeremy Smith in particular ran really well. Hunter, Smith and Randle each averaged at least 4.2 yards per carry.

—Speaking of playing well: Shaun Lewis. Big time players show up in big games. 12 tackles including one tackle for loss and two interceptions including one for a touchdown. He is going to be something special.

—You can’t allow 16 of 27 conversions on third down. You will not win games doing that, it’s just that simple.

—The Pokes run defense was solid. OU had 45 carries for 120 yards (2.7 yards per carry).

—OU simply brought more pressure than OSU had seen all season. The Sooners’ defense was fast, athletic and quick to the ball. It seemed like their speed caught OSU’s offense, particularly Weeden, off guard early in the game.

—Justin Blackmon was clearly not 100 percent but he still produced 8 catches for 105 yards and one touchdown. I’m not sure if he was 100 percent much would have changed. OU did a great job with their coverages on Blackmon combined with the pressure on Weeden.

—Josh Cooper is a really good, and overlooked, playmaker on the offense. 10 catches for 84 yards and one touchdown.

—Kevin Wilson did a great job for OU. I can think of two play calls that directly led to touchdowns. (Millard’s TD run and Hanna’s TD catch). On Millard’s run, Orie Lemon moved out of the middle due to motion out of the backfield and on Hanna’s TD, OU caught OSU’s safeties peaking at the run and they paid for it.

—I expected Joe Randle to get more involved but he never could get the screen game going tonight.

—Justin Gilbert’s roughing the kicker penalty was a killer… but it was good to see him come back and make a big-time play with his kickoff return late in the game. BTW, as fast as the Sooners are, they weren’t going to catch him.

—Another great game for Orie Lemon. 12 tackles in his final game at BPS.

—A lot of people will remember Brodrick Brown’s struggles late in the game (dropped INT, Kenney’s TD) but he made two plays earlier in the game which kept OSU in it. The tipped pass to Shaun Lewis and his interception of Jones in the first quarter were both Sportscenter Top Ten plays and deservingly so.

—Andrew McGee played well as well. 7 tackles including one tackle for loss, 3 pass breakups.

—Once Weeden settled down, I thought he played well. When you consider the pressure he was under and the mobility he had to show just to get some of those passes off… again, I thought he played fairly well. The tipped pass and interception in the fourth was a killer but just a great play by the defender.

—The offensive line was much better in the second half. It struggled in the first half and ended up having to make some subs for the first time all season. The continuity up front was a big key to OSU’s season.

—A huge positive for OSU is the fact this is still a very young roster even though they performed at a high level this year. They will learn from this loss and it actually could pay big dividends in the next few years.

—Bottom line: If I asked you if you would take 10-2 record for OSU this season before the season opener, would you have taken it? This loss stings, and it should, but OSU group has exceeded expectations and they will be even better in 2011.

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OSU 48, KU 14: Thoughts and observations

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

–Winning 10 games is a big step forward for Mike Gundy’s program. We entered this season wondering if Gundy had built a team or built a program. That question has been answered: He’s built a very good program. And it’s on the rise.

– The Cowboys win didn’t start out impressive but it ended up impressive. The defense shut down Kansas for the majority of the game, the offense almost recorded 600 yards and special teams scored a touchdown. That’s a balanced team win.

–The defense got off to a horrible start. But as bad as they were in the first 20 minutes, that’s how good they were in the final 40 minutes. KU had six drives of 10 yards or less? That’s amazing.

–It’s weird because it didn’t seem like a great day for the offense. Then you look up and they’ve got 597 total yards and 36 first downs. We’re already taking them for granted.

–I wrote a blog about Brandon Weeden not getting the attention he should be for his accomplishments earlier this week and it really hit me today. I’m not even giving him credit for his most important accomplishment: 10-1. He’s a winner. And that’s reason No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 why he deserves to be on award lists.

–It’s incredible how consistent Justin Blackmon is. I keep saying it and I will keep saying it because I’ve never seen a RECEIVER put up the same numbers week after week. Impressive.

–I’ve always wondered what would happen if Blackmon got nicked up at all. Now we know, he gets up, gets re-taped then puts up his usual numbers.

–The main reason for OSU’s slow start on defense was the inability to get off the field on third down. The Jayhawks were 4 of 5 on third down in the first quarter as they scored 14 points and gained 149 yards.

–Another solid effort from the offensive line. They had a couple of bad penalties but they were a big reason for the Cowboys offensive success as always.

–This defense is better when Shaun Lewis is getting plenty of playing time. He’s just a playmaker who is always around the ball.

–Kendall Hunter went over 4,000 career rushing yards today. The senior has proven to be very durable and tough this season and as good as Joseph Randle is, he will be greatly missed next season.

–Speaking of Randle, he’s become a lethal weapon on those screen passes. He uses his excellent receiving skills, great vision and surprising open-field elusiveness to make those plays look good.

–Josh Cooper is quietly having a great season. He gets open and makes plays every game.

–Michael Harrison’s punt block was a great, great play. I just happened to be watching him in particular on that play and his combination of speed and athleticism made that happen. Once he got the block, the scoop and score was the easy part.

–I’m not so sure Orie Lemon isn’t the MVP of this team. I can’t imagine where they would be without him.

–One thing we probably should have highlighted more in our coverage in the Oklahoman was the fact OSU’s offense did not commit a turnover. When they turn it over four times, we’re all over it but when they don’t turnover it over that should be noticed too… our bad.

–How can you not like the way Jeremy Smith ran today. Can you remember the last time he went down easy? Doesn’t happen. OSU is really deep at running back with three legit options, who could start at other Big 12 programs, to choose from.

–Initially I didn’t think the Cowboys came out with a dominant mindset that elite teams have but once they woke up in the second quarter, they did exactly what you would expect a championship-level team to do.

–The biggest concern should be penalties. Beating Oklahoma becomes much more difficult if you have penalties, especially the silly ones, like they did against KU. That’s not how you win championships or beat championship-level teams.

–OSU was fortunate at times today with some dropped KU passes. They could have gave up more yards because some Jayhawk receivers were open. But, bottom line, KU didn’t catch the ball so it worked out for the best.

Bottom line: We have Bedlam for the Big 12 South title. Two great teams in what should be a great game. It just doesn’t get much better than that.

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OSU 33, Texas 16: Thoughts and Observations

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

–Great win for Oklahoma State. Another step forward for the program under Mike Gundy.

–I’m impressed by the way OSU came down to Austin and took care of business. They did what you would expect a one-loss team to do to a 4-5 team on its own field. Pretty much the outcome I expected, OSU is the better team.

–Another great game by the defense, that’s three straight very solid outings for Bill Young’s group.

–OSU dominated the second and third quarters. Texas’ possessions during that time went as follows: Punt, punt, punt, interception, end of half, punt, punt, punt.

–The Cowboys offense was outstanding on third down. 10 of 16 conversions. They were able to do that in large part thanks to having manageable third downs.

–Coach Mike Gundy singled out Joe DeForest for the great job he did with OSU’s special teams units and I must agree. Texas averaged 20.8 yards per kick return and Quinn Sharp put 3 of 3 punts inside the 20-yard line.

–It’s unfortunate to see Dan Bailey’s PAT streak end, I wanted to see him leave with a perfect slate. He also missed a 39-yarder. Was it the shoes?

–I’m shocked by the lack of playmakers on Texas’ offense. They just don’t have big-play players.

–Kendall Hunter is second to none. 23 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He’s so tough to bring down and he’s stronger than he looks. He came to dominate as a senior and that’s exactly what he’s doing.

–Justin Blackmon is unstoppable. His touchdown catch against Aaron Williams was a elite play that very few players make. I can’t recall ever seeing a receiver be consistently great every game. It’s awesome to watch, he just doesn’t have off games. Incredibly consistent. Heisman. Biletnikoff. You name the list, he should be on it. And near the top.

–Bo Bowling’s emergence is one of the best developments of the season for OSU. He plays so hard. He kept telling me he just wanted to get back to where he was before his off-the-field troubles. I wasn’t covering OSU then but I’d imagine he’s exceeded that goal. He’s become a guy OSU counts on to make plays.

–Weeden had a great game with 409 passing yards, but it could be overshadowed by a couple of poor decisions. (1) on the interception, which Dana Holgorsen called “the worst play in college football history” and (2) he didn’t get down when scrambling late in the game and now he will definitely be sore tomorrow. He took an unnecessary hit to the back with the game well in hand.

–Still I was impressed with Brandon Weeden tonight. He took more hits than he’s taken all season and kept getting up, and even stepped into a throw with a defender in his face and made an accurate throw. That’s another test he’s passed with flying colors.

–I have a hard time understanding why Orie Lemon is not a Butkus Award semifinalist. What more do you want? 13 tackles including two for loss, one sack, one hurry and a big postgame smile for Lemon.

–Justin Gent was very good also, 11 tackles and seemed to be around the ball consistently.

–Brodrick Brown continues to prove he’s not afraid to stick his head in there and compete. 11 tackles for Brown. Andrew McGee was solid at the other corner and got another interception despite playing with a cast on one hand.

–Ever since Shaun Lewis entered the starting lineup the Cowboys defense has been solid. The freshman had 5 tackles and a fumble recovery. He’s going to be great.

–Here’s hoping Jeremy Smith will be O.K. That was a vicious hit he took late in the game. Gundy seemed to feel like he will be fine. And I was walking by the Texas sideline as Smith was being attended to and it was clear several Longhorns were really concerned and when Smith was able to get up I heard several “He’s ok, good, looks like he’s ok” so credit the UT players for that. (BTW, I thought Smith was very impressive tonight. I think OSU has three running backs that are better than anyone the Longhorns brought to the table)

–Holgorsen’s plan of getting the running backs the ball on swing passes was superb. Seven catches for Randle and a 37-yard catch for Kendall Hunter.

–Bottom Line: OSU did what I would have expected a championship-level team to do. Are the Pokes at that level yet? We’ll find out but game after game they seem to take another step towards that direction. They can win game No. 10 next week against Kansas and Bedlam will be a great battle. It’s shaping up to be a very entertaining final two weeks.

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OSU 55, Baylor 28: Thoughts and observations

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

–I can’t imagine a much better performance for Oklahoma State.

–725 yards of total offense including 8.8 yards per play? That’s crazy.

–Even crazier: Baylor’s first eight possessions went like this: Punt, fumble, punt, punt, fumble, interception, halftime, punt. For the second straight week, the Cowboys defense was superb. The final numbers won’t look good (28 points, 464 total yards allowed), but great game by the defense. Baylor trailed 34-0 before the Bears scored their first points.

–Wasn’t OSU’s offensive line supposed to be a question mark? Week in and week out, Brandon Weeden is seen standing all alone going through multiple reads, Kendall Hunter is dashing for big gains and the Pokes offense looks nearly unstoppable. It’s all because of Grant Garner, Lane Taylor, Jonathan Rush, Nick Martinez and Levy Adcock. They’ve played extremely well.

–Brandon Weeden is even better than expected. Only eight incompletions? Heading into the season, he seemed to have that “it” factor, seemed to be a gamer but we didn’t know for sure. He’s proven to have it all, excellent arm strength, good touch and accuracy and he gets better every week. He just makes throws that are hard to defend and has done a great job running Dana Holgorsen’s offense.

–Interesting note: In the only two games Kendall Hunter has been held under 100 rushing yards this season, OSU has set school records for total yardage (Tulsa, Baylor). Both teams stacked the box to stop the run… OSU gained 1,447 yards combined in those games.

–Justin Blackmon doesn’t look fast, but apparently he’s pretty fast. He beats guys deep every game then runs a reverse 69 yards for a score by slipping past one defender then beating another to the corner and outrunning the rest. GREAT downfield blocking by his teammates on that play.

–Justin Gilbert is fast. And looks FAST. On his 93-yard touchdown return, he turned it on at about the OSU 35 and from that point forward it looked like everyone else was jogging. F.A.S.T. Only thing that would have made it better would have been if he had pointed at P. Cox right after like… “The tradition continues!”

–Gotta give credit to Joe DeForest: 5 kick returns, 20.2 yards per return. And this after a week in which they allowed 21.5 yards on four returns to Kansas State. He said his guys were going to get better on kick coverage and they have, thanks in part to adding some vets like Tolu Moala and Bryant Ward to the unit.

–The Cowboys were solid on third down today. Held Baylor to 5 of 15 conversion attempts and converted 5 of 11. Bill Young’s defense was particularly good in the first half, holding the Bears to 2 of 7 attempts. Meanwhile, Holgorsen’s group converted 4 of 6 first-half, third-down attempts. Halftime score: OSU 24, Baylor 0.

–Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith both looked good, combining for 136 rushing yards. Randle had 13 carries for 86 yards (6.6 yards per carry). Smith had 7 carries for 50 yards (7.1 ypc).

–Bo Bowling has proven to be a guy you have to include in the game plan. Nine catches, 101 yards. He makes plays and he’s willing to put everything on the line to make a play. When is the last time you saw him run out of bounds voluntarily??

–Justin Blackmon is a beast. Nobody can stop the guy, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

–Chris Donaldson seems to jump out to me every game. He seems to be able to get into opposing backfield each game. Four tackles including a sack.

–Johnny Thomas showed up big again. He may be the most underrated player on the team. Six tackles, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery and a couple solid kick returns.

–Shaun Lewis joined OSU’s first team defense against K-State. And the Pokes played arguably their best defensive games of the season in back-to-back weeks. Coincidence? You decide. The freshman was second in tackles against K-State then had four tackles and a forced fumble against Baylor.

–I’m sure the coaches were happy to get their younger defenders a lot of reps even though they gave up plenty of yards and a couple scores. Freshman safety Deion Imade finished with five tackles, freshman linebacker Caleb Lavey had four tackles, freshman linebacker Joe Mitchell and freshman cornerback Larry Stephens finished with two apiece.

–Side note: It was good to see Perrish Cox and Keith Toston back in Boone Pickens supporting the Cowboys (hence my earlier mention of P. Cox). Happy to see those guys making some money in the NFL then coming back to see the program they helped build grab the Big 12 South lead in dominant fashion.

–OSU is 8-1. They’d have to lose three straight to finish at my predicted record of 8-4. Um, unlikely… And I thought I was predicting on the high end record-wise. They are WAY better than even I thought they would be. If Mike Gundy is not the Big 12 coach of the year and in the top 3 nationally… well, I just don’t know what else you could expect a coach to do.

–Small piece of advice for OSU fans, players, coaches and everyone else: Remember last year. The Pokes had a great season but didn’t finish strong. This 8-1 start loses luster if the Pokes slip up down the stretch.

–Bottom line: OSU sits atop the Big 12 South and could lose at Texas or at Kansas and still control their own destiny, in terms of winning the Big 12 South, heading into Bedlam.

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OSU 24, KSU 14: Thoughts and observations

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

—    Quality win for Oklahoma State: On the road, without one of your main weapons and with two (essentially three) first half turnovers.

—    The Pokes continue to prove they are way better than expected.

—    As much grief as you gave the defense last week, you should be giving them equal praise this week. They won the game for OSU.

—    I envisioned a lot of scenarios for this game. A 0-0 tie after one quarter and 7-7 tie at halftime was not one of them.

—    Kendall Hunter may be too good for his own good. A 143-yard performance and I didn’t really think about what a great game he had. Sure there are flashes in my mind, like the third down run where he was hit and spin around on one leg, somehow staying on his feet long enough to get the first down. So consistent, so good.

—    One of the better games of the year for quarterback Brandon Weeden. True enough, he could have been intercepted on more than one occasion. But he wasn’t. He managed the game well and got the ball in the hands of the right person. The junior finished 22 of 39 for 298 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

– Outstanding game by Johnny Thomas. He’s really stepped up since OSU lost Victor Johnson for the year with a knee injury. Six tackles, two pass breakups, one interception return for a touchdown and a forced fumble.

—    Another game of over 500 offensive yards for the Cowboys but I bet most people will see 24 points and think they underachieved. Which they did since the point is to score and they scored less than half their average but they moved the ball at will and really kept themselves from putting up points on the scoreboard more than the Wildcats did.

—    Have I ever mentioned before how much I like Joseph Randle and how much I think he should be involved. 9.7 yards per carry (7 carries, 64 yards) and four catches for 59 yards.

—    Some people didn’t understand my halftime tweet so let me clear up something: I consider OSU a program on the rise, one that is on the cusp of competing for a Big 12 championship if not there already. As such, I think in terms of them playing (or striving to play) to that standard. Had OSU been playing a championship level team, they could easily have been down double digits, hence the point of my tweet. I got a lot of responses about how K-State was lucky to be close, which was true, but it’s not about them, it’s about Oklahoma State football. What OSU is doing? How OSU is playing? I don’t care what K-State (or any opponent for that matter) is doing. It’s not about them, it’s about OSU and are they doing the things that will make them a championship level team or not.

—    Shaun Lewis is going to be a star. There were several times today where I thought, “nice tackle” normally when I think that it’s Markelle Martin or Orie Lemon. On more than one occasion today, it was Lewis. He really rose to the occasion in his first collegiate start.

—    I was impressed with how some of OSU’s other true freshmen played. When Andrew McGee went out, Devin Hedgepeth stepped in and was solid. When Lemon got nicked up, Caleb Lavey stepped in for several reps (3 tackles). The Pokes’ young players continue to play beyond their years.

—    Bo Bowling definitely plays with a chip on his shoulder. He gives an all-out effort every play, you can tell it really matters to him. Dana Holgorsen said he has emerged as a legit starter for the Pokes so clearly he’s doing something right.

—    Michael Harrison has a chance to be really good. He has the athleticism and size to become a key part of the offense on the opposite of Blackmon moving forward.

—    OSU’s offensive line was superb, there were a couple times where Brandon Weeden was looking around like, “Really? You mean I have five more seconds if I want them?”

—    OSU’s pass rush was solid, Chase Coffman didn’t have a lot of time to sit back there and find receivers. They still need to improve past just getting pressure because they miss out on quite a few sacks it seems.

—    I liked Daniel Thomas, he’s big and has good moves, he’ll be a solid NFL back in the future.

—    You have to respect Shane Jarka. He’s so beat up and he just keeps going out there, week after week, playing and giving consistent effort. If you want to learn more about will and determination, watch Jarka.

– This was the type of game where you are happy with a win because a win is a win and they are hard to come by, especially in league play. But you go home with the understanding you have to get better and improve because some of the things you did in the win will get you beat against championship caliber teams. Example: 10 penalties for 100 yards, that could be the difference against a championship caliber opponent.

—    Bottom Line: OSU is 7-1 and near the top of the Big 12 South through eight games. Did you expect that? I didn’t.

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Nebraska 51, OSU 41: Thoughts and Observations

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

–Never thought this would happen. The Cornhuskers won a shootout with Oklahoma State. And Taylor Martinez finished with better passing numbers than Brandon Weeden.

–Have to admire the way Taylor Martinez bounced back from last week’s benching. He was the difference in the game. He repeatedly eluded OSU’s defensive ends and linebackers in key situations. A lot of his passing yards were a result of his great acceleration, quickness and speed. Sometimes a guy makes plays and beats you. That’s what happened to OSU on Saturday.

–Step back and think about it. If OSU had it all to do over again, what should they change? How would they defend Martinez differently? They wouldn’t change and they shouldn’t change. Running is his forte, not passing. So you load up to stop his run and he passes for over 300 yards. What options do you have then? Unless you have Ray Lewis on your defense and you can spy him with someone who matches his athleticism and speed… even then, he still would have to make one-on-one tackles with Martinez. Easier said then done, he made Orie Lemon miss a couple times and Orie is a very sure tackler. Martinez is just a special talent. And special talent win football games.

–On that note, I was surprised Brandon Weeden didn’t look Justin Blackmon‘s way more in the second half, especially when the Pokes really needed a play. True enough, the Huskers had bracket coverage on him throughout, but give him a chance, he catches 80 percent of the balls you throw his way.

–Don’t underestimate the Huskers fake punt to start the game. OSU’s defense started with a three-and-out and a lot of emotion and confidence. Then that happened.

–41 points against Nebraska’s defense is a good outing by the Cowboys’ offense. That should have been enough to win the game.

–I’m not sure what else can be done with kickoff coverage. Putting defensive starters on that unit is just not a option. But something has to change.

–We wondered if the Cowboys would have the speed to keep up, turns out they did. They just didn’t tackle well at all. Not only was Martinez making plays and breaking tackles (which was understandable), so was Roy Helu Jr. (which was not).

–Kendall Hunter had 26 carries for 201 yards and two touchdowns. And I’m just now getting to mentioning that. It just goes to show you what a unusual game it was.

–Cowboys averaged 7.0 yards per play and scored 41 points. They struggled on third down and had just 75 yards in the fourth quarter but, again, they scored 41 points against a very good defense.

–OSU shot itself in the foot repeatedly. 8 penalties for 84 yards, that’s over 10 yards per penalty. That kills offensive drives and continues opponent’s drives.

–Only one forced turnover. Bill Young won’t be happy about that. OSU came into the game averaging 3 forced turnovers per game.

–I’m thinking Joseph Randle should have been returning kicks all season. What about you? Matter of fact, anything that gets him the ball more often, sounds like a good idea to me.

–I feel like I say it every game, but OSU’s offensive line is very solid. Along with Hunter’s 200-yard game, they allowed one sack and it was a coverage sack.

–Josh Cooper quietly had a solid game. 9 catches for 103 yards. He was able to consistently win his one-on-one battles. He’s OSU’s No. 2 receiver until someone else proves otherwise.

–Quinn Sharp AVERAGED 60.4 yards per punt. Five punts including a 78-yarder.

–Dan Bailey is still perfect, hitting 2 of 2 field goals.

–OSU finished with four players with over 100 all-purpose yards (Hunter, Randle, Blackmon and Cooper).

–Shaun Lewis is a playmaker, they need to find room for him on the field. 5 tackles including two for loss and one forced fumble.

–Nebraska’s scoring drive before the half was a critical and overlooked moment in this game. OSU gets a stop there, they go into the half with the lead and momentum. A personal foul penalty and 33-yard pass from Martinez to Mike McNeill allowed the Huskers to drive 66 yards in five plays to take a 31-27 halftime lead.

–OSU’s slow start in the third quarter was unusual and really changed the game. Nebraska got a field goal on their first second-half possession and the Pokes started with a three-and-out. Not the third quarter starts that Pokes’ fans have gotten used to. The Cowboys were playing catchup from that point on.

–Nebraska was 6-10 in the second half on third down. They made plays when they needed to. And OSU’s inability to get key stops, doomed them.

–Overall, a disappointing day for OSU. But the reality is the Pokes still have their goals within their own control. They can still win the Big 12 South, can still win a Big 12 championship. Their destiny will be decided in the future, it was not decided on Saturday. So will they learn and grow from this loss? Or let the disappointment linger?

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OSU 34, Texas Tech 17: Thoughts and observations

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

—    Will they prove me wrong? Is there a stronger word than YES?!?!

—    Six games into the season and Oklahoma State still controls its own destiny. They played their most complete game of the year in Lubbock and still look like they have room to improve. Every single game from this point out appears winnable.

—    I could not have been more wrong about my prediction. Not only did Oklahoma State win, they won easily. There was never a point during the game in which I thought OSU might lose, I thought it could get interesting but never thought they would lose, never thought Texas Tech could stop the Pokes’ offense and Bill Young’s defense proved it could stop Tech from the first snap.

—    Mike Gundy and the rest of OSU’s coaching staff have done a terrific job. They have their young players being  mature, playing beyond their years and they have instilled a belief that it doesn’t matter what happens or who is on the field, they still can, and will, get the job done. Gundy is the Big 12 coach of the year and has to be in the conversation for national coach of the year honors.

—    Young’s defense was outstanding. Anytime I expect a high-scoring game, the defense comes out with a impressive performance. Texas Tech essentially had two quality drives in the entire game. The Red Raiders started the game with five straight punts.

—    Dana Holgorsen’s offensive game plan was stellar. He knew heading into the week that he couldn’t count on a whole lot from Hubert Anyiam, Josh Cooper and Michael Harrison. So what does Dana do? He uses the three talented running backs he has at his disposal and comes up with a game plan that Texas Tech could not stop.

—    OSU opened the game with a new formation using Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith. Randle was able to find some great running lanes out of the formation and Smith was solid and looks like a guy who will be productive if he gets more touches as the season progresses.

—    Kendall Hunter was Kendall Hunter. The quietest 130 rushing yards I have seen in a while. He had 25 carries for 130 yards and one touchdown, averaging 5.2 yards per pop. He just has a knack for squeezing through holes. His touchdown run in the first quarter was outstanding.

– He’s just a freshman but Randle is quickly emerging as one of the Cowboys top weapons.

—    Quinn Sharp gets a lot of attention for his kickoffs, but he’s a very good punter also. Four punts, 45 yard average.

—    Brandon Weeden was 24 of 35 for 356 yards one touchdown and two interceptions. But I felt like both interceptions were understandable. One came on fourth down when you might as well take a shot, the other came on a great play by the Tech defender. I don’t fault Brandon for either throw.

—    Justin Blackmon is just phenomenal. I’ve taken to calling him “Straight cash homie” thanks to his Randy Moss-like touchdown catch last week and the fact he is money. You throw him the football, he’s going to catch it. Period.

—    Orie Lemon needs to start getting some national attention. 17 tackles including 14 solo. Whenever you see a play and think, “that was a good open field tackle,” odds are it was Orie.

—    Jamie Blatnick was a team captain for the game and had a solid day. One sack, one fumble recovery. Chris Donaldson was also very solid, getting constant penetration into the backfield.

– OSU’s offensive line played extremely well, like they have all season. Weeden had all day to throw, his lone sack was a coverage sack and the Pokes rushed for 225 yards. I can’t imagine that the coaching staff was confident they would be this productive, this quickly.

—    Brandon Weeden is much more comfortable in the offense and as “the man” running OSU’s attack. It sounds weird but you can tell he’s gotten 10 times better at running the offense since the Cowboys’ opener against Washington State. He just seems to see things quicker and make quality decisions on a more consistent basis.

—    When I went to Wichita, Kan. for Joseph Randle’s signing day press conference, he impressed me with his mental approach. He basically told me, I’m not worried about the depth chart or playing right away, I’m just going to work hard, learn the offense and go from there. It’s clear that’s what he has done, he’s quickly become a core member and key component of the Pokes’ offense. Not to mention, he’s very, very talented.

—    Kickoff coverage was better today. The Cowboys are getting better and better at it every week and I expect that trend to continue.

—    Bottom Line: OSU is 6-0 and better than I thought they were. There’s no reason they can’t be 7-0 at this time next week.

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OSU 54, ULL 28: Thoughts and observations

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

—    5-0. Not many people expected OSU to head to Lubbock undefeated and with a legit chance to be 6-0. This team is full of newcomers and freshmen playing important roles. Mike Gundy and his staff have done a great job.

—    That said there are still plenty of warts on this football team and plenty of improvement to be made but you can’t be better than 5-0.

—    You have to like Brandon Weeden’s mental toughness. He has handled a lot of things well and doesn’t allow any struggles to affect his next play. I’d imagine his baseball experience has helped him a lot. Baseball is a sport that forces you to deal with failure and its clear Brandon Weeden has learned how to overcome failure.

—    The kickoff coverage continues to be an issue, except this game only 2 of Quinn Sharp’s 10 kickoffs were touchbacks. Another kickoff return for TD for a squad that entered the game 120 of 120 in total yardage from kickoffs returned.

—    I wrote about it today but it seems like the more Kendall Hunter gets involved the better the Cowboys offense is and more smoothly it runs. I understand not wanting to wear him down but once defenses understand they have to respect #24, a whole bunch of things open up for the entire offense.

—    Zack Craig’s penalty was huge. I think OSU had the chance to really quiet the crowd and run away from ULL if that penalty didn’t happen. That’s just a product of youth, those things happen. That’s why I keep talking about how young OSU is despite their success thus far. Can’t get mad at that stuff, guys only learn from doing.

—    Don’t underrate the loss of Josh Cooper. Holgorsen said during postgame that the loss of Cooper allowed ULL to do some things defensively to slow them down. Cooper usually lines up opposite Blackmon.

—    Joseph Randle was impressive. He had 4 carries for 43 yards and two good returns past midfield on kickoffs. Randle has a big, big future for the Pokes.

—    Justin Blackmon is special. Every game he does something that makes me say “wow”

—    I think Andrew McGee may be the most underrated player on the squad. Consistent, physical and makes plays. He finished with six tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and one interception. His pick was a momentum changer.

—    Bill Young must count his blessings every day when he sees Orie Lemon lining up at middle linebacker. He’s very solid.

—    The Cowboys were much, much better on third down conversions on offense. The Pokes were 9 of 15 on third down.

—    On the flip side, the Cowboy defense continues to struggle in those situations. ULL was 8 of 19 on third down and 2 of 4 on fourth down. Bill Young is in a tough situation on third down, he has a young group in the secondary (who you want to protect) but he wants to be aggressive as well. I’d expect some coverage adjustments on third down moving forward as the Pokes secondary gets more and more experienced.

—    Dan Bailey made some key kicks. He hit three straight field goals which essentially put the game away in the second half. And had two 52-yarders.

—    I’m thinking Bo Bowling should be back to return punts more often. 1 return, 23 yards and he just refused to go down easy.

—    Great, yet overlooked game for Nigel Nicholas. He finished with 6 tackles and 2 sacks.

—    I don’t know what Dana Holgorsen says to the offense during halftime but maybe I could get him to talk to me before I write a story. Maybe he can help me “find my inner pirate”.

—    The defense stepped up in the second half allowing zero points. I was just surprised, no more so than the Cowboys, by ULL’s offensive success in the first half. The Ragin Cajuns had just six first downs in the second half after 17 in the first half.

– If OSU is able to overcome history and win at Texas Tech, things can get very, very interesting this season in Stillwater.

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Cowboys Sked Now Looks Favorable

By John Helsley

jhelsley@opubco.com

follow me on twitter @jjhelsley

Once upon a time, back before the season started, I considered OSU unlucky in terms of the schedule.

Unlucky in that the Cowboys had the wrong home/road split of games. Unlucky in that, in this “rebuilding” year, their swing games were in the wrong stadiums. I thought they could beat Texas Tech, Kansas State and Kansas at home, yet considered them significant underdogs with games against those teams on the road.

Likewise, I thought the Pokes could handle Baylor or A&M anywhere — they won at both places a year ago, and the Aggies, for all the love outsiders want to shower on them annually, are inconsistent enough to win or lose to anyone, anywhere.

Granted, OSU’s best shot against Nebraska and Oklahoma comes at Boone Pickens Stadium, which is where those clashes occur. But realistically, they were losses.

So as far as swing games, those matchups that could swing the Cowboys’ win total from 6 to, say, 8 or 9… the schedule didn’t seem to fall their way.

Time for a re-check.

Things have changed. OSU is better than advertised. And suddenly, those trips to Lubbock and Manhattan and Lawrence appear much more doable. Waco, meanwhile, looks much more dangerous.

And having seen Nebraska Thursday night, and knowing the drastic difference in the Cowboys’ Bedlam performances when the games are in Norman, it’s good they get them both at the Pickens Palace. And maybe, just maybe, there’s never been a better time to take on Texas in Austin.

Clearly, any six-win projection was too low.

Now the question is how high can they go?

Assuming a win at Louisiana-Lafayette — that’s safe, right? — the Cowboys are 5-0. From there, let’s add them up.

OSU should beat Baylor and Kansas.

That’s 7.

I think they’re better than Tech and K-State, although those locales haven’t been kind to OSU — the Cowboys are winless at both places during the Big 12 era. The Red Raiders are reeling, struggling to meld spread offensive talent with Tommy Tuberville’s more conservative mindset. The Wildcats, meanwhile, simply aren’t fast enough, which was painfully clear against the Huskers. Sure, it’s a shaky limb to assume wins in both Lubbock and Manhattan, yet for fun, let’s do it.

That’s 9.

Getting interesting, huh?

Nebraska’s going to be a major test, bringing its revamped option running game to Stillwater, where the Cowboys will have one short week to prepare for the radically different approach. But OSU will be much faster and much more physical than K-State. Consider this, too: The Wildcats ranked last in the Big 12 and No. 102 nationally in rushing defense… before Thursday night’s game. And the Huskers have had their own struggles with spread passing attacks. The Cowboys have a shot.

At Texas? That’s never easy. Still, remember this: UCLA won there. And won big.

The Sooners? Hey, it’s in Stillwater, where the Cowboys are always competitive in Bedlam, even when the talent gap is wide, which it’s not this time.

Quick, somebody throw some cold water in my face.

No, I’m not calling for 12-0. Not even suggesting it’s possible. Zero percent chance.

But six wins? It’s time to raise the bar, several notches.

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