How Oklahoma State Can Get Back on Track at Iowa State

Oklahoma State finds itself in a challenging situation but has plenty of time to figure things out.

After OSU lost its game against South Alabama, coach Mike Gundy said he did not believe the team had any major problems. While it won’t be easy to assess that for a few more weeks, some of the minor issues he talked about could have solutions as soon as Saturday against Iowa State.

Although winning in Ames is never easy, ISU could offer OSU a chance to rebound and set itself up well heading into a bye week. ISU has scored only 20 points against FBS opponents in two games this season, and the OSU defense could help continue that trend.

The Cowboys will need to repeat their performance in the second half against Arizona State, at least for stretches, if they want to win. The Cowboys’ defense shut out the Sun Devils in that half and forced turnovers on downs multiple times.

But for the Cowboys to force turnovers on downs or force bad decisions, they need to make the Cyclones play from behind. The offense has yet to get off to a fast start in any game, but it could be an early difference-maker on Saturday.

While the quarterback situation has stayed the same through three weeks, the rest of the offense cannot. If the Cowboys are not going to get consistent or solid quarterback play, they need to get the ball into the hands of players who can make plays.

The Cowboys could benefit from getting a few players more touches, but none of them can make as great of a difference as Ollie Gordon could. Gordon is one of, if not the best offensive player for the Cowboys. Yet he finished the game against USA with only three carries and five touches overall.

Gordon can give OSU some much-needed explosiveness. Most importantly, he can do so from the backfield without needing much help from his quarterback.

Despite the limited touches last week, Gordon is the Cowboys’ leading rusher and has two rushing touchdowns this season. Gordon was a vital part of the Cowboys’ second-half surge against ASU and is the perfect player to give them another boost on Saturday.

Again, it will probably take an excellent defensive performance for OSU to get the win. But if it can diversify its offense, OSU could get an important road win to begin the Big 12 slate.

If the Cowboys are able to get a win and gain some clarity at quarterback, they could head into the bye week feeling more optimistic than they have all season.

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