Oklahoma State's Win Over Kansas State: The Good, The Great, and The Not so Great
Oklahoma State rebounded on Friday in upset fashion with a win over Kansas State in Stillwater. There were some hiccups, but overall, I think the Cowboys played a very good game, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let's get into the positives and negatives of Friday's victory over the Wildcats.
The Good:
Defense/Forcing Turnovers
Let's start with the good, the defense. Although things got a bit shaky near the end of the game, the Cowboy defense held strong, forcing an interception and a turnover on downs in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. The efficiency from the defense on fourth down was excellent, only allowing Will Howard and the offense to convert once on four tries. The Pokes forced three turnovers in the game, which was one of my keys to the game and ultimately the difference-maker in this one.
Run Game
Another thing that really impressed me on Friday was the run game. Coming into the game, Kansas State had a defense that was top-ten in the country in rushing yards allowed. Ollie Gordon II ran for 136 yards on 21 attempts, giving him an average of 6.5 yards per carry. As a whole, the team rushed for 174 yards on the day, and it helped the Cowboys win the time-of-possession battle by nearly ten minutes. Very good outing against a great defense.
The Bad:
Redzone Offense
The offense did a great job of driving down the field, but once they got into the red zone the offense started to sputter. Oklahoma State was only able to muster one touchdown in six red zone trips and had to settle for field goals on five separate occasions. Luckily they were able to pull this one out, but that's something that can certainly be improved on, and if it isn't, it will hurt you down the line.
All in all, Oklahoma State played a good football game. There were a few mistakes, but for the most part, I was impressed with the way the Cowboys played on Friday night. If they can carry this momentum into next week's game against Kansas, we could be looking at a great turn-around after a shaky start.
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