Strong Second Half Could Build Momentum For Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State’s 2-0 start has been turbulent, but a strong second half in Tempe may be enough to head in the right direction.

The Cowboys looked on track to suffer their first loss of the season against Arizona State before turning things around for a 27-15 victory. As encouraging as it was to see the offense deliver in the second half, it was once again the Cowboys’ defense making the difference.

In the second half, OSU shut out ASU and slowly crushed the Sun Devils’ spirits. A couple of first-half touchdowns gave ASU a 15-10 halftime lead before OSU’s defense clamped down.

Allowing just 115 yards in the last two quarters, OSU’s defense made big plays when needed. Headlined by a Lyrik Rawls interception, OSU had a knack for getting off the field when given the opportunity.

The Cowboys stuffed the Sun Devils on fourth down four times in the win, with three of those stops coming in the second half. Most importantly, the Cowboys capitalized on those stops by finding the endzone.

On the possessions immediately following ASU’s first two fourth-down fails of the second half, OSU marched down the field and scored its final two touchdowns. Probably the two most important scores of the young season for OSU, as the first gave OSU the lead, and the other essentially put the game away.

After the Cowboys forced a turnover on downs to begin the third quarter, Ollie Gordon quickly put the offense in scoring position. The 60-yard touchdown drive established a much-needed running attack, with Gordon accounting for 47 yards on the ground before De’Zhaun Stribling punched it in off of a Gunnar Gundy pass.

After grabbing its 17-15 advantage early in the third, OSU never surrendered the lead. Although OSU’s offense has been underwhelming, it has taken care of the ball, exemplified by not turning it over once against ASU.

After the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal to go up five midway through the fourth quarter, their defense forced another turnover on downs. Starting on the Sun Devils’ 33, Garret Rangel’s passing attack led the Cowboys down the field.

Versatile receiver Brennan Presley caught a pass and ran into the endzone to put the game away. Presley had only eight more receiving yards against ASU, but there is an opening for him to get more involved to help spark the offense.

For the first time this season, the positives heavily outweighed the negatives for OSU in the second half against ASU. If it can use what worked well against ASU moving forward, OSU could begin to put together some complete games.

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