The Imperfect Storm

Oklahoma State took to the field with heavy hearts Friday night after they, and the rest of the nation, woke up to news of a single-engine airplane crash that had claimed the lives women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna, his assistant.  The other two were victims were Olin and Paula Branstetter, a long-time married couple who were known as avid aviators.

A moment of silence was observed to honor both Kurt
Budke and Miranda Serna.

When all was said and done, the Cowboys - favored to win by 28 points - came out on the losing the end instead, falling 37-31 in double overtime to an Iowa State team that was 0-56-2 against teams ranked in the top six.  Jeff Woody's touchdown to clinch an epic victory created a cyclone (pun intended) whose impact not only ruined Oklahoma State's shot at the national title and Brandon Weeden's Heisman campaign, but will have far greater effects when the new BCS standings are released on Sunday evening.

The defense, which has been somewhat maligned for its "bend, but don't break" approach, was the reason that the Cowboys even had a fighting chance.  Shaun Lewis returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown to get the ball rolling, while Alex Elkins recovered a fumble to stop a scoring drive in the 3rd quarter.  Elkins also had an interception late in the game, leading to a field goal attempt by Quinn Sharp, which if successful, would have probably been the game winner.

Iowa State's offense followed a similar blueprint used by Cowboys' previous opponents.  They played "keep away" by holding the ball for 35 minutes, which resulted in them running more plays (101 to OSU's 76).  Even though they committed 3 turnovers, they still succeeded where others had failed, executing when it mattered most.

Quarterback Jared Barnett (pictured right), a redshirt freshman who was just making his third career start, played with the kind poise that is normally displayed by his counterpart on the opposite sideline.  Despite being responsible for all of his team's turnovers, he remained unfazed; throwing for 376 yards and consistently keeping plays alive using his scrambling ability.  He also gained 84 yards on 14 carries to lead the team in rushing.

If you had to judge by the way the Cyclones' defense, you would have never guessed that they statistically ranked among the worst units in the country.  Not only did they throw caution to the wind by committing to stop the run, but they sure made it count, forcing two fumbles off the sure-handed Joseph Randle.  That choice almost came back to bite them, as Weeden threw for 476 yards.

What the Cyclones lacked in a pass rush, they made up for by trying to deflect the ball every time Weeden was ready to throw it.  The resulted in tipped passes that were intercepted 3 times, including the all-important one by Ter'Ran Benton in second overtime.

Even though Justin Blackmon broke free for a 2nd quarter touchdown, defensive back Leonard Johnson managed to keep the All-American receiver in check.  Other receivers stepped up, but on a night when Weeden was misfiring, he would have preferred to have his his "go to" guy.

Oklahoma State have the next weekend off, as they join the rest of Cowboy Nation in grieving the loss of 4 family members.  At the beginning of the season, they Cowboys had set out to win the conference title, so that goal still remains intact. 

Cowboys prevail in a "Cat and Mouse" thriller.

It may not have had the "Game of the Century" hype, but Oklahoma State vs Kansas State was where all the action was; delivering all the excitement that one could possibly ask for.

The Cowboys won 52-45, but it wasn't until K-State QB Collin Klein's pass to Tramaine Thompson in the end zone fell incomplete that they could truly get the celebration going.  A game that looked like another rout for the Pokes early on, turned in a "cat and mouse" affair, especially in the last 5 minutes which saw a total of 29 points scored between both teams.

The Breakdown.

Offense:

Weeden bounced back from 2 early turnovers to register
a career passing day.

The Cowboys seemed to be on a roll, but it was their 4 turnovers that kept the Wildcats in the game.  Justin Blackmon muffed a punt early, and lost a fumble near the goal-line later on, while Brandon Weeden threw 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, rounding off a 24 point run for K-State.

Other than that, there wasn't really much the Wildcats could do to stop Weeden from hitting them up for 502 yards (a school single-game record); this only a week after getting torched by Oklahoma's Landry Jones for 505 yards (a school single-game record for OU).  With his offensive line giving him all the time in the world to execute, Weeden was literally playing armchair quarterback; picking off a secondary that not only played soft coverage, but hardly covered the middle of the field despite getting burned for big plays all game long.

Blackmon more than atoned for his costly fumbles with a 54 yard TD reception late in the game, but the rest of the receiving corp deserves some credit as well.  Tracy Moore, Isaiah Anderson and Josh Stewart combined for 15 receptions, causing more problems for an already weak secondary.

There wasn't much production from the running game, as Joseph Randle only managed 73 yards on 16 carries.  He still had three touchdowns, the last one giving his team the lead for good.  With the kind of success the Cowboys had in the passing game, Randle only had to be at his best when needed to.

Defense:

Klein gave the Cowboys more than they could handle.

A recovered fumble on K-State's opening possession helped the Cowboys take a 7-0 lead, and a James Thomas interception resulted in another touchdown to bring the score even at 24.  Unlike most teams however, the Wildcats would just not go away.

Collin Klein, who was held to 58 yards passing against Oklahoma the previous week, passed for a season-high 231 yards.  His improved passing enabled the Wildcats to mix the pass and run effectively, and play "keep away" by holding the ball for a little over 40 minutes.

While they Cowboys weren't able to force as many turnovers, a few stops here and there helped them stay ahead of a pesky Wildcat team determined to bounce back after getting routed in their previous outing.

Overall:

The Cowboys haven't been 9-0 since 1945, when they won the Sugar Bowl under the guidance of Jim Lookabaugh.  With only 3 games left in the season, they've positioned themselves for a BCS bowl invitation at the very least.  Anything more than that is literally "in their own hands".

Next up:

Oklahoma State travels to face a Texas Tech that's been routed in its last 2 games, and has lost 4 of their last 5 overall.  Lubbock hasn't always been kind to the Cowboys, but they were able to win there last year, and should probably do the same on this visit.

Too hot to Randle.

Oklahoma State beat Missouri 45-24 on the strength of a superb defensive performance as well as 4 touchdowns from running back Joseph Randle.


With the game slated for an early kickoff, some experts penciled this game as an "upset alert" given that Faurot Field can be a tough place to play.  Others speculated that it would be hard for the Cowboys to get on track having to play that early; leading me to question how many of these guys were still up when a rain delay pushed the Oklahoma State vs Tulsa kickoff to 12:15 am.


Without further ado, let's get to the breakdown of this game. 


Offense


No Blackmon?  No Problem; at least for the most part.  Justin Blackmon caught a touchdown pass to give the Pokes a 14-3 lead in the 1st quarter, but left the game after sustaining a shoulder injury.  Brandon Weeden was able to distribute the ball well, completing passes to 8 other receivers.  Tracy Moore and Michael Harrison (1 TD & a team high 71 yards receiving) were just among those who stepped up to pick up the tab.


Honors go to Joseph Randle, though.  With the game still in contention, he broke a 59 yard TD run to give the Cowboys a 21 point lead.  His third touchdown was just the icing on the cake of a game that was pretty much over.  Much like his counterpart Jeremy Smith did last week, it was Randle's turn to answer the bell, and did he ever, helping to spark an offense that was somewhat flat.


Defense

The Cowboys D rustled Franklin

The Cowboys defensive unit didn't have to spend about 40 minutes on the field this time, but they still put in a great effort.  Despite giving up 248 yards on the ground, they weren't challenged as much through the air thanks to the relentless pressure they put on Tigers QB James Franklin.


Franklin, one of the best dual threat QBs in the country, was limited to 184 yards passing, and 55 yards rushing but committed 4 turnovers; including one (a fumble) at the Cowboys goal line when Mizzou had a chance to pull within 7 points.  The Cowboys converted that turnover for a touchdown; just one of three turnovers that provided the 21 points that they scored in the second half.


Overall


Oklahoma State found a way to win, just like it seemed the momentum was getting away from them.  Someone has stepped on either side of the ball, and this has been the recurring them in their last 3 road games (this one included).  It's a testament to the team's resolve, which will continue to be tested, as 3 of their last 4 opponents will be ranked teams.


Special mention: "The Shout Outs"


The Cowboys defense have now forced 7 turnovers in their last 2 games.  Jamie Blatnick had a forced fumble as well as 2 tipped passes that resulted in interceptions by Shaun Lewis and Richetti Jones.  Lewis also recovered a red zone fumble (forced by Wilson Youman) closing the door on a scoring opportunity for Mizzou.


Joseph Randle ran to rescue - literally -, scoring the Cowboys' last 4 touchdowns (he had a TD reception in the first half).  His final total was 138 yards rushing on 14 carries, and 13 yards on 1 reception.


Next up:


The Cowboys head back home and prepare for an afternoon kickoff against Baylor; a team they routed 55-28 last year, despite all the pre-game hype.  Despite the phenom that is Robert Griffith III (RG3), Oklahoma State should be able to come away with the win, on the strength of having a better defense than the Bears.

Cowboys pick up tempo after a sluggish start.

Oklahoma State's encounter against Texas A&M was pretty much a tale of two halves.  And while it was the Aggies who got off to a quick start, the Cowboys were the ones laughing last after dominating the second half at every turn, winning 30-29.


The Cowboys extended their winning streak over A&M to 4 wins, after having suffered a 4 game losing streak of their own in the series (2004-2007).  Anyone who paid for a ticket to this game surely got their money's worth; this one lived up to all the pre-game hype.  Also another point to note: at least this game kicked off at a very considerable time of the day; I'll take a 2:30pm kickoff over a 12:15am kickoff any day.

Broderick Brown had himself quite the afternoon.

The most surprising stat of course is that Oklahoma State's potent offense was only held to THREE (!!!) first half points.  You'd think that a team averaging at least somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 points per game would do better, but that was not the case.  A lot of credit will of course go to A&M's defense, that had a good enough pass rush, making things harder for the abnormally poised Brandon Weeden.


However, rather than kick their opponent while down, A&M seemed to take the foot off the pedal.  They had their chances to extend the lead in the first half, and potentially put the game out of reach.  Or maybe they planned on coming back to close the deal in the second half.  I had a feeling that the tide was about to turn for the worse.

Blackmon!!  Oh no, you didn't!!

True enough, that is exactly what happened.  Oklahoma State state came back and played probably what was their most complete game in a while.  With his offensive line blocking well, Weeden went to work, finding his receivers, while the running game picked up steam of its own.


Hats off to the defense for nearly pitching a shutout against A&M's offense.  The defensive line made a point of getting to the quarterback often, and the defensive backs contested any pass that they could.  End result was 4 forced turnovers; a fumble recovery and 3 interceptions including one by James Thomas to clinch the win.  Defensive back Broderick Brown made yet another highlight reel play (why lie, he's making it look real easy), to pick off Aggies QB Ryan Tannehill, giving the Cowboys a short field.


On the ensuing drive, Justin Blackmon had a moment that he would have loved to take back if possible.  He found himself in single coverage (why again would you single cover this guy?), and after making a catch and running for what was a sure touchdown, he fumbled the ball which went through the end zone for a touchback.  Had he not fumbled (or at least if he'd been able to recover it in the end zone for a score), that touchdown would surely clinched the game for his team.  However, it only served to make things a little more interesting.  Luckily, the defense stepped up again with Justin Gilbert (who returned a kickoff for a score, only to have it erased due to a holding call), making the most of a poorly thrown pass by Tannehill.


It's been almost 30 years (maybe more) since Kyle Field hosted a game in which both A&M and its opponent were ranked in the Top 10.  So for Oklahoma State to win a game of such magnitude and in a very tough environment, the momentum will probably snowball all the way to (and maybe through) Bedlam (I don't know that December 3 could get here fast enough).  You really want to measure the negatives against the positives, but judging how the team bounced back, it's all positive.


Also the days leading up to the game had been very trying as the team was in mourning following the death of Angela Spencer, wife of Linbebackers' coach Glenn Spencer.  Coach Spencer had to be hurried home during the Tulsa game, and was able to spend few moments by his wife's side before she passed away.  So it was only fitting that the team send her off in style.  RIP Angela Spencer.


Oklahoma State will be off this weekend, before they return to action against Kansas.  Hopefully their momentum won't take the weekend off either. 

Coming back to a city near you: by public demand!!

Cowboy Nation can now breath a sigh of relief, because Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon will be returning for another season.  While it was almost certain that Weeden would be coming back, no one would have been surprised had Blackmon declared for the NFL draft; where he was guaranteed to be a first round pick.

Both Blackmon and Weeden had sensational seasons, while helping lead Oklahoma State to it's best season yet.  They set individual school records in passing and receiving, breaking records that were set by Josh Fields and Rashaun Woods in 2002; who weren't too bad of a dynamic duo themselves.  They also earned first team All-Conference honors.

Brandon Weeden started off as an unknown, and by season's end, he was a first team All-Conference quarterback; the first from Oklahoma State since Clarence Highfill in 1932.  It is safe to say that everybody now knows who he is. 

Justin Blackmon, the Biletnikoff Award winner and first team All-American, was a highlight reel in motion.  He was so explosive that the only person who's been able to stop him so far, was the Carrollton (TX) Police Officer who arrested him in late October.  Defenders who tried to "single cover" him, could only recall the name and number on the back of his jersey while he sprinted toward to the endzone for another score.

In 2002, Fields and Woods helped lead OSU to it's first Bowl game since 1997

What this means is that Oklahoma State will likely earn a high pre-season ranking, that would put them in a position to contend for both a conference title and a possible BCS Bowl berth.  Since there won't be a conference championship game to worry about, this feat should be a little bit easier.

With a lot of starters returning on both offense and defense, and Bedlam returning to Stillwater for the second year in a row, I would highly encourage you to go out there and get your tickets now.  You wouldn't want to miss this show.

Remember the Alamo.....bowl!!!

It was exactly six years ago to the day, when I made the trip to San Antonio to watch Oklahoma State play against The Ohio State University (that's how they call it, don't ask me why).  My good friends hooked me up with a ticket (thank you to Barry and Connie Bloyd) that actually turned out to be a great seat.  I had a great trip to San Antonio (well except the Greyhound ride back home).  I got to connect with some old friends, made some new friends, visited the San Antonio Zoo and of course, the Riverwalk.  I had a blast!!  And that was as good as it got.


Come game time, it was a whole different story.  The only things that these two squads had in common was that they played football and shared the same initials.  Other than that, there were two different sets of players on the field; NFL caliber talent vs Division I football talent.  Oklahoma State just never got going against an Ohio State team that at 7-4, was having a considerably down year.


Flash forward to yesterday and it was neat to see the Cowboys round off what has been their best season in school history so far, and snap a 2 game bowl skid while they were at it.  I'm already sick and tired of hearing these commentators and analysts state the same thing, over and over and over and over...... (I could do this all day), that Oklahoma State was supposed to have been rebuilding, they had been picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12..... and so on.  Lookie here guys, and I'm not naming anyone specific (Craig James), we've heard it since spring training, the summer workouts and the entire season!!  How about telling something that we don't already know, okay?


Catch him if you can; oh wait, YOU CANT!!!



At some point in the first quarter, Justin Blackmon got wide open for a pass that went 71 yards for a touchdown.  Arizona corner back Robert Golden was probably thinking that he would have help from a safety over the top, and when that didn't happen, Blackmon did!!  Golden didn't even bother trying to chase him down.  Somebody help me out here; Blackmon is a 1st team All-American, he has lit up just about every cornerback that single covered him, he is a Biletnikoff Award winner (given to the best receiver in the country), yet somehow, he got behind your defense!!  If I was Mike Stoops, I would have him double covered from the day he arrived in San Antonio.  I'd make sure there were 2 defenders following him EVERYWHERE he went (OK, not just about everywhere!!).


Not to be left out of the fun, the defense got in on the act collecting 5 sacks and 3 interceptions.  Markelle Martin was probably the busiest player on the defensive side.  Beside returning an interception for a touchdown, he was busy racking up personal foul penalties left and right.  I'm thinking he must have had a side-bet with someone because he was playing like a man possessed.  Whatever floats your boat, buddy.

Arizona did just about everything but score.  They held the ball for 15 more minutes, ran over 20 more plays and did everything they could to keep Oklahoma State's orange-hot offense off the field.  Only problem was that when they couldn't score, the Cowboys didn't mind showing them how it's done.  I was hoping to see a flea-flicker from OSU at some point, but I guess they didn't get around to it because Dana Holgorsen was too busy chugging a Red Bull on the sideline; talk about free publicity.

I was rather disappointed when the officials reversed Michael Harrison's obvious touchdown.  It appeared to me that he had made a clean catch, had possession as he crossed the goal line and only lost the ball after the defender tried to wrestle it from him.  Poke nation thought "touchdown", the officials ruled "incomplete pass"; oh well!!

Let's do this again sometime!!

With Arizona set to make a trip to Stillwater, OK next September, I don't think the Wildcats, Robert Golden in particular, will be looking forward to seeing Justin Blackmon around.  Prior to the game, there were rumours that Blackmon had told some fans that would be returning for his junior season.  Other rumours have it that he had submitted some paperwork to the NFL to see get an evaluation of where he would likely be drafted should he leave.

I wouldn't mind him coming back for another season, but as I've always understood with regards to the NFL draft, you leave when you're hot and your draft stock is high.  Last I checked, he was projected to be a 1st round (25th overall) pick and ranked as the 3rd best receiver in the draft.  If you're wondering why he is rated as the 3rd best receiver, don't ask me, I'm just quoting the reports.

It was really great to see Oklahoma State players having fun.  It's been a great season and San Antonio isn't a bad place to be, especially at this time of the year.  I can only imagine that the trip back home was a lot better than the last time they played in the Alamo Bowl.