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.

The Lon Ranger

He's been a Wildcat (and remains one at heart).  He's been a Gator, a Fightin' Illini, a Runnin' Rebel and now, he's a Sooner.  On Monday, Lon Kruger was formally introduced as the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team.

Whether or not he was Oklahoma's first option doesn't really matter.  What matters is that Oklahoma has a proven coach who's been known to revive or turn programs around.  No other coach has ever taken Kansas State to 4 straight NCAA tournament appearances.  Frank Martin, the current coach at K-State, might just do it; but he's rumoured to be headed to Miami.

Lon Kruger also helped put Florida basketball on the map when he led the program to a 1994 Final Four appearance.  Florida might have the athletes, but since we're being honest, they really didn't have much of a basketball history prior to that.  Not only is Florida a football school, but the state of Florida is all about football.  Don't believe me?  3 NFL teams compared to 2 NBA teams?  10 national titles in college football as compared to 2 in college basketball?  3 Super Bowls compared to 1 NBA title?  More players in the the NFL Hall of Fame as opposed to the NBA Hall of Fame?  I think you get my point.

Why Kruger's hire is being considered as a good move nationwide, is that he's won just about everywhere he's been; feel free to discount his time with the Atlanta Hawks.  It's very hard to win in the pro ranks, and there aren't that many college coaches who've had any success there.  Other than that, he's a proven winner.

While basketball takes a backseat to football, Oklahoma actually has a decent basketball history.  26 NCAA tournament bids that include 4 Final Four appearances and 2 national title game appearances.  The Sooners at one time held the nation's longest streak for appearances in post-season play (25 seasons); a streak that ended in 2006-07 season, Jeff Capel's first season.  Also, it's been more than 40 years since the school endured back-to-back losing seasons.  With that much history, you can see why Kruger had to re-think the offer before eventually taking the job.

Nobody is asking Kruger to beat Kansas every year; even though winning the conference title would be wonderful.  He's not being asked to get the school to the Final Four every year, or win the national championship every other year.  All he has been tasked with is to make the school relevant again.  Get the program back on the map.  Win games, get the fans back in the seats.  Above all else, keep the program out of the NCAA's radar.

A Kansas native, born in Silver Lake, Kruger starred for the Kansas State Wildcats in the early 1970's.  He was named Big 8 player of the year in both 1973 & '74.  He played in an era when the Wildcats were actually winning more than the Jayhawks.  Based on his time as a player and coach in Manhattan, KS, Kruger is no stranger to these parts of town.

Which brings me to my next point, recruiting.  There was a time when the best high school basketball players in the state played college ball in-state (Wayman Tisdale, Stacey King).  Since then, we've seen some good players, McDonald's All-American players, head north to Lawrence, KS (J.R. Giddens, Xavier Henry) or far east to Durham, NC (Shelden Williams).  Blake Griffin was just one of those "once in a lifetime" moments, where the player opted to stay home rather than take his talents elsewhere.

The good thing about having being in the NBA, albeit a short stint, is that Kruger knows what it takes to compete at that level, both physically and mentally.  He's not that bad of a recruiter either.  So it may not be long before some big names start heading toward Norman.

While searching for a new coach, Oklahoma made it clear that their intention is to "win now!!"  Hiring Lon Kruger is definitely a huge step forward toward achieving that goal.

And down goes Kansas.

Just a few hours after reclaiming the #1 spot, Kansas fell to Kansas State 84-68.  Jacob Pullen scored a career-high 38 points, in what was the Wildcat's 3^rd win against the Jayhawks in the last 45 meetings.  Can't blame the crowd for storming the court after the game.


Pullen the strings (no pun intended)



Just a little over a fortnight ago, Kansas State was on the tail end of a 90-66 whipping by the Jayhawks.  It was quite a fall for a team that was ranked #3 in the pre-season, with Jacob Pullen (the school's first pre-season All American) gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.  I guess the "SI Cover jinx" is still alive after all.

This win will definitely ease the sour taste of a season that has just gone horribly wrong.  Pullen served a 3 game suspension for receiving inappropriate discounts at a local clothing store and two players left the team.  I'm guessing that's not exactly the way they were hoping things would go when the season started.  That is why you need nights like this, just to remind you that maybe you've still got it in you after all.

The Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus, have been rock solid for the Jayhawks, but were missing in action.  They both combined for 16 points and 3 rebounds (Markieff didn't register any rebounds).  With the twins getting into early foul trouble, Kansas State was able to establish an inside game and they never really looked back.

A moment of Self-reflection

Also due to early foul trouble, Kansas couldn't establish their own inside game; something that hurt them in their loss to Texas (who will likely take over the #1 spot).  Shooting 44%, down from their 52.3% didn't quite help their cause.  Still, there's a good amount of basketball left to be played.  Kansas can still make something of what's left in their season.  I wouldn't be too worried.

The Wildcats can only hope that the worst is behind them.  They are a team that is capable of going deep in the tournament, and a win like this is proof of what they are capable of.  The problem with winning a big game like this, is the letdown that usually follows when you play your next opponent (especially if they are trying to make their own statement). 

Knowing how rare wins against the Jayhawks are, I don't blame Wildcat fans if they decide to hold on to this one for as long as they'd like to.