OSU 65, WSU 17: Thoughts and observations
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon
– I can’t imagine a better first game for the Cowboys. A message was sent in Stillwater on Saturday night.
–Dana Holgorsen didn’t seem particularly thrilled after the game but his offense was stellar in his first game as OSU’s offensive coordinator. Eight touchdowns, zero turnovers, 5 for 5 in the red zone, over 500 total yards.
–The defense was strong as well. Markelle Martin set a tone with his hard hitting and it was clear OSU’s defense is faster than they were a year ago.
–Justin Blackmon is a playmaker. He’s a guy I felt like OSU should have gotten involved more last season, and he proved tonight he should be a staple in the Pokes’ offensive gameplan from this point forward.
–Any more questions about Kendall and his touches in Holgorsen’s offense?
–I reached a point during the preseason where I decided to stop sticking up for Kendall Hunter when he kept getting overlooked when preseason honors were handed out. I figured he would take care of it himself on the field. So, thanks Kendall, nothing else needs to be said.
–The Pokes had the ball for roughly five minutes in the second quarter. They scored 21 points.
–Five red zone chances, five touchdowns.
–If you want to knit pick, OSU was just 4 of 14 (28.5 percent) on third down. Holgorsen won’t like that stat, he stresses third down efficiency and that’s not going to get it done.
–The freshmen held up better than I expected, especially on defense. Cornerback Justin Gilbert got a lot of snaps at cornerback and played well, cornerback Devin Hedgepeth also was solid.
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