OSU 33, Texas 16: Thoughts and Observations
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon
–Great win for Oklahoma State. Another step forward for the program under Mike Gundy.
–I’m impressed by the way OSU came down to Austin and took care of business. They did what you would expect a one-loss team to do to a 4-5 team on its own field. Pretty much the outcome I expected, OSU is the better team.
–Another great game by the defense, that’s three straight very solid outings for Bill Young’s group.
–OSU dominated the second and third quarters. Texas’ possessions during that time went as follows: Punt, punt, punt, interception, end of half, punt, punt, punt.
–The Cowboys offense was outstanding on third down. 10 of 16 conversions. They were able to do that in large part thanks to having manageable third downs.
–Coach Mike Gundy singled out Joe DeForest for the great job he did with OSU’s special teams units and I must agree. Texas averaged 20.8 yards per kick return and Quinn Sharp put 3 of 3 punts inside the 20-yard line.
–It’s unfortunate to see Dan Bailey’s PAT streak end, I wanted to see him leave with a perfect slate. He also missed a 39-yarder. Was it the shoes?
–I’m shocked by the lack of playmakers on Texas’ offense. They just don’t have big-play players.
–Kendall Hunter is second to none. 23 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He’s so tough to bring down and he’s stronger than he looks. He came to dominate as a senior and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
–Justin Blackmon is unstoppable. His touchdown catch against Aaron Williams was a elite play that very few players make. I can’t recall ever seeing a receiver be consistently great every game. It’s awesome to watch, he just doesn’t have off games. Incredibly consistent. Heisman. Biletnikoff. You name the list, he should be on it. And near the top.
–Bo Bowling’s emergence is one of the best developments of the season for OSU. He plays so hard. He kept telling me he just wanted to get back to where he was before his off-the-field troubles. I wasn’t covering OSU then but I’d imagine he’s exceeded that goal. He’s become a guy OSU counts on to make plays.
–Weeden had a great game with 409 passing yards, but it could be overshadowed by a couple of poor decisions. (1) on the interception, which Dana Holgorsen called “the worst play in college football history” and (2) he didn’t get down when scrambling late in the game and now he will definitely be sore tomorrow. He took an unnecessary hit to the back with the game well in hand.
–Still I was impressed with Brandon Weeden tonight. He took more hits than he’s taken all season and kept getting up, and even stepped into a throw with a defender in his face and made an accurate throw. That’s another test he’s passed with flying colors.
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