Oklahoma State football: As coach's son, J.W. Walsh can make adjustments quicker

It was a similar scene a few passes later for Walsh, who might have been telegraphing his intent, leading to Ragin' Cajun defenders clearly looking to jump routes.

Then quickly things changed.

Walsh sharpened his throws, shifted his aim from the outside — where ULL was focused on Tracy Moore, who'd torched Arizona the week before — and fired strikes to Stewart and Blake Jackson down the middle of the field.

As the Cowboys rolled to a 38-0 lead, midway through the second quarter, Walsh completed 13-of-15 passes with three touchdowns.

Nice adjustments … coach's kid.

In his first real bit of tense action, Walsh responded not only with confidence, but swagger, never shying from the moment. He ran and passed and rallied a squad that could have been in shock, looking like a guy prepared for such situations all his life.

Which he was.

“One thing you've got to remember now,” said Cowboys coach Mike Gundy, “he played at a high level of football in Texas. He's a coach's kid.”

Put a value on that?

“I really don't think you can,” Walsh said, “just because anytime something comes up, it's the knowledge you can come back to, that's in the back of your mind, those conversations at the dinner table with my dad.”