Oklahoma State football: Showdown vs. Arizona provides first test for Cowboys' defense

But now in Tucson are Rich Rodriguez and his potent spread offense.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said multiple times heading into the season that the 2012 Cowboys have the best defense he's had since becoming the program's head coach. And Saturday night's contest against Arizona in Tucson should provide an early gauge to see just how reliable the No. 18 Cowboys (1-0) can be on that side of the ball.

“They're smart, and they'll do what you allow them to do,” OSU acting defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer said. “If you try to take something away, they're going to get out of it, they're going to get in the right play.

“The high tempo allows them to get in the right play every snap, so that's a challenge on us to try to disguise and try to counterbalance that.”

Let's revisit the curious case of the 2011 OSU defense. Though the Cowboys led the nation with 44 takeaways, they also ranked 107th in the nation in total defense.

Now following a tune-up game — and that's putting it kindly — against Savannah State last week, the Cowboys' first real test of 2012 will come against a Wildcat offense that rolled up 624 yards against Toledo. Arizona (1-0) needed overtime to win 24-17, but the Wildcats had two touchdowns called back because of penalties and two missed chip-shot field goals, including the potential game-winner at the end of regulation.

The Wildcat offense centers around quarterback Matt Scott, a fifth-year senior who Gundy compared to Robert Griffin III during his early years at Baylor, Missouri's James Franklin or even former OSU quarterback Zac Robinson.