The no. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys entered Waco as slight underdogs on Saturday, and despite a rough ride, they managed to pull out a 36-25 victory against the no. 16 Baylor Bears.
The Cowboys led by as many as 20 early in the second half, but the Bears never let up as they continually pushed back to make it a game. Oklahoma State managed to pull out big play after big play to keep their distance, however, and in the end, they proved to be the better team.
Spencer Sanders Isn’t a Heisman Candidate…But He Probably Should Be
When you think of Heisman candidates, you probably go to guys like Bryce Young (Alabama) , C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), or Brock Bowers (Georgia). Those are all big names playing for top-5 teams, and that’s fine, but perhaps it’s time to look at someone outside the obvious.
Spencer Sanders is far from perfect: just take a look at his career in Stillwater. Still, he’s put together quite the season through the first four games, and today’s performance was no different. Sanders finished the day with STATS, and even though he threw an interception that led to a Baylor touchdown, he still did a pretty good job at taking care of the ball.
Even after the interception, Sanders went right back at the Baylor defense for a huge bomb to set the Cowboys up for yet another touchdown.
Spencer Sanders is a difficult guy to assess because of his consistency over the years, but as he’s become a more efficient play caller, he’s turned into quite the quarterback. At the very least, he deserves some recognition for how far he has come, and while he may not be a true threat to win the Heisman trophy, I do think that he will find himself in the mix if the Cowboys keep winning.
Is the Defense Good?
Through 4 games, the Cowboys have gone from questionable at best to decently solid. At times, they’ve looked awful. Go back and watch the second half of the Central Michigan game. At other times, they’ve looked pretty dang good. They’re not anywhere near greatness, and I’m not sure they’ll get close to that this season, but as good as the defensive front is, they’re capable of putting together some impressive plays.
For example, take a look at early in the first quarter. With a 7-3 lead, the Cowboys were forced to punt from the Baylor 39-yard line. The ball was downed at the 2-yard line, and on the very first play, Oklahoma State was able to force a safety, putting them up 9-3 and adding a ton of momentum.
One area where they continue to struggle, however, is getting beat deep. The Cowboy secondary has been outstanding over the years, but this year it is very inconsistent, which means a high possibility of giving up big plays. Early in the third quarter, the Cowboys allowed a 49-yard touchdown pass from Blake Shapen to Monaray Baldwin for a touchdown.
Jason Taylor II had his eyes on the ball, but it sailed just over his head after he fell down, and the result was a Baylor touchdown.
The good news is that even after giving up a big touchdown like that, they are able to come back and start the next series with a fresh mindset. After giving up that touchdown, the Cowboys managed to force a quick punt. Unfortunately, they gave up yet another big play right after that as Shapen hit Baldwin yet again, this time for a 70-yard touchdown, to make it 33-25 after the two-point conversion.
Then, on the next offensive drive for the Bears, Baylor decides to go for it on 4th and a yard, and they manage to get it. Fortunately for the Cowboys, Baylor receiver Gavin Holmes was unable to hold on to a pass and Thomas Harper was able to intercept the ball, forcing Baylor into their first turnover of the day. To say that turnover came at a timely moment would be an understatement, especially considering that it led to an eventual field goal to give the Cowboys a 36-25 lead with under 5 minutes to play.
On the next possession, Baylor went for it again on 4th and 1 and again managed to convert. Still, the Cowboy defense stepped up as Jason Taylor II (who else?!) stepped up to snag an interception and seal the deal for Oklahoma State.
This is not the Cowboy defense of 2021. They give up big plays sometimes. Still, they’ve come in clutch and done what’s needed to be done to seal victory (at least so far), and they’ve continued to improve week after week. If they can keep that rolling through the season, there’s not telling what they might be able to accomplish.
More SPECIAL Special Teams
Oklahoma State’s special teams has been sub-par at times over the years, but that is absolutely not the case so far this season. Freshman Jaden Nixon came out in the second half with nothing but the end zone on his mind as he broke loose for a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
While the momentum did not last as long as Cowboy fans would have hoped, the touchdown ended up being a huge difference in the outcome of the game, and it’s pretty clear that Oklahoma State’s return teams are not to be messed with.
Hosting the Red Raiders
Next up for the Cowboys is a home matchup with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Coming into the season, the Red Raiders did not appear to be anything of concern in terms of competition, but after a tough loss to NC State in week 3 and a win against Texas in week 4, it’s safe to say they’re still a solid team. Tech dropped a 37-28 decision to Kansas State early on Saturday, though, to move to 3-2 on the season, so the Cowboys should be decently favored on Saturday.
Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 2:30 PM, and it will be televised on FOX or FS1 (yet to be decided).
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