The Oklahoma State Cowboys entered their Saturday afternoon matchup in Morgantown with the West Virginia Mountaineers as a slight underdog, but Ollie Gordon ran all over the field as he tallied 282 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a 48-34 win over the Mountaineers.
The third consecutive win as an underdog moves the Cowboys to 5-2 on the season, and all of a sudden they aren’t just on the verge of being bowl eligible, but perhaps it’s time to begin discussing the possibility of making an appearance in the Big 12 Championship game. While Oklahoma State still has plenty of road blocks ahead, if they continue to improve at the rate that they have in the last few weeks, then it really is hard to tell just how good this team could end up being.
Ollie Gordon is the Best in the Conference, Maybe the Nation
In the first 3 games of the season combined, Ollie Gordon had recorded just 19 carries for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had shown flashes of brilliance, but for some reason, he just wasn’t being given the ball, and as a result, the Cowboy rushing game suffered, and all the pressure was on the pass game.
Finally in the fourth game of the season, a close loss in Ames to Iowa State, Gordon was given more opportunity as he tallied 18 carries for 121 yards but no touchdowns. Over the last few weeks, Gordon’s touches have increased dramatically, and in the 3 most recent wins, he has put up 79 carries for 586 yards and 6 touchdowns. Today he put up career highs of 282 yards and 4 touchdowns, 2 of which were off big gains that kept the Cowboy leading at a comfortable 14 points. All in all, that puts his season totals at 116 carries for 816 yards and 8 touchdowns. Oh, and he’s also got 17 catches for 180 yards a touchdown.
As far as how Gordon’s stats stack up nationally, he’s lagging a little behind due to the slow start, but he’s pushed his way into spotlight, and right now, you could make the argument that he’s playing like the best running back in the nation. While it may be difficult for him to pick up any national awards, the Cowboys are dramatically benefitting from the havoc that he’s causing in the ground game, and if he’s able to continue at this pace, then there’s no telling just how far he can take this team.
The Defense is Good…and Bad
Before the game started, it was pretty clear that if Oklahoma State wanted to have a chance at a win, they were going to need to slow down West Virginia’s offense. Garrett Greene isn’t all that great of a quarterback, but he’s adequate at throwing the ball, and he’s got some decent wheels on him. Slowing him down wasn’t going to be the easiest task.
Greene managed to hurt the Cowboys in both facets of the game as he completed 15-of-30 passes for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns along with 117 yards on 16 runs. It wasn’t enough, though, as Oklahoma State’s defense was able to make some key plays by forcing turnovers, which the offense was then able to convert into points.
Despite the secondary looking extremely weak at times, they made plays when they counted, which included a strip and fumble recovery by Kendal Daniels and an interception by Korie Black. The Cowboys also recovered a loose ball on a Mountaineer punt return. The 3 turnovers led to 17 points, which made a big difference in the end, but if Oklahoma State wants to stand a chance against Oklahoma when Bedlam rolls around, they need to shore up the coverage responsibilities and figure out a way to stop from getting beat over the top.
Up Next
The Cowboys almost get a break of sorts next week as they are set to host the Cincinnati Bearcats, one of the Big 12 newcomers. After a 2-0 start, the Bearcats have lost 5 straight, including a 32-29 loss to the Baylor Bears on Saturday afternoon. These two programs have taken their teams in different directions in the last few weeks, but Oklahoma State cannot afford to overlook anyone at this point, and they need to make a point to continue trending in a positive direction.
Oklahoma State will kickoff next Saturday at 7 PM, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.