Baylor’s big plays crushed OSU
WACO, Texas — Big plays became a big story from OSU’s 35-24 loss at Baylor. Specifically, big plays allowed. While the Bears ran only 65 plays, nine went for at least 23 yards. Baylor scored on a 23-yard
run, two 38-yard passes to Ishmael Zamora and an 89-yard catch and
run by Chris Platt. Platt also scored on a 15-yard scoring reception, meaning the Cowboys surrendered double-digit plays on all five Bears’ scores.
Baylor averaged a whopping 21.5 yards per completion.
“Four hours of just gut-wrenching hell,” said OSU defensive coordinator
Glenn Spencer. Moments of madness, too. After preparing for Baylor’s use of stop-and-go double moves all week, the Cowboys were still victimized, burned several times when cornerbacks bit. The 89-yarder to Platt left
Ashton Lampkin in futile pursuit; a 32-yard throw from quarterback Seth Russell to Platt picked on
Ramon Richards, allowing the Bears to escape from their own 2 with the game on the line.
Baylor schemes big plays, spreading receivers far and wide and creating one-on-one matchups for its receivers. Win some, lose some.
That’s how the Bears have risen to rank among the nation’s top offenses repeatedly in recent years.
Ideally, corners get help from safeties in those situations. Against Baylor, that’s not always practical, with only so many defensive backs to go around.
“Football is going to have one-onone battles,” Richards said. “You can’t always have help. You grow up playing football one-on-one in the backyard. That’s all this is.”
And it’s something the Cowboys will see again in the Big 12, including Saturday when Texas brings its overhauled offense to Stillwater.
“It’s a long season,” Spencer said. “We gotta make sure we give it our best to come back next week and have a chance to win a game.
“That’s all it’s about now: sticking together. Everybody’s broke. Everybody’s frustrated. We’ve just gotta go back to work. Figure out a way to win next week.”
BAYLOR FIT COWBOY RUN ATTACK
OSU made a mark with its run game, an element that’s been mostly missing for the better part of three seasons.
The Cowboys ran for 213 yards; true freshman Justice Hill went for 122 yards in reaching the century mark for the first time; and OSU scored all its touchdowns on the ground, controlling the clock to the tune of 41:27 in time of possession.
“I’m really proud of guys, our offensive linemen,” said Cowboys quarterback Mason Rudolph. “They did an incredible job all game of moving the ball on the ground. Our running backs made some great cuts, some great runs.”
Baylor played a part, too. The Bears utilize a sagging defensive scheme and don’t have the same dominant defensive linemen who’ve held their own up front in recent seasons.
Saturday might have provided a total celebration of the Cowboys’ run game, if not for three lost fumbles that weighed heavily in the loss.
Still, OSU’s ground game is making needed progress. With Rennie Childs going over the 100-yard mark against Pitt, the Cowboys have now produced 100-yard backs in consecutive weeks for the first time since Joseph
Randle did it himself in 2012.
QUOTABLE
Richards on prepping for another Baylor-styled offensive attack with the Longhorns:
“We’re not afraid of it. We’re going to prepare for it. All we can do is get better and play football. There’s nothing more to it. All we can do is prepare Sunday through Thursday, then a mental day Friday, and play football on Saturday.”