Prep football teams face off
OSU’s offense was flashy as expected, but the defense had its share of shining moments against Tulsa.
STILLWATER — Kenneth Edison-McGruder scooped up a Tulsa fumble at the Golden Hurricane 18 and, spotting plenty of Boone Pickens Stadium open turf, had but one thought.
“Just run,” he said. “Just go, don’t worry about nothing, just run.”
And go he did, 82 yards, applying a final touchdown stamp on Oklahoma State’s 59-24 rout of Tulsa in Thursday night’s season opener.
Still, Edison-McGruder didn’t completely take his own advice. Sensing trouble in the footsteps behind him, the Cowboys linebacker did worry. So he wove left, then back right, taking a circuitous route to the end zone, only to find out he was eluding his brothers in orange.
“I didn’t know it was my teammates, I thought it was the other team,” Edison-McGruder said. “So I did this little weave thing, that was unnecessary, and I had everybody telling me about it afterwards.”
So on a night when OSU’s offense provided plenty of flash and dash, the defense offered some, too — including Edison-McGruder’s long dash, the fourth-longest fumble return in Cowboys history.
Quick-take critics may see the 24 points and a few unflattering statistics and wonder if the OSU defense is simply along for the ride, however far the offense can carry them.
Yet a deeper dive reveals a more promising story, at least from a one-week standpoint.
•Of Tulsa’s 24 points, 10 were gifted. The Golden Hurricane scored a touchdown when Jalen McCleskey lost a fumbled punt in his own end zone, and added a field goal following a Mason Rudolph fumble at the OSU 24. Another Tulsa touchdown came with 5:35 remaining, against Cowboys deep reserves and walk-ons. The Golden Hurricane produced one sustained drive for a touchdown in the second quarter.
•TU finished with 432 yards of total offense. Of that, 151 came in the fourth quarter, with the game out of hand and OSU’s defense featuring many players getting their first college football experience.
•Hurricane tailback D’Angelo Brewer, a returning 1,400-yard back, running behind an experienced offensive line, averaged 1.5 yards on 22 carries. “We did great stopping the run, did a tremendous job,” said Cowboys defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer. “Pretty good night with a team that fancies itself on running the ball.”
•The Cowboys had 30 defenders credited with at least one tackle; or nearly three deep’s worth. When the game was competitive, the defense rotated regularly, utilizing five tackles, five ends and six linebackers.
•Showing speed and aggression, the defense produced nine tackles for losses and two turnovers, leaving more take-aways on the field. “We had two or three other balls in our hands,” Spencer said. “We could have had two or three more with picks. We had great breaks, ball’s in our hands, we have to finish.
“We felt like we could have had four or five turnovers tonight.”
Mike Gundy picked at a few issues, namely allowing TU quarterback Chad President to scramble from pressure in third-and-long situations, converting first downs.
Still, overall, Gundy said, “I thought our defense played great.”
To the Cowboys, it felt great, too, if briefly a little bit taxing for Edison-McGruder.
“I feel like if I didn’t do the weave, I would have been good,” he said. “But since I did the little weave thing, I got gassed.
“My first college touchdown. Great feeling.”