Where are they now?
OSU writer John Helsley examines where the Cowboys are, what we’ve learned and what’s still lingering with seven games remaining.
STILLWATER – Back before the season, Mike Gundy’s actions and words spoke to an almost cocky confidence.
The Cowboys coach smirked and rolled through conversations about the mullet and rattlesnakes and The Rant. And when it came to the potential of his Oklahoma State team, Gundy didn’t back down from high expectations, in the public or with his squad.
Gundy and the Cowboys haven’t punted any of their goals, despite a Big 12-opening loss to TCU.
At 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference, big games and big opportunities sill lie ahead for a team still receiving respect at No. 15 in the rankings, although any margin for error no longer exists.
This off week doesn’t quite come at the halfway point of the season, yet it does offer a natural break to assess where the Cowboys are; what’s been learned on the positive side and what’s still lingering with seven games to play in the regular season.
Learned
Good, as advertised. With Mason Rudolph and James Washington and many more playmakers in place, the Cowboys offense spurred stories propping OSU up as the greatest show on college turf and even prompted playoff talk.
“Behold the beauty and power of Oklahoma State’s offensive attack,” ESPN’s Alex Scarborough wrote after the Pitt game.
Then came the TCU loss and the chatter stopped, or at least paused, for now.
Well, the Cowboys are still good on offense. Not Pitt-perfect. But good. And explosive. And maybe still developing, with young players like Tyron Johnson, Tylan Wallace and J.D. King still gaining their footing.
OSU ranks No. 3 in total offense, No. 5 in passing offense and No. 6 in scoring offense. Rudolph stands as the nation’s No. 2 passer and Washington as the No. 1 receiver, while also averaging 23.11 yards per catch, better than any receiver with 18 or more receptions. Overall, the Cowboys are averaging 7.9 yards… per snap.
And running back Justice Hill, averaging 103.2 yards per game, is pretty good, too.
The defense is underrated. Yeah, the stats suggest a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 defense, in a league hardly known for getting stops.
Yet the Cowboys defensive numbers have absorbed three touchdowns scored off OSU’s offense and more damage inflicted through unfavorable field position provided by other turnovers.
The move of Ramon Richards from corner to safety has paid off, giving OSU a stout tandem with Tre Flowers starring as a senior. Considering the Cowboys are playing with newbies at key spots – tackle and cornerback – and the replacements should gain comfort and confidence with exposure, there’s hope for improvement, too.
Get a load of Hill. Or, check out the load on Hill – the workload – with 55 carries over the past two games.
The sophomore running back bulked up in the offseason with intent of staying on the field more. Well, Hill’s doing that, and producing. Some games will allow the Cowboys to lean on Hill a little less, but when it counts, he’s a major threat and a deterrent to defenses bent on stopping the pass.
Marcell’s return. Did we forget how good Marcell Ateman was becoming two years ago? That was his breakout, setting up bigger things, before injury shut him down in 2016.
Well, he’s back. And dominating, with 25 catches for 449 yards and an average of 17.96 yards per catch through five games.
Lingering
Kick in the pants… Short field goals should be gimmes. Have to be gimmes.
And yet the stronglegged Matt Ammendola has misses from 33, 22 and 18 yards already, prompting panic among the Cowboys masses. Never mind that he’s connected from 48 and 53 yards, the short misses make bad memories.
Gundy gave Ammendola a vote of confidence Monday, saying he was sticking with him. Still, the leash has to be shortening, at least on shorter kicks.
Penalties/Mistakes. The Cowboys have been penalized 29 times for an average of 52.2 yards. Not terrible numbers at face value.
The timing, however, has been crippling, resulting in a league-high 15 going for opponent first downs.
OSU ranks eighth in the Big 12 turnover margin, mostly due to nine giveaways, resulting in a minus-1 count for the season.
Little things flip close games and big games. They already did against TCU.
Injuries. The Cowboys have already lost starting offensive guard Larry Williams and key reserve linebacker Kevin Henry for the season. Linebacker Kenneth EdisonMcGruder and offensive tackle Zach Crabtree missed games and neither is back to full strength.
Now center Brad Lundblade, who has made a team-high 31 consecutive starts, is questionable for Baylor after going out at Tech with a foot injury.
The Cowboys’ depth is being tested.
Red zone difficulties? OSU ranks seventh in the Big 12 in red zone offense, converting just 82.8 percent of their opportunities inside the 20.
Yet, are the issues real, or imagined?
The Cowboys lead the league in red zone scores (24) and are second in red zone touchdowns (17). The missed field goals haven’t helped. And the offense has been a bigplay scoring offense, producing 12 touchdowns of 20 yards or longer.
That’s a lot of scoring – inside and outside the 20 – for five games.