Red-zone struggles can’t become a regular issue
STILLWATER — When Mason Rudolph trotted into the end zone untouched for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown at Texas Tech two Saturdays ago, it was evidence of a wise ingame adjustment made by the Oklahoma State offensive coaches.
Rudolph ran for two touchdowns at Tech, both in wide-open space after faking a handoff to running back Justice Hill on a zone read-style play.
And they both came in crucial situations for the Cowboys — not just because they needed them to win the game, but because the offense had been struggling inside the 20-yard line.
The red zone was a tricky spot against Tech. OSU reached the red zone 10 times on 11 offensive possessions, scoring five touchdowns and hitting two of four field-goal attempts. The other redzone trip resulted in a Texas Tech interception that was returned for a touchdown.
OSU has a knack for avoiding the red zone all together, thanks to its gift for the long TD. But Texas Tech might’ve pointed a light on a possible crack in the armor of OSU’s potent offense. Throughout the bye week as the 14th-ranked Cowboys prepare to host Baylor, the red-zone issues were certain to be addressed.
“We’ll be better down there. We left a lot of points out there,” OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said. “It’s good to get back to the drawing board and work on some things we need to get better at.”
OSU’s red-zone issues arose from a variety of areas. The injury-riddled offensive line didn’t quite have the same punch in the run game.
A couple of pass attempts were just off, including one to 6-foot-4 receiver Marcell Ateman, who is typically a goal-line nightmare for defenses.
One shotgun snap was off just enough to throw off the timing of a play.
“Just a bunch of different things,” Yurcich said. “We probably need to pound the rock a bit more down there in our heavier personnel groupings. I’m not sure. It was a miss-hitting here, a miss-hitting there.”
The issues were minor, but enough to cause concern. And they were highlighted more because of the scoring swings. Texas Tech’s pick-six and OSU’s two missed field goals were momentum-changing moments.
Coach Mike Gundy said he should’ve left the offense on the field on a fourth-and-short situation with 5:30 remaining and the game tied at 34.
Hill had a career-high workload, with 30 carries in the game, which left fans clamoring for the more forceful running style of true freshman J.D. King. But that’s a pressure-packed situation to drop a player into when he’s only had a few carries in big games.
Regardless, the Cowboys can’t let their redzone issues linger. Baylor has yet to find a way to beat anyone, but has caused fits for a couple of Big 12 opponents.
“We just need to do a better job of finishing drives,” Mike Gundy said. “Sometimes that happens. (Defenses) rally up. But we do need to improve in that, for sure.”