Cowboys scheming to unlock defenses
STILLWATER – Balance remains the beacon that guides Oklahoma State’s ideal offensive attack.
With the Cowboys, it’s run and pass, not run or pass. Yet each Saturday, defenses dictate so much of the game plan and play calls with their alignments and approaches to slowing the nation’s No. 2 offense.
So the Cowboys anticipate and adjust.
“What’s too much? What’s not enough?” said OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. “That’s why we stay up late at night.”
For many teams this season, Iowa State’s defense has created many sleepless nights and suspenseful Saturdays.
The Cyclones rank second in the Big 12 in scoring defense and total defense. Their numbers in those categories have improved within league play, allowing an average of just 14.7 points and 349.7 yards per game. And those stats were built mostly against the league’s No. 2 (Oklahoma), No. 3 (West Virginia), No. 4 (Texas Tech) and No. 5 (TCU) scoring offenses.
Next up: No. 1 OSU, heading into Ames on Saturday with a conference best 45.3 points per game. So, what gives?
The Cowboys know what to expect: a heavy dose of Iowa State’s umbrella pass coverage, the same scheme that worked so effectively in slowing the similarly-styled Sooners and Red Raiders as part of an unbeaten run through October. The Cyclones stamped upsets of both OU and TCU with defense, collecting two wins over top-5 teams for the first time in school history.
“They play extremely hard,” Yurcich said. “That’s one thing we have to do, is go out there and outmatch their intensity and outmatch their effort. Those are things we can control.
“How they align and how we adjust, we’ll roll along with that as we always have. But we have to bring it.”
Mike Gundy has said it, the Cyclones aren’t flashy. Offensively, they’ve been scuffling of late, scoring just three touchdowns the past two weeks. During conference play, Iowa State’s 25.2 points per game ranks No. 8.
Still, the Cyclones have been able to compete and contend with defense. And they’ll hitch their hopes to defense again Saturday.
“This is maybe the most complete offense we’ve played to date,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said in recognizing his team’s challenge.
Mason Rudolph leads the nation in passing yards per game, James Washington leads in receiving yards per game and Justice Hill leads the Big 12 in rushing yards per game.
A plus for the Cowboys strategically – they’ve seen this defense before, at least in style and approach. Texas and West Virginia dropped deep into coverage, as others have before them in an effort to slow Rudolph and his cast of playmakers.
“Nothing new,” Rudolph said. “Obviously a good opponent, a bunch of guys who run to the ball and play tough. I think we’ve got a great plan for them.”
The plan in general: run and pass.
“The last two years, you’ve seen people dropping eight,” Rudolph said, “especially in 2015 when we were struggling to run the ball effectively. People said, ‘We’re not going to let you go over our heads.’
“Since, we’ve been running the ball extremely well. I remember the days when (the media) were asking, ‘What’s going on with the running game?’ Don’t ask that question anymore, which is great. And that’s a testament to our offensive line and our backs and our coaches.”