Mediocre marks despite rout of Missouri State
OSU routed Missouri State 58-17 Thursday night, but the Cowboys’ quality of play was sporadic. Here’s how OSU graded out.
Short-yardage offense
DThe Cowboys in the first half consistently reached the shadow of the end zone. But they had trouble pushing in for touchdowns. OSU had nine first-and-goal plays from the 5-yard line or closer but scored TDs on only three of those plays. One was achieved via a Jalen McCleskey reverse; another was a dump pass to fullback Sione Finefeuiaki. When the Cowboys tried to bully the Bears, they mostly failed.
Revelry
CCourtesy of a Thursday night, 90something degree heat and a lower-division opponent, the streets of Stillwater seemed lethargic before the game, and that atmosphere carried over into Boone Pickens Stadium. The debut of the new giant video board didn’t spark a ton of excitement, and the game got away quickly. And did we mention the heat?
Taylor Cornelius
CCornelius’ starting debut as the OSU quarterback was less than sterling. He displayed some arm strength, but the accuracy was missing. In the first half, on nonshort passes, Corndog completed just three of nine. Particularly his lofted passes were overthrown. But Cornelius did show some good legwork. His scrambling ability paid off early – he zipped for a 32-yard gain after dashing from the pocket in the first quarter. It appeared Corndog could have flipped a short pass to Justice Hill to get out of danger, but he took the open field himself. Coaches might encourage him to throw it in the future, but that mobility is a nice weapon. Cornelius looked adept stepping up or out of the pocket. His 29-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McCleskey, throwing back across the field after a scramble, was a particularly nice play. That’s a nice wrinkle that OSU hasn’t necessarily had since the J.W. Walsh days.
Pass rush
AMissouri State is not capable of matching up with Big 12 defensive linemen, so any praise should be measured. But the Cowboys, led by Jordan Brailford, put constant pressure on quarterback Peyton Huslig. OSU totaled four sacks and kept Huslig uncomfortable all game.
Uniforms
AThe orange jerseys were an automatic. No way could anyone have justified putting the Cowboys in black on a day like this. The sun set quickly, but the first quarter would have been brutal in black. The orange jerseys coupled with the orange pants are a great pairing with the white helmets that sported the full-figure Pistol Pete.
Defensive sustainability
DMissouri State’s first six drives ended with five punts, a fumble and eight total yards. But the Bears totaled 183 yards and scored 17 points on their next three full drives, discounting the end of the first half. Huslig found running room, not so much on scrambles but on designed runs, and Missouri State’s slant patterns started clicking.