Can Cowboys maintain expanded roles for Jelani Woods, others?

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State's Jelani Woods came into last week's game with three receptions on the season.

The redshirt sophomore Cowboy back had seven all of last year.

Yet last Saturday, he was targeted often and finished with five catches for 32 yards, second to Tylan Wallace in both categories in the 45-27 loss to Baylor.

The 6- foot- 7, 265pound Woods was one of 10 OSU players to catch a pass in the game, the best the Cowboys have done this season in spreading the ball around.

It could be an important trend for the Cowboys going forward with intensely focused coverage on the team's superstars, Wallace and running back Chuba Hubbard.

“Since the beginning, there was always opportunity,” Woods said. “But the way the defense plays, it gave us a chance to come out and have a game like that and targeted more.”

Iowa State runs a similar defense to Baylor, but with more frequent blitzing, which could create opportunities for shorter throws to the middle of the field.

Cowboys getting ready for grass in Ames

What used to be the norm has become quite a rarity in Big 12 country: playing football games on grass. Nearly every school in the conference has artificial turf.

With one of those rare games coming up Saturday at Iowa State's Jack Trice Stadium, Oklahoma State has been practicing most of the week on the grass fields next to the indoor practice facility.

“Luckily we have a couple (grass fields) over there, so it's not as big an adjustment as if we practiced on turf all the time,” junior receiver Dillon Stoner said. “We're just gonna have to, receivers especially, focus on footwork and we'll be OK.

“I like playing on a grass field. Something different.”

Stoner is coming off a best- and- worst type of game against Baylor. He saw his 31- game streak with a pass reception come to an end, but he had a career-long 22-yard punt return.

Missed tackles haunting Cowboys, Knowles

Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles doesn't understand where the Cowboys' struggles in tackling have come from, after being improved in that area to begin the year. And turning around such a trend can be difficult.

“Tackling people in open spaces is the key to this game in the Big 12,” Knowles said.

“It's a hard thing to do and it's hard to practice. You don't ever go live in practice, so it's a tough thing to practice. We have to keep doing everything we can to simulate that to the best of our ability in practice.”

With limited contact in practice, how do you simulate tackling?

“You try to get yourself in position to tackle,” Knowles said. “You try to put yourself in a good football position to execute the tackle in a good place inside-out or outside-in, knowing where your help is and going from there. It's the best you can do.”