Gundy: QB Sanders will play vs. Tulsa
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State’s game against Tulsa arrives on Saturday with questions still to be answered, though from the Cowboys’ perspective, none was as serious as the one that got its answer on Thursday.
Yes, Spencer Sanders will play on Saturday.
That leads to the next-most important Cowboy question: What’s going on with the run game?
In their season-opening 23-16 win over Missouri State last week, the Pokes rushed for 54 yards on 28 carries and struggled to put the game away in the second half after building a 20
point lead.
Now comes a tougher challenge with Tulsa at 11 a.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Tulsa defense’s strength was against the run in its season-opening loss to UC-Davis, so the Cowboys have some work to do.
In addition to the obvious — practice, practice, practice — here’s a look at three things that could boost the OSU run game this week:
1. Spencer Sanders’ return
Sanders will make his season debut against Tulsa after missing the Missouri State game because of COVID-19 protocols, OSU coach Mike Gundy announced on the university’s Orange Power Podcast released Thursday.
“He’s out of protocol and he’s practiced well this week,” Gundy said. “He was able to practice throughout the week and feels good.
“I’m excited about him getting out there and seeing what he can bring to the table.”
Sanders, a redshirt junior quarterback, is a dynamic runner, while his replacement vs. Missouri State, Shane Illingworth, is a pocket passer.
Not only does Sanders give the Cowboys another running threat on the field, his presence alone will draw the attention of a defender or two designated with the job of keeping Sanders corralled. That will help to open lanes for the running backs when not all of the defense’s attention is on them.
In addition to his running ability, Sanders has been a more efficient thrower than Illingworth. Sanders completed nearly 63% of his passes last season, while Illingworth hit on 55% of his throws in the opener.
A more efficient passing attack can loosen things up for the rush by forcing the defense to drop an extra player into coverage.
2. Getting Hunter Woodard healthy
One man alone won’t fix what ails the Cowboy blockers, but Woodard was an underrated piece of last year’s offensive line.
According to the Pro Football Focus grading system, Woodard was the fifthbest offensive guard in college football, despite starting the year as a backup and being thrown into action early in the year.
After the Missouri State game, Gundy did not go into detail about Woodard’s injury, but did say he could return this week.
3. More Jaylen Warren
To outsiders, Warren was the unknown in the OSU running back committee, so it was hard to project how much he would factor in. But the redshirt senior transfer from Utah State played a lot, and he was trusted with the ball in crunch time.
Still, he had only eight touches (six carries, two receptions) against Missouri State, producing 24 yards. But he ran with more physicality than starter LD Brown, whose game is centered more on his speed than his toughness between the tackles.
Third-string running back Dezmon Jackson, perhaps the most physical runner of the bunch, had some success when he entered the game in the third quarter, rushing three times for 14 yards. But he fumbled and was immediately benched for the rest of the game, so there’s no way of knowing how soon he’ll be out of Gundy’s doghouse.
That turns the focus back to the 5foot-8, 215-pound Warren, who is a unique back with agility, athleticism and physicality rolled into a bowling ball body.
Warren’s 1-yard touchdown run was a perfect example of what he provides. With a defender crashing into the backfield, Warren bounced off the back of his own blocker and squirted through a crease into the end zone.