Running game the difference for Cowboys in OT loss
FORT WORTH, Texas — OSU lost 4340 to Texas Christian in double overtime Saturday, and the Cowboys didn’t play well enough to win. They didn’t play poorly enough to lose, either, which sort of explains an overtime game. The OSU report card shows B’s and C’s for a game that was fiercely contested:
Run defense: C
TCU gained 218 yards on 40 called running plays. That’s winning football. The Horned Frogs also got stronger the longer the game went. In the second half, TCU ran for 116 yards on 18 carries, and Mike Gundy deemed the running game, on each side of the ball, the difference. In the second overtime, the Frogs didn’t throw a pass – they marched to the end zone on six running plays.
Run offense: C
The Cowboys rarely ran the ball with effectiveness. In 32 designed runs, the Cowboys gained 108 yards. Banged-up quarterback Spencer Sanders gained 24 yards on six designed runs. Tailback Dominic Richardson ran hard but managed just 72 yards on 22 carries. OSU was effective on third-and-short situations – converting four of four – but first downs were unproductive. Cowboy tailbacks gained just 26 yards on 13 first-and-10 runs.
Offensive gameplan: B
Some might blame Mike Gundy and/ or Kasey Dunn for going conservative. But the Cowboys were playing with an injured quarterback and still had a decent mix of imagination and trademark plays. OSU’s screen passes worked well; quick pitches to the tailbacks didn’t. A flea flicker worked, a couple of reverses didn’t. That’s the way it goes. Trick plays only get you so far. OSU did seem to get conservative in the second quarter, but part of that was due to field position and part game management. The Cowboys got to the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead. Can’t ask for much more.
Containing Duggan: B
TCU quarterback Max Duggan didn’t get loose like he has on a lot of defenses this season, but he made several key plays with his feet. None bigger than his 12-yard run off the shotgun option in overtime, which set up the Frogs’ winning touchdown. In eight called runs, Duggan gained 51 yards, with quarterback draws going for 13 and 15 yards. In scramble mode, he wasn’t much of a factor. OSU sacked him once, and Duggan twice scrambled for positive yardage, gaining two and nine yards, respectively.
Containing Johnston: C
OSU’s run defense was lackluster in part because the Cowboys had to pay excessive attention to speedster wide receiver Quentin Johnston, who had eight catches for 180 yards. Duggan threw 15 passes at Johnston, so it’s not like OSU, particularly cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, didn’t win their share of the battles. But Johnston got loose for a couple of long completions (40 yards in the first quarter, 25 yards in the fourth quarter) and turned some short passes into big gainers by eluding OSU tacklers. Johnston also got wide open for a 25-yard overtime touchdown catch.
Kicking game: B
Tanner Brown nailed four field goals (making him eight-for-eight the last two weeks), including a 52-yarder in the second overtime. Tom Hutton’s punting magic was on display when TCU phenom Derius Davis fumbled a kick at the Horned Frog 24-yard line, setting up an OSU field goal in the second quarter. But Davis later returned punts 27 yards and 18 yards, setting up a TCU field goal and touchdown, respectively. The Cowboys did cover kickoffs extremely well; the Frogs returned five kicks, none for longer than 19 yards.
Deep passing game: C
Sanders’ shoulder injury obviously impeded his throwing. He completed just two of nine passes thrown more than 20 yards past the line of scrimmage. Both were lofts – a reverse fleaflicker for 38 yards to tight end Braden Cassity and a 22-yard fade to John Paul Richardson for a touchdown (off a onehanded catch). Sanders’ lone interception came when he failed to get the ball far enough for Braydon Johnson, who had a couple of steps on TCU safety Bud Clark. Clark intercepted 40 yards downfield.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.