The recent resurgence for Oklahoma State has been fun to watch, and OSU fans, until this week, had gotten to see it with their own eyes because both K-State and Kansas were at home. So coming into Saturday surely there were more than a handful of fans that were wondering how the new found success would translate to the road. 

Check and Check!

The Cowboys visited the Country Roads of West Virginia, and, although things weren’t perfect, they were good enough to escape Morgantown with a 48-34 win. 

The Offense

Ollie Gordon had another huge game, and for the the 3rd week in a row, was the best running back in the Country. Gordon came up with big play after big play and got stronger as the day went on. Gordon finished the day with 291 yards on 29 carries and had 4 TDs. 

For the 2nd week in a row he was chosen as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, and is surely up for big consideration for National Player of the week as well.

The Cowboys used less “Gap Scheme” this week and opted for some wide zone, and a lot of split zone. The H Backs, Braden Cassity, Jake Schultz and Josiah Johnson were simply fantastic in their role of lead blocking. 

Click on the picture to the right to watch Jake Schultz, #38. and Braden Cassity, #90, set the edge for Ollie Gordon to hit pay dirt. The H-Backs were a huge part of Saturday’s game, and they did their jobs.  

Alan Bowman did have an interception, but he was very good again for the Pokes. Bowman hit 7 different receivers and went 24 for 36 with 210 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 int. He also dropped some dimes like the fade to Jaden Bray he threw against the sideline.

Bowman continues to do a great job reading coverage, usually one specific defender on each play, and almost always makes the right decision. When asked what has been the biggest factor to the turnaround for this OSU offense, he has to be considered one of the top reasons why. 

The Receivers

The receivers for OSU continue to be very diverse, and also very reliable, and have also played a huge role in the offense finally finding its footing.

Brennan Pressley led the way with 9 catches for 62 yards and had the game turning TD on the 3 pronged RPO from Alan Bowman. As you can see in the video to the right, Pressley made a guy miss, then outran the defense to get into the end zone and give the Cowboys the lead. 

Pressley is simply a bigtime playmaker and it’s great to see him get the touches he needs. 

Rashod Owens was the 2nd leading receiver with 6 catches and 40 yards. One thing that stuck out about him Saturday was his versatility. He is used as a “Quasi” tight end as a big target on sit routes in the middle of the field, but, then, also, he’s thrown Quicks on the perimeter on early downs as an extension of sorts to the run game where he’s expected to get OSU ahead of the chains. 

Jaden Bray had a good game as well pulling in 4 catches for 53 yards, including the prettiest play of the day when Alan Bowman dropped a dime against the sideline that Bray caught over his shoulder. Bray has big play potential and is the guy that OSU turns to when it wants to throw the fade, a staple that OSU fans have come to know very well under Mike Gundy. 

Blaine Green only had 1 catch on the day, but his contributions go way further than that. He is one of the best blockers on the team and he brings great energy. He is also one of the most well respected players on the team for his attitude, his work process and just overall how he handles his business.

He definitely has the ability to affect games in a big way catching the ball, but, Pressley and Ollie are hot right now, so they are getting the most action. Bray will be ready when his day comes and HE is asked to be THE playmaker, and when that happens, he’ll be ready.

Talyn Shettron, the Redshirt Freshman out of Edmond Santa Fe, was having a great game with 3 early catches until he had to leave due to injury. Shettron has great size at 6’2, and very good hands, and promised to be a big part of the gameplan all day. Hopefully he’ll be okay and back to catching passes again this week for Homecoming against Cincinnati. 

Putting it Together

The Cowboys racked up 48 points and 491 yards, and put the game away with its offense, something that has been a problem in the past. So, all in all, OSU fans have to be very excited with the direction it is headed.

The run scheme has diversified, and now, OSU seemingly has the ability to adapt from week to week based on the defense. If a team read guards and is very disciplined, like K-State, then they can lean heavy on the gap scheme. But, when teams try to cut off the cut back lanes, then they can turn to the zone game.

And, Ollie is great at both, so it absolutely is working.

Bowman is executing the offense to the point where Kasey Dunn can implement scheme and focus on the finer details of route running and the like that, many times, makes the difference. 

Hope you enjoyed this latest article on the Pokes offense, and hope to see everyone for America’s Greatest Homecoming and the Nations Brightest Orange on Saturday.

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