At Tech, OSU shouldn’t need Weeden heroics
Published: 11/8/2011 1:49 PM
Last Modified: 11/8/2011 1:49 PM
This is what Brandon Weeden did last week: Against Kansas State, he passed for a school-record total of 502 yards and four touchdowns – and he saved the season.
While the Cowboy defense was mostly dismal, Weeden found Justin Blackmon 13 times for 205 yards. Weeden beat the Wildcats 52-45, preserving OSU’s perfect record and positioning the Cowboys at No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings.
If OSU’s current offensive coordinator (Todd Monken) copies the play-calling script of OSU’s former coordinator (Dana Holgorsen), the Cowboys won’t need another superhero performance from Weeden this week.
On Saturday, the second-ranked Cowboys visit the Red Raiders for an 11 a.m., ABC-televised Big 12 game. If Texas Tech plays run defense as it did in a 34-point loss to Iowa State and a 32-point loss to Texas, Oklahoma State could beat the Red Raiders without attempting a forward pass.
At Lubbock last season, the Cowboys pummeled Tech with their ground game. By the end of the first period, OSU had a 21-0 lead on three touchdown runs – a 15-yarder by Kendall Hunter, a 4-yarder by Joseph Randle and a 4-yarder by Jeremy Smith.
Complementing the run game was OSU’s best defensive quarter of the 2010 season. During that first period alone, the Cowboys forced Texas Tech to punt five times. OSU went on to prevail 34-17 – its first victory in Lubbock since 1944.
Texas and Iowa State combined for nearly 7 yards per rush attempt against Texas Tech. OSU’s run-game personnel and offensive line are good enough to get comparable results, both statistically and on the scoreboard.
-- Bill Haisten
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
