For OSU to beat Texas again, Blackmon must be dynamic
Published: 10/11/2011 4:59 PM
Last Modified: 10/11/2011 4:59 PM
Oklahoma State doesn’t need a huge Justin Blackmon performance to beat teams like the University of Tulsa and Kansas. But to record a second consecutive victory at Texas’ Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Blackmon must perform at an All-American level.
More than any other back or receiver on the Cowboy roster, Blackmon can make game-changing plays against any defense. The Longhorns may lack punch offensively, but they still have elite defensive athletes.
Through the first five games of the 2010 season, Blackmon became a statistical phenom with 47 catches for 748 yards and 11 touchdowns. During the sixth game, he made the biggest play in a Cowboy victory at Texas Tech.
With the Cowboys leading 24-14 in the third period, Blackmon made a remarkable, over-the-shoulder catch of a Brandon Weeden pass near the Red Raider sideline. Blackmon went on to complete a 62-yard TD play, raising his index finger to his lips to quiet the Jones AT&T Stadium crowd.
Blackmon’s TD gave OSU a 17-point cushion. He wound up with 10 receptions for 207 yards and the Cowboys recorded a 34-17 victory – their first in Lubbock since 1944. He went on to finish with single-season school-record totals of 111 receptions, 1,782 receiving yards and 20 TD catches. He was a unanimous All-American, the Big 12 offensive player of the year and the Biletnikoff Award recipient.
Through five games this season, Blackmon has 46 receptions for 534 yards and six TDs. His most important catch occurred during the third quarter at Texas A&M, when the Cowboys trailed 20-10. On third-and-15 from the Cowboy 26, Blackmon exploded into an opening in the middle of the field and collected a 20-yard strike from Weeden. Five plays later, Blackmon scored on an 11-yard play. About an hour later, the Cowboys celebrated a 30-29 victory.
When Weeden gets serious about making a play, he looks for Blackmon. At A&M last month, Blackmon’s stat line included 11 catches for 121 yards. On what should have been an additional TD, he fumbled the ball out of the end zone. At Texas last season, he had nine catches for 145 yards (including a 67-yard TD).
For OSU to prevail again at Texas, Blackmon has to be the most dynamic man in the ballpark. His history suggests that he will be.
-- Bill Haisten
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
