Josh-ing around pays dividends for Cowboy offense
Published: 11/27/2012 6:42 PM
Last Modified: 11/27/2012 6:46 PM
Oklahoma State and offensive coordinator Todd Monken have worked wonders considering the revolving door of players drafted into duty on offense this season.
With one game yet to play -- a Saturday road date at Baylor -- a total of 22 Cowboys have started games on offense. Most of the chaos has occurred at the injury-sabotaged quarterback and receiver positions.
Despite it all, OSU is on pace to eclipse a school record for total offense. The Cowboys set a record last season by averaging 545.8 yards per game. They -- emphasis on “they” since many people are responsible -- are averaging 547.9 yards per game this season.
“They have all played well and given us a chance and we have had a lot of guys filter in there,” Monken said.
But, for anyone under the impression OSU can trot anyone out there and still be uber-productive, Monken made it clear that there is a limit. You can’t be completely without playmakers and move the sticks.
“Luckily we still have Josh,” Monken said.
Monken was referring to sophomore receiver Josh Stewart, who has caught 84 passes for 1,007 yards. No teammate has caught more than 29 passes.
Mike Gundy said Stewart has been “the guy” in a receiving corps that has been without senior Tracy Moore since the fifth game.
“Ike (Anderson) did some things for us and Chuck Moore did some things for us,” the coach said. “But for the most part you have to have some sort of a plan for worst-case scenario and that’s where this staff has been better than the staffs we have had in the past here. They have an emergency plan. And we don’t always have to use it. And Josh has been a guy we hang our hat on in that situation.”
Gundy doesn’t want to imagine what the offense would have been like without Stewart. The coach said the Cowboys would have had to resort to “hoping and wishing.” Instead, Stewart and 1,000-yard rusher Joseph Randle provided security blankets for a quilted-together offense.
Written by
Jimmie Tramel
Sports Writer
