The morning after Washington State
Published: 8/31/2008 8:08 AM
Last Modified: 8/31/2008 8:08 AM
SEATTLE – College football is a strange game. It's an odyssey with numerous twists and turns and changes and concerns.
Walking out of Qwest Field last night, I saw the father of OSU defensive back Ricky Price. I congratulated Roderick Price about his son's fine game in the Cowboys' 39-13 victory over Washington State. Roderick Price beamed with pride about his son's performance and the performance of his son's teammates.
However, Mr. Price already was looking ahead to the next game this Saturday against Houston in Stillwater.
"This is a good start, but we need to get after it again against Houston," Roderick Price said.
As we were walking toward the parking lot, we heard about Texas A&M's stunning home loss to Arkansas State, Alabama's first-half throttling of Clemson and that Arkansas was in trouble against Western Illinois.
It serves as a reminder about how unpredictable college football can be week to week. The first game was a good start for the Cowboys. But it's just game one. There are 11 remaining in the regular season. The ever-changing odyssey will continue for another 3-4 months.
Game balls
***Joe DeForest: The OSU special teams coordinator was disappointed with the inconsistent nature of the special teams units across the board last season. This season started on the right foot with a strong effort in all areas.
***Dez Bryant: When the Cowboys needed a key play in the passing game, he was the man. Opponents likely will start focusing on the sensational sophomore in the weeks to come.
***Ricky Price: The senior safety played one of his best games since moving over to the defensive side of the ball last fall. He was active with five tackles, a sack that forced a fumble, a pass breakup that prevented a possible long touchdown grab, and added a 68-yard punt return.
Cowboy checklist
***Offensive line: Maybe the group read too much into their preseason accolades. Maybe it was because Washington State crowded the line of scrimmage. But the veteran group did not have one of its better efforts.
***Red zone offense: The Cowboys only scored touchdowns on half of their six trips inside the Cougars 20-yard line. OSU came away with points with Dan Bailey field goals on those other three trips inside the 20. But the Pokes could have put the game away much earlier if they scored a TD or two on those possessions.
--- Matt Doyle
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
