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Cowboys still back Zac

OSU quarterback Zac Robinson can't get past Texas' Keenan Robinson on a quarterback scramble in the second quarter of Saturday's game in Stillwater. STEPHEN HOLMAN / Tulsa World

 
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
Published: 11/3/2009  2:26 AM
Last Modified: 11/3/2009  4:07 AM
Go to Dave Sittler's Blog

STILLWATER — For some Oklahoma State football fans, "The Zac Attack" has taken on a whole new meaning.

Quarterback Zac Robinson, praised the past three seasons for superbly directing the Pokes' potent offense, now finds himself under attack from some corners after throwing four interceptions in the Cowboys' 41-14 loss Saturday to Texas.

And so it goes in the life of a quarterback. Many of those who praised the fifth-year senior for bringing some much-needed stability to the position are now ripping Robinson's performance against an excellent Texas defense.

Not everyone has bolted from Robinson's bandwagon. Football-savvy OSU supporters know Robinson was missing his two lethal All-American weapons in receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter. And some early drops of passes Robinson had put on the money were costly in the game's momentum and complexion.

A previous commitment prevented Robinson from attending Monday's press conference. But several of his teammates showed up, and every one of them defended their leader and predicted he'd bounce back just fine in Saturday's game at Iowa State.

"Zac knows we've got his back," offensive guard Lane Taylor said. "You can't always be perfect out there. Things happen, and they just happened to him Saturday."

Last

Saturday wasn't just any Saturday. The Halloween night contest was hyped to the hilt as the game in which the Cowboys (6-2, 3-1 Big 12) would finally repay the Longhorns for several heartbreaking fourth-quarter losses.

So some of the postgame vitriol was fueled by the disappointment of losing again to a team many consider the Big 12 Conference's most smug and arrogant member. Not to mention the richest.

Wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Robinson, was one of several teammates who consoled the quarterback in the locker room after the loss.

"I don't think Zac was down (emotionally) as much as he was disappointed," Blackmon said. "It was a big game, it was at home in front of a big crowd and it was the last time he gets to play Texas."

The critical South Division showdown attracted a Boone Pickens Stadium record crowd of 58,516. Robinson, who a week earlier set the school's single-game passing percentage record, has long been a fan favorite because of his versatility and hard-nosed approach to the game.

"It (loss) really wasn't all his fault, although it may seem that way to some people just because he's the quarterback," Blackmon said. "I think he'll bounce back quick; he knows you can't put everything on one game."

In spite of the four picks against the No. 2 Longhorns (8-0, 5-0), Robinson still leads the Big 12 with a 147.5 pass efficiency rating. He also tops his fellow conference quarterbacks in yards per completion (13.0), and yards per attempt (8.3).

Before the Texas game, Robinson had thrown 12 touchdown passes and suffered only three interceptions. It was the first time in his career that he had more than two interceptions in a game.

"I've been there, and I've done that myself," said OSU coach Mike Gundy, a four-year starter at quarterback for the Cowboys. "So I have a pretty good feel for what he did."

After Saturday's game, Gundy said he was "going to stick" with Robinson. Yesterday, he acknowledged "stick" wasn't the right word, because some might interpret that as meaning he contemplated making a change.

" 'Stick' was probably a poor choice," Gundy said. "But I figured if anybody had any question about Zac's (future) play, I thought I'd just end it before it started."

Gundy said he did briefly consider removing Robinson for one series to help him settle down and refocus. But that thought only lasted as long as it took for Gundy to locate Robinson on OSU's sideline.

"You wonder if we need to take him out, and then you look over there and he's fine," Gundy said. "He was calm; he's a pretty cool customer."

Speaking from experience, Gundy said he understood what happened when Robinson attempted to take over the game after those early drops and Texas took the lead.

"I know what he was going through," Gundy said. "He felt, 'I've got to make a play, I've got to make a play.' And he pressed a little bit."

That resulted in Robinson attempting to force some passes into some tight spots. And Texas' veteran secondary used its talent, quickness and speed to jump some routes to make those four picks, returning two for touchdowns.

Yet Robinson still ranks sixth in the nation in passing efficiency. And he needs only 74 yards to break Gundy's career record of 7,997 passing yards.

"I hope he breaks them all," Gundy said. "He been tremendous for us, and I'm glad that he's got all the records.

"But when he's finished (playing) he'll do very well out there in the world. And I think that leaves a bigger mark on this program than statistics."

So, critics or not, Zac will continue his attack on the record books and opponents. And he won't be in it alone.

"I know as an offensive lineman that we made mistakes that probably forced Zac's hand and made him rush some passes," said offensive tackle Brady Bond. "There's no one individual who cost us that game; it was a team loss.

"So I'm not going to point fingers at anybody."

Those Zac attackers would be wise to heed Bond's advice.

By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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30 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Report Comment
Alan Shore, (11/3/2009 6:10:44 AM)
Who wouldn't back Zac, he's awesome. As for the 40-year old "man", that's another story...
Report Comment
Brian1225, (11/3/2009 7:04:58 AM)
Zac is a GREAT quarterback and representative of the school!

Alan Shore-Get over it!! My God that was over 2 years ago! You sound even more ridiculous than the original tirade!
Report Comment
RC1936, St. Robert (11/3/2009 7:40:58 AM)
Not a Cowboys fan but know talent when I see it. Robinson is a good QB. Even the great ones have bad days. Such is life. This Sooners fan wishes him well until Bedlam.
Report Comment
voodoo1, Skiatook (11/3/2009 8:28:02 AM)
I agree that Zac is a talented QB. He has been steady but not spectacular. It's hard to find a duel threat QB that can do both well. I was hoping that Gundy would have pulled the starters and put in some younger players earlier. It would be nice to have a clue who will be the QB next year. I don't think Gundy has any other options other than Zac this year. Zac will have another game in Norman to witness the Defensive speed he saw last Saturday in Stillwater. GO POKES!!!
Report Comment
OkieA, RuralOkla (11/3/2009 8:28:15 AM)
Very good article Dave, thanks. Robinson and Gundy both are examples of outstanding character and class acts.
Report Comment
HiTechRedneck, Back40 (11/3/2009 8:29:06 AM)
Zac played good in this game as he ran very well at moments. Now he needs to shake it off and get ready for ISU! GO POKES
Report Comment
OkieA, RuralOkla (11/3/2009 8:39:39 AM)
Alan Shore, I wouldn't bet that you could do the job performance that Gundy has done and is doing.
If you look at Zac's statistics as Dave pointed out, and the overall conditions he has played in for four years, including now missing the two All Americans, one very unfairly, I would say that he has been "spectacular". No one is perfect all the time, not Zac, not the McCoy's or Bradford's. Thanks RC1936 for your comment. It would be good for this state if there was more effort to speak up for the fine two major universities in this state, instead of bashing them.
Report Comment
PIRANA, Tulsa (11/3/2009 8:46:52 AM)
Press On Zac!!! Beat Iowa State!!!
Report Comment
Pokes fan, (11/3/2009 8:52:18 AM)
Zac is a class act...ask anyone who knows him or plays w/him. And as far as his quarterback skills go....his overall stats tell the story.
Report Comment
johnboy51, Tulsa (11/3/2009 9:39:16 AM)
Sittler is such a homer for OU, he can't say much good about the sooners so he tries to stir up something within Cowboy country. Not the same Dave, one bad game by Zac doesn't turn the cowboys against Zac....stick to your cheerleading for the sooners, Dave.
Report Comment
Steff M, Claremore (11/3/2009 10:10:14 AM)
Did you even read the article, johnboy, or notice the headline?
Report Comment
C SQUARED , MANNFORD (11/3/2009 11:09:48 AM)
Really johnboy.....read much?
Report Comment
ikesdad, Tahlequah (11/3/2009 11:14:01 AM)
As a Cowboys fan I have always seen that Zac has a little bit of an issue with seeing the field clearly when he is zoned in on a receiver. I have seen him throw lots of near interceptions because of it. That being said, that was only one of factors in the Texas game. The most important factor was that the Texas D backs were on fire. They must have studied well to cut in on all of those routes. The other contributing factor would be the inexeperience of the receivers. There is a big difference between an out route run by a freshman and one run by a senior in most instances. They haven't had as many reps and aren't as crisp on their route running. I think they are doing the right thing by sticking with Zac. He is a good quarterback and one game shouldn't be what he is remembered for.
Report Comment
johnboy51, Tulsa (11/3/2009 11:14:44 AM)
You mean the article that listed all the negative things about Zac that were not being said were actually not really true? In other words, Dave reported the alledged negative, then said the negative wasn't true. I read the article, and my comment was that Dave should stay with writing about his beloved sooners, and let someone more objective write about the cowboys. We deserve articles that don't have backhanded insults in them.
Report Comment
Alaska_Okie, Shreveport, LA (11/3/2009 11:41:56 AM)
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming" Pres T. Roosevelt.
Report Comment
Steff M, Claremore (11/3/2009 11:47:47 AM)
I think you're the only one who got that from the article. SITTLER didn't use a poor choice of words when saying they would "stick with him" nor did he state that they thought about taking him out for a series. Gumby did. Dave did not "alledged" anything. He stated facts and gave stats that were complimentary of him, and even made excuses for him, stating he was missing two All-American weapons. What more do you want?
Report Comment
Steff M, Claremore (11/3/2009 11:51:33 AM)
Uhhhhh. Okay, Alaska Okie from LA.?? Whatever you say.?????
Report Comment
OSUArthur, Fayetteville (11/3/2009 11:54:33 AM)
I think you mean backhanded compliments and I don't really think this is one of those instances. He pretty much just listed all of the criteria for why Zac has had and amazing career and one bad game does not diminish that. It seems like he is putting it into good perspective. If I recall correctly, Colt Mccoy threw three picks two years ago. That was a major reason for their falling behind, but his team (namely his O-line and runningbacks) rallied and led him back to overcoming us. Does anyone question Colt Mccoy's quarterbacking? No. Was that a backhanded compliment? No.

Good article. Great qb. Maybe the off games wouldn't be so bad if we weren't so impacted by injuries and the ridiculous suspension (Dez should have been suspended, but not for a year, repeat offender for violence gets less than a year, 'Bama player lies and undeniably receives preferential treatment gets six games, poking someone violently in the eye gets half of a game, better point when has anyone been suspended for a year?)
Report Comment
OSUfanstan, Tishomingo (11/3/2009 11:56:18 AM)
Zac is somewhere between good and great, a little closer to good. He doesn't have great arm strength, and he's lost a step or two since last year. I think he took a real beating in the Oregon game last year, and should have been replaced after that huge shot, the one that should have been flagged but wasn't. Since then he's been just a little slower, and when he runs to the outside to run or pass, I start cringing. He either loses yards, gains a couple, or waits too long to pass. I think he needs to curtail the passing on the run, and concentrate on passing. Gundy, you need to take a class with the Missouri coach, " When you need to replace your QB ". As for Hunter, if he doesn't want to play anymore, just forget about him.
Report Comment
GeneTulsa, Aubrey (11/3/2009 12:41:40 PM)
YOU OSU FANS WERE GETTING A LITTLE COCKY UNTIL TEXASS KICKED YOUR BUTT.WELCOME BACK TO REALITY.REALIZE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NATURAL BORN LOSERS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THAT. OU WILL DO SAME TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM IN NORMAN. THE FACT THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE MORONS ARE A KNOWN FACT REALIZE THAT AND GO ON WITH YOUR LIFE..OH WAIT I WANT TO APOLOGIZES TO ANY ONE WHO IS A MORON...OSU WILL ALWAYS BE SECOND RATE.DO ALL OF US A FAVOR AND GO PLAY IN THE NAIA SCHOOLS LEAGUE,THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE A WINNING RECORD..
Report Comment
Ottley, (11/3/2009 1:00:31 PM)
Oh here we go GENE TULSA.... obviously another self righteous UO fanatic that loves capital letters and feeling big. You're post is garbage and so is the Gooner Nation and it's team.....always has been always will be. Last time i checked this OSU squad you refer to as not having a winning record IS #19 in the BCS while the lowly Gooners are back in 24th spot and lucky to be in at all. BTW i think in this article it mentioned Zac still leads big 12 in passer efficiency rating even over that second rate second string QB in Norman. Did i read that correctly? WAKE UP FOOL! OOOOOOOOO......SSSSSSSSSSSSS.......UUUUUUUUUU COWBOYS!
Report Comment
Ottley, (11/3/2009 1:02:20 PM)
Guess some people just hate the truth. LMAO!!!!
Report Comment
Gazelle, Broken Arrow (11/3/2009 1:28:03 PM)
Wow, GeneTulsa, that was really rude and unnecessary. I've only lived in Oklahoma for a few years and I used to be neutral towards OU, but now I've seen so many class-less and rude OU fans that it has really lowered my opinion of the school.
Report Comment
TMS, (11/3/2009 1:41:17 PM)
I usually try not to read the comments due to posters like GeneTulsa, but was curious about what people thought about Robinson. Zac is a good kid, not nearly as effective as he has been. Yes, it's easy to become negative at OU due to their gans.
Report Comment
Alaska_Okie, Shreveport, LA (11/3/2009 1:59:04 PM)
Steff M, Claremore "Uhhhhh. Okay, Alaska Okie from LA.?? Whatever you say.?????"

What was difficult to understand about that? All these Monday morning QBs need to realize that their dogging Zac is pointless.

Actually I live in Bixby, but have been recalled to duty and sent to Shreveport. When I opened the account I lived in Fairbanks, AK.
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