Oklahoma State just punched its ticket to the Big 12 championship game.
It was a dominant defensive performance complimented by an inopportune offense that ultimately got the job done in Lubbock, and with Bedlam looming next weekend, OSU is guaranteed a trip to Arlington no matter the outcome.
Just when the Cowboy defense looks like it can’t get any better, it does just that. OSU shutout a Texas Tech team that scored 41 against Iowa State last weekend. It’s the first shutout of an FBS opponent since 1997 against Fresno State.
It was a strange night in Lubbock. Especially for the Cowboy offense.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t move the ball. Actually quite the opposite. OSU outgained TTU 427-108 in total yards. But the 427 yards only equaled 23 points. That was because of a number of things.
First things first: injuries. Danny Godlevske didn’t suit up and Josh Sills didn’t start. He only came in after Tyrese Williams limped off in the first quarter. Brennan Presley didn’t play an offensive snap because of a nagging injury, and Jaylen Warren was very limited after his injury last week against TCU.
From there it was a lot of bad luck. Early in the 2nd quarter Spencer Sanders overthrew an open John Paul Richardson for what might’ve been a touchdown. The next play Jaden Bray was wide open in the endzone on a trick play, but Richardson’s pass fell incomplete after Bray’s shoe slipped off mid-route. Tay Martin dropped a touchdown on 3rd and goal from the 1 during the 3rd quarter. Warren got tripped up on what could’ve been a long touchdown on the first drive.
“Red zone killed us today,” offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn said.
23 points could have easily been 38, but that doesn’t matter.
The defense stole the show. Per usual.
Wow I never thought I’d type something like that a few years ago.
Oklahoma State’s defense walked into Lubbock and held TTU to 0 points at home for the first time in 34 years. Freshman quarterback Donovan Smith looked lost and confused. Smith was sacked 4 times and pressured plenty more than that.
“We’re a veteran group that’s worked our asses off from the very beginning ever since Knowles got here,” Brendon Evers said on the Cowboy Radio Network. “It’s all Knowles, man. All credit to Knowles.”
Smith threw for 322 yards and 3 TD’s last weekend against Iowa State. That didn’t happen tonight. Not even close.
9-28 (32%), 83 yards, 0 TD.
“We wanna get him scared, wanna get him shaking,” Devin Harper said on Cowboy Radio Network. “That’s what we did.”
OSU’s starting secondary hasn’t allowed a passing touchdown in 4 games. The best offense the Red Raiders had same on the 3 pass interference penalties against Jarrick Bernard-Converse.
“I don’t want to look at stats,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said.
Texas Tech fans got a little bit too involved in the second half. Cans were thrown onto the field during the 3rd quarter, resulting in a warning from the officiating crew. It happened again in the 4th, and it resulted in a 15-yard penalty on the Red Raiders.
“I think one was a bottle of whiskey,” Mike Gundy said. “That’s definitely worth 15 yards.”
Now all attention turns to Bedlam. The Sooners come to Stillwater next Saturday night for a 6:30 primetime kick on ABC. College Gameday is a good possibility.
And what’s at stake in that game? OSU needs to win to keep its playoff hopes alive. Beyond that, it’s a chance to essentially “pick your opponent” for the conference championship game. If OSU beats OU, they play Baylor in the title game. If OU wins, it’s a Bedlam rematch.
“We’re not trying to make it, we’re trying to win it,” Brock Martin said on the Cowboy Radio Network after the game.
“It’s the goal we’ve been looking to get since I’ve been here. We’re finally there,” Harper said.
