Defensive Review: Not the Finish in Fort Worth the Cowboys Pictured

STILLWATER – Defensively for the Cowboys the showdown with fellow unranked Big 12 contender and top 15-ranked team TCU came down to curtailing the Horned Frogs big play offense. The Frogs and new head coach Sonny Dykes and his offensive coordinator Garrett Riley were using primarily 6-4, 215-pound wide receiver Quentin Johnston and quarterback survivor Max Duggan for a nation leading number of explosive plays. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy approved of new defensive coordinator Derek Mason’s plan that worked for most of regulation before failing late in a 43-40 double overtime loss to TCU.

Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

Gundy liked the defensive plan. 

“I think our plan was good. We were going to make them drive the ball 8-10 plays to score,” Gundy admitted. “It was a really good plan and it worked for a long time, and they hit us late on those two touches (touchdowns). It worked out really well on handling number one. It is going to be this way in this conference. There are not any guaranteed wins in this conference.”

No, not in Fort Worth and not the rest of the way with Texas (ranked No. 20/21), Kansas State (ranked No. 17) and Kansas (receiving votes) up the next three weeks. Back to TCU and the plan to keep the Frogs from making any big jumps in the game on Saturday. Johnston was the player of the game overall with eight catches for 180-yards and a touchdown. He was targeted 14 times and Cowboys cover corner Jabbar Muhammad (5-10, 185-pounds) played him tough on some of those misses.

Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

One of the plays that Johnston made with Muhammad (&) behind him. 

“They got him on the deep ball early, but he won some battles too.” Gundy said of Muhammad. “There were a number of times they tried to get the ball to him, and we did a good job in a number of those situations.”

“I knew I was going to have a challenge. I prepared all week, and I heard all the first-round talk. I wanted to challenge myself,” Muhammad said. “He’s (Johnston) a good player, but I wanted to show what I was capable of.”

Most of the time Oklahoma State protecting against deep balls to Johnston and some of the other TCU receivers played a light box and dropped seven and eight in coverage. The box was often four or five players. Especially late, TCU running backs Kendre Miller (22 carries for 104-yards and the winning touchdown) and Emari Demarcado (nine carries for 62-yards) and Duggan (57-yards) took maximum advantage of the light box and Oklahoma State’s ragged tackling.

“Momentum swung their way and when you have ebb and flow and it moves away from you instead of towards you, it winds up being one of those deals where when you’re fighting hard to get momentum back, a play here, a play there you know, you wish you made a better call here, a better call there,” explained defensive coordinator Derek Mason.

Again, with TCU you kind of pick your poison unless you are able to stop them cold and no one has. The better call or better execution was badly needed on the second play of the first overtime. After a no gain on first down, Duggan used play-action to pull the safety up, The other back wheeled out of the backfield and with the diversions, Johnston got wide open on the post for a touchdown.

Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

When not throwing to Johnston, TCU mainly ran the ball and finished with 224-yards on the ground.

“It was a certain call, good call by the offense, and it was a certain play where they got us out-of-position,” Muhammad said. “Not pointing fingers at anyone, but they was supposed to be there and wasn’t. It was a good scheme by the offense.”

“Missed opportunity for us, that’s one of those you say you want a better call,” Mason said. “I thought they were booking us for cover two and I think (Duggan) was surprised, he sort of Lolli popped it in there, and it wound up being a touchdown.”

The next overtime, Oklahoma State played the light box and TCU ground their way to finishing the win.