Oliver and Cowboys Defense hits Reset Button vs. Iowa State

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State had sunk the past two weeks with allowing 199-yards rushing and 345-yards passing in a 48-0 loss to Kansas State and then giving up an embarrassing 351-yards rushing to Kansas in a 37-16 loss at Kansas. This looked nothing like the defense from earlier in the season. Where did those Cowboys with that veteran and aggressive defensive line go? Injuries had hurt. Just last week they lost defensive end Trace Ford and and inside and outside defensive veteran Tyler Lacy. The Cowboys went back to the fundamentals this week. Defensive coordinator Derek Mason said they simplified everything and it worked.

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer

Oliver was good throughout the game pressuring Dekkers of Iowa State.

“How we played today was really the way we should have been playing the whole year,” defensive end Collin Oliver, who had three tackles, two sacks, and a quarterback hurry. “Sometimes you need a wake-up call. I feel we needed that because as a unit we were acting like things should just come to us instead of taking it. We’re going to continue to go out and take it.”

Iowa State had just 333-yards total and only 59-yards rushing. Yes, the Cyclones had struggled all season, but they were coming off their best game offensively in the win over West Virginia. Oklahoma State coming off their worst defensive effort at Kansas. 

Did I say simplified?

“You saw hats to the ball. You saw guys playing better technically, guys staying in their gaps. We tackled better,” Mason said enthusiastically. “It didn’t start out that way but it wound up moving that direction,” defensive coordinator Derek Mason recapped after the game. “They finished. They finished the way Cowboys should finish. Kudos to our coaches.”

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer

Latu collects his first sack.

New contributors getting opportunites like Nathan Latu, with a fumble recovery and a sack; emerging red-shirt freshman safety Kendal Daniels with now close to 400 plays of experience forcing a fumble and an interception; and red-shirt freshman linebacker Nick Martin combined with the veterans for a big effort.

Mason also mentioned each of the defensive coaches by name with Tim Duffie (corners) Dan Hammerschmidt (safeties), Joe Bob Clements (linebackers) and Greg Richmond (defensive line) plus the quality control and graduate assistant coaches.

“Those guys did a phenomenal job. You know sometimes when you are struggling with things the correction doesn’t come from up here,” Mason said using his hand to show upward. “it doesn’t come from down here. It comes from the middle. I thought we got back to the middle this week. That is what showed, consistency.”

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer

Collin Oliver celebrating the final sack and win over Iowa State.

Speaking of the finish. The Cowboys gave up some yards but continually rattled and pressured Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers as he tried to get his offense to the end zone to win the game in the final minutes and seconds. He could not and it was Oliver with the final of four Oklahoma State sacks as he put Dekkers on the turf on a fourth down to clinch the game

"It's a pretty cool moment,” Oliver said of the game ender. “It's surreal, but I was really just happy we got the win."

Now, keep it up for Bedlam next Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on national television ABC.