First Half Defense Sets up an Oklahoma State Win
A fumble recovery by safety Kendal Daniels and two blocked field goals from corner Korie Black were defining moments from the Oklahoma State defense in the 27-13 win over Central Arkansas.
Throughout the game against the Bears, the Cowboys displayed several strengths on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the first half.
Holding the Bears to just 137 yards through the first and second quarters, the Cowboys created a path to victory. While the offense had several trial-and-error situations, the defense played consistently throughout the game.
Daniels started this season right where he left off and continued to impress in the first game back. He finished with six tackles and a fumble recovery, which gave OSU momentum heading into the second half.
Black, with two blocked field goals, played an integral role in creating momentum for the offense to feed off of. He also finished with three tackles and a forced fumble.
“I always joke with him sometimes,” Daniels said of Black. “And be like, oh you fast for nothing, but just him coming off the edge is a big thing for us.”
The second half, however, exposed some weaknesses. Allowing 167 yards in the third quarter alone, the OSU defense couldn’t seem to stop the Central Arkansas passing game. There were also missed tackles and breakout runs by the Bears, but these hiccups weren’t enough to discredit the success the defense had tonight, which is especially impressive because they’re running under a new coordinator.
Bryan Nardo, previously at Gannon University, liked what he saw in his new defense tonight. Aside from some struggles here and there, the effort that the Cowboys played with speaks volumes about the potential this defense has. This effort was especially displayed in how the Cowboys went after kicks.
“You can tell the effort of a defensive football team by how hard they try to block kicks; I've always been told that,” said Nardo. “I think when you turn on film, the first thing you look at when you’re game-planning a defense is how do they go for kicks, how do they go after it when their backs are against the wall.”
Based on this performance alone, the Cowboy defense gave its all. While there’s a lot of room for improvement as the season continues, the foundation the team has to build on as they head to Arizona State next weekend is more than sufficient.
