Five Match-Ups I'm Looking Forward to in the Orange-Black Spring Game
STILLWATER – Spring is over with just the one exception of Saturday’s Orange-Black Spring Game inside Boone Pickens Stadium. The Cowboys finished up practices with another lengthy scrimmage and team session dominating the Thursday practice inside the Sherman Smith Training Center. There were at least another 145-plays and some situational work as well. Count it as a good day for the running game as LD Brown, Dezmon Jackson, Jaylen Warren, and Zach Middleton had highlights both running and catching the ball.
Quarterback Spencer Sanders threw the ball well and had some really good completions to a variety of receivers with Tay Martin, Brennan Presley, and cowboy back Logan Carter standing out.
The defense had plays too. They had several stops on the day and the most exciting turnover was a strip as linebacker Na’Drian Dizadare stripped the ball out from cowboy back Braden Cassity after a completion and the defense fell on top of it setting off celebration on the defensive sideline.
“Knock on wood, we’ve been fortunate and we’ve stayed relatively healthy,” Gundy said first. “For the last three weeks, twice a week, we’ve gone out and mainly scrimmaged, 145-plays or more each of those days. Our players love it. They love to compete, so they love it when we play football. Our younger players have gained more reps and more experience than we’ve been able to do in any spring in the past where I’ve been coaching.”
Now, the focus shifts to the Orange-Black Spring Game at noon on Saturday. Both sides of the stadium will be open, but what can you expect in the game?
“We feel like the fans want to see a glimpse of the Spencer Sanders, the Tyler Lacys, the (Tanner) McCalisters, and the (Tay) Martins and LD Browns so those guys will get three series or so and then we’ll roll some of the younger guys in,” Gundy said the other day.
By the way, the quarterbacks will be in gray, so they will wear a different color and will be off limits from taking hits.
Okay, so what match-ups am I looking forward too. Having had the advantage of seeing what has gone on in spring practice, I have a little bit of an educated advantage. Here are my top five match-ups for Saturday and why.
| Orange Player | Black Player | Reason to Watch Match-Up |
| 4 Tay Martin, WR, Sr. | 24 Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB, Sr. | This has been a battle throughout the spring as Martin has had lots of receptions and Bernard-Converse has had his breakups and even a pick. This will be spirited. |
| 51 Danny Godlevske, OC, Sr. | 95 Israel Antwine, DT, Sr. | Godlvske has been a great addition and started at center since day one of spring. He is smart but also tough. Antwine is really tough. They will battle and it won’t be pretty. |
| 20 Malcolm Rodriguez, LB, Sr. | 27 Dezmon Jackson, RB, Sr. | These two should bump heads a few times. I know it is “thud” at the point of attack, but I have news for everybody and Jackson already knows it. Rodriguez struggles with thud. He tends to tackle. |
| 4 Korie Black, CB, So. | 85 Jaden Bray, WR, Fr. | Another match-up we've seen plenty of this spring where both players have won some battles. This will be fun for the fans as Bray is one of the talented new freshmen receivers. |
| 5 Zach Middleton, RB, RS-Fr. | 41 Constantino Borrelli, LB, RS-Fr. | Middleton has had a strong spring emerging as a running back that will throw himself. Borrelli is a tough kid from Jersey. Look out! |