Oklahoma State football stock report: Who is rising, falling after Cowboys' Week 1 win?​

Scott Wright
The Oklahoman

STILLWATER — After Oklahoma State’s 44-20 win over South Dakota State on Saturday, coach Mike Gundy regularly pointed to two bothersome factors of his team’s performance.

Mediocre rushing production and big plays allowed by the defense.

The first concern makes sense — the Cowboys averaged 3.8 yards per carry — but it seems likely that reigning Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II and the veteran offensive line will get back to their expected level of production.

The big plays against the defense, particularly the four pass plays that equaled 164 of South Dakota State’s 388 total yards, were a bit more of a worry. But Gundy says the fix shouldn’t be complicated.

“Our players need to have their eyes in the correct spots,” he said. “(SDSU) did a couple things scheme-wise that were really good, so four of the six (plays) we need to be more disciplined with our eyes. We need to adjust to what they did to us.”

With Arkansas on tap next, set for an 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, the Pokes will face an athletic offense that showed good balance in destroying Arkansas-Pine Bluff 70-0.

New Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green threw for over 1,700 yards and rushed for 436 last year at Boise State, and he showed playmaking ability in his Arkansas debut.

So he will put some pressure on the Cowboy secondary because of his mobility and arm talent.

“When you are competing against a guy that has the ability to run, you have to take that into account in your structure of defense and the style of play,” Gundy said. “We have plenty of ways to do that because we see them quite a bit now. It’s just a matter of being disciplined and making sure somebody has responsibility for the quarterback.”

Here’s a look at whose stock is rising and whose stock is falling for the Cowboys after their season opener:

Stock rising​

De’Zhauh Stribling, WR: Stribling looked like an emerging star early last season before a broken wrist sidelined him for the year. Saturday did nothing to change his expectations. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt junior was targeted eight times, catching six for a team-best 83 yards.

Trey Rucker, S: Rucker had a career-high 15 tackles, but more importantly, he played well in coverage. His receiver was targeted five times and Rucker allowed two catches for 7 yards. The super-senior needs to be a veteran presence in the safety group, and he looked the part in the opener.

Iman Oates, DL: After redshirting last season, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound Oates began to generate some buzz during preseason camp. Then he made the first start of his OSU career on Saturday. He played 42 of 67 total snaps, more than any other defensive lineman except for linebacker/edge rusher Collin Oliver.

Stock falling​

Tyler Foster, TE: Gundy gave his tight ends a grade of average in the opener. Foster is the most experienced of the group after playing regularly the past couple years at Ohio. He played only 26 snaps Saturday with Josh Ford and Quinton Stewart also mixing in behind him. Still, Foster’s OSU debut wasn’t much different than what the Cowboys saw from Josiah Johnson last year, and by October, Johnson had made a significant jump to become an integral part of the offense. Perhaps the same is coming for Foster.

Cam Smith, CB: Smith’s coverage mistake on South Dakota State’s 60-yard touchdown pass was the most glaring of the coverage issues Gundy talked about from Saturday’s game. In all, Smith allowed five catches for 119 yards, but the redshirt junior is in his third year in the regular rotation and should return to the form that helped him earn the starting job in the first place.

2024 Oklahoma State football redshirt tracker​

One true freshman saw the field in Oklahoma State’s season opener, but others could get into the action at some point.

Tight end Josh Ford, the Stillwater High product, was the lone true freshman to get on the field in OSU’s 44-2 win over South Dakota State, and he is expected to remain in the rotation throughout the season.

The redshirt tracker won’t account for every redshirt-eligible player’s game participation, but will focus on first-year Cowboys and other notable redshirt candidates.

Players can appear in up to four regular-season games and still maintain redshirt status. Here’s a look at the redshirt tracker:

Played in one game: Josh Ford (Fr.); Gavin Freeman (Jr.).

Oklahoma State defense shows promise but still has 'a lot to work on' after beating SDSU​

Scott Wright
The Oklahoman

STILLWATER — It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t a disaster, either.

Oklahoma State’s defense played well enough for the 18th-ranked Cowboys to win comfortably in their season opener, 44-20 over FCS No. 1 South Dakota State, on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Yet their performance was just messy enough to keep the defenders from getting too comfortable.

The South Dakota State offense had 388 yards, with 264 of it through the air via the arm of quarterback Mark Gronowksi.

“Defensively, we played good, then we gave up big plays,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “I almost did the math in my head. There’s about four plays we could’ve taken away, and it would be almost 50% of their production — no, 35% of their production. That’s just me doing it in my head.”



So here’s the math, via calculator.

SDSU had five of its 65 plays go for more than 20 yards — four passes for 164 yards and one run for 40. That’s 204 yards of 388, or 52.6% of their offensive production.

If you want to move the barrier for what constitutes a big play to at least 25 yards, that leaves three SDSU plays for 162 yards, or 41.8% of their yardage.


Either way, Gundy’s initial 50% figure was in the ballpark after all.

The start of defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo’s second year generated some similar feelings to his first season implementing his 3-3-5 scheme. Signs of the team’s overall talent contrasted against big-play gut punches that dull the defense’s shine.

Nardo — who, like offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn, was not made available to the media Saturday — made adjustments to his defense over the winter, which were installed during spring and fine-tuned in preseason.

Either way, Gundy’s initial 50% figure was in the ballpark after all.

The start of defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo’s second year generated some similar feelings to his first season implementing his 3-3-5 scheme. Signs of the team’s overall talent contrasted against big-play gut punches that dull the defense’s shine.

Nardo — who, like offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn, was not made available to the media Saturday — made adjustments to his defense over the winter, which were installed during spring and fine-tuned in preseason.

The Cowboys benefited from some missed opportunities for SDSU, including a couple of fourth-down pass attempts that missed open receivers.

While Gronowski was sharp, he still misfired on a couple passes that could’ve gone for big gains.

Yet at the same time, OSU made plays.

Korie Black picked up his first interception of the season. Collin Oliver had back-to-back quarterback pressures — the second one ending with a sack — that led to an SDSU punt, and the OSU offense scored shortly after for a 31-13 lead.

“I think we’re really good at adjusting,” said Oliver, who now has 23.5 career sacks.” We’re really good at understanding that whatever Coach tells us to do, it’s probably what’s best for us and our team. As a defense, we understand that concept and we’re going to be comfortable in any situation.”



That will be put to the test. Maybe next week, or maybe in three weeks when Utah comes to BPS, and a few more times after that.

Either way, the improvement of this defense will be the biggest key to success for the Cowboys.

Running back Ollie Gordon II looked like his usual self on Saturday. The receivers looked like a dangerous bunch, and the perfect complement to Gordon. Alan Bowman was as sharp as he’s ever been in a Cowboy uniform.


A major step forward for this team can only be made with reliable, consistent defensive play, and Saturday suggested this group isn’t far off.
“We all feel like it’s not big errors or something like that,” said Black, a super-senior cornerback. “That’s the good thing we’re happy about. But we’re always chasing that perfect game.
“It’s probably never gonna happen, but as long as we have that mentality of doing your job every play, then I think we’ll be good.”
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Beginning to have an effect on Israeli citizens? Or is it something else?

Well, he says it’s for the hostages but in reality it’s for the civil war that is brewing that his extremism is causing. Damn Hamas, playing 4D chess! Why the hell don’t the Palestinians just roll over and accept their Biblical status as fodder for the Chosen People? It’s just a well meaning slavery the Zionists want for them. I mean God promised after all! Scorch that earth! And all the Palestinians standing on it, even little Rita. Right, Woody!

So, how far will OSU drop as a result?

Defenses beware, Oklahoma State doesn't have one No. 1 receiver. OSU has three 'NFL receivers.'​

• Aug 31, 2024 Updated 9 hrs ago

Tyler Waldrep​

OSU Sports Writer

STILLWATER — Good luck to the 11 defensive coordinators tasked with identifying Oklahoma State’s top receiver this season, much less stopping him.
Senior Brennan Presley made his case to be the No. 1 option early as he was targeted or carried the ball on 6-of-10 plays during Oklahoma State’s opening possession.
Although he wasn’t as involved on the second drive, it was Presley who scored the Cowboys’ first touchdown of the season after catching the ball two yards short of the end zone. Presley finished the game with 35 receiving yards on a team-high seven catches and one four-yard carry.

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“It means a lot because we also feed off each other,” Oklahoma State receiver De’Zhaun Stribling said. “Seeing Brennan go making plays out there, I want to make sure that I can do the same thing also. And so does (Ra)Shod (Owens) also in a way. So we just feed off of each other, try to get moving as a collective, as a unit and that is the whole goal, just to keep firing and no hiccups.”

Oklahoma State's top trio certainly did that, combining for 16 catches, 199 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 44-20 win over back-to-back FCS champions South Dakota State.


Oklahoma State wide receiver Brennan Presley, right, hauled in a team-high seven receptions in Saturday's opener.
Daniel Shular, Tulsa World

“We’d be draped on somebody man-to-man, and those wide receivers would just snatch the ball out of our hands," South Dakota State coach Jimmy Rogers said.
That performance likely wasn't a surprise to Rogers who praised Oklahoma State for having three "NFL receivers" earlier in the week ahead of the game.
Stribling, who suffered a season-ending injury four games into last season, felt like time slowed down the closer it got to kickoff on Saturday. Eventually, Stribling started to feel “antsy” for his long-awaited return to Boone Pickens Stadium and leaned on his fellow receivers to keep his nerves in check.


“It was just more of proving it to myself again,” Stribling said of his performance on Saturday. “You know, I haven't played in a long time, and going out there today and catching some balls made my confidence come back and prove it to myself that I still can do this.”

He should feel confident after finishing the game with a team-high 83 receiving yards in the process of seeing eight targets, which put him second behind only Presley, who finished with nine targets and one carry.

Stribling made arguably two of the three most memorable catches in the game starting with his first, a 7-yard gain that saw him drag his toe just inside the sideline to set up Presley’s score on the next play.


Oklahoma State wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling returned to the field after suffering a season-ending injury four games into last season.
Daniel Shular, Tulsa World

Then, in the third quarter, Stribling caught the second-longest pass by an Oklahoma State player on Saturday when he hauled in an overthrown flea flicker from Alan Bowman for a 27-yard gain.
“That was actually a two-high open shell,” Bowman said. “So, it should have really been Rashod up the middle, but like I said those guys (South Dakota State) are sound. … All week that’s probably going to be Rashod, probably going to be Rashod, we get there, then there’s three guys on Rashod, one on Strib so I thought he was going to lift it a little more, but obviously with three guys on Rashod he had to kind of dip underneath so I just kind of at least give him something he (Stribling) can touch and then (him) making a great play and coming down with it.”

Not to be outdone, Owens made his case loud and clear when he hauled in a pass from Bowman 33 yards downfield and ran the rest of the way for a 58-yard score.


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He finished the game with three catches for 81 yards on five targets. Despite picking up most of his yardage on one play, Bowman looked his way often on critical downs, targeting Owens twice on third down and once on fourth down when he hauled in a six-yard catch to move the chains.
“Brennan Presley is very quick,” Stribling said. “He has a good change of direction. The way he can snap down, throw his hips down, get in and out of brakes is beautiful, you know, beautiful. Rashod, the way that he can use his body to his advantage, hold off the defenders. He can block very well. … The way he can run routes and shoo people from the ball. He also has sneaky speed, he’ll sneak up on you because he’s running, you might not think he's moving fast, but he’ll run right past you. So we just each bring something different, and it’s just beautiful when it all clicks and it all goes together.”


Oklahoma State wide receiver Rashod Owens finished Saturday's season opener with the team's longest play, a 58-yard touchdown reception.
Daniel Shular, Tulsa World

For game 1 against a good opponent, he was almost lights out good. I was pleasantly surprised. He looked more confident - almost like knowing you’re the guy going into game 1 makes a difference.

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This Cowboy blocking won’t be enough against Arkansas and Utah​

• Aug 31, 2024 Updated 5 hrs ago

Bill Haisten​

Tulsa World Sports Columnist & Writer

STILLWATER — The South Dakota State-Oklahoma State football match-up was so interesting in part because the Ollie Gordon run game is so big for the Cowboys, while strong run defense was a defining characteristic of back-to-back FCS champion Jackrabbit teams.

Last season, SDSU allowed only 3.2 yards per attempt.

Impressive, but there was the belief that Oklahoma State certainly would do better than 3.2 against the Jackrabbit defense.

Oklahoma State did do better during Saturday’s opener at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Kinda.

Barely.

Against a lower-division defense — albeit a really good lower-division defense — the 17th-ranked Cowboys averaged 3.3 yards per rush attempt.

With the most experienced offensive line in major-college football, and with 2023 national rushing leader Ollie Gordon operating behind that line, the Cowboys rushed for only 138 yards in a 44-20 victory.

While Oklahoma State did end the Jacks’ 29-game win streak, this is a Cowboy team with aspirations that include the Big 12 title and a place on the College Football Playoff bracket.
If the Cowboys are destined for that type of season, they’ll have to block much better than they did on Saturday.


Ollie Gordon rushed for 104 yards and scored three TDs as the 17th-ranked OSU Cowboys opened with a 44-20 victory over South Dakota State.
Daniel Shular, Tulsa World

Gordon scored on run plays of 12 yards and 1 yard, and he scored also on a 22-yard pass play, but there never was a point at which the OSU offensive line took control of the game.


That 12-yard Gordon TD was the longest run play all day for Oklahoma State.

On several occasions during an uncomfortably warm but not terribly hot afternoon, there were stoppages in play as Jackrabbit defenders were affected by leg cramps.

I kept thinking after halftime that the OSU O-line would begin to dominate the visitors, but it never happened. On 15 third-period rush attempts, OSU netted only 53 yards.

Mike Gundy’s take on the 3.3-yards-per-carry debut of the 2024 Cowboys: “I thought we were average running the ball. (The Jackrabbits) played good defense. They always have. . . . But I don’t feel like we ran the football as well as we should.”

Gordon’s reaction: “I just feel like we need to get back in the lab with the linemen.”

A few years ago, the offensive line routinely was the most effective position group in a Cowboy football game.

On a heavier-than-expected total of 27 carries, Gordon finished with 104 yards. I wrote last week about the importance of getting meaningful production from Oklahoma State’s backup running backs, so that Gordon doesn’t have to run the football 27 times every week. In November, Gundy will want Gordon to be as fresh as possible.

Against South Dakota State, backfield backups Trent Howland and Sesi Vailahi combined for only 11 rushing yards on eight carries.


Next Saturday, and for the first time since 1978, an Arkansas Razorback football team visits Stillwater. Arkansas was picked to finish 14th in the 16-team SEC, but the Razorbacks will have larger, faster front-seven athletes than South Dakota State brought to town.

In their opener, the Razorbacks also faced an FCS opponent. With 10 touchdowns on 10 offensive possessions, Arkansas obliterated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 70-0.



OSU’s Ollie Gordon scores one of his three touchdowns against South Dakota State.
Daniel Shular, Tulsa World

Against the Arkansas defensive front, Arkansas-Pine Bluff finished with 7 rushing yards.

Would you rather beat South Dakota State or lose to South Alabama?

Stupid question.

Objective No. 1 in any game is to win, and Oklahoma State’s 24-point victory over a solid Jackrabbit squad is immeasurably more appealing than last year’s 26-point home loss to South Alabama.

It is concerning, though, that OSU on Saturday didn’t reach the 100-yard mark in team rushing until the three-minute mark of the third period.

I watched SDSU-OSU through bifocal lenses. Through one lens, I focused intently on OSU’s offensive line. The Jacks loaded up against the run, which does explain to some extent why OSU’s rushing numbers were so modest – and why Alan Bowman was not sacked and rarely was pressured at all.

Through the other lens of my imaginary bifocals, I envisioned how Oklahoma State’s offensive-line personnel might fare against Arkansas and in the Sept. 21 Big 12 opener against league favorite Utah. On Sept. 28, there is a major challenge at Kansas State.


To paraphrase Gundy, what I saw on Saturday was OK, but the blocking wasn’t nearly what it needs to be against Utah and Kansas State.

From an awful start last season, OSU established a better identity and finished with a Big 12 Championship game appearance and 10 wins.

It appears that line play might be a problem, and this isn’t a nitpicky criticism of a Cowboy team that won 44-20 over the best team in FCS.

Go back 12 years or 15 years and watch the video of those Oklahoma State offensive lines. With execution and superior conditioning, they crushed the spirit of most opponents.
As Gordon stated, it’s time for the OSU coaches and the Cowboys to get back to the lab.

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He clearly knows the right things to say before a big game. He was very complimentary of all things OSU.

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When someone tells you who they are, believe them.

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And more...

The Israeli tail wags the American dog.

Including:
17 NC State s Western Carolina
11 Missouri vs Murray St
22 Kansas vs Lindenwood (ESPN+)
12 Utah vs Southern Utah (ESPN+)

UCF vs New Hampshire
Colorado vs North Dakota St (ESPN)

Arkansas vs Ark-Pine Bluff (ESPNU)

Minnesota vs UNC (FOX)