How 'really, really good adjustments' propelled Oklahoma State defense over Cincinnati
Jacob UnruhThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — Throughout the week, first-year Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo did his best to make sure Cincinnati’s speed was simulated in practice — particularly on the outsize zone runs.
It still wasn’t good enough.
“It’s sort of the best play that they run,” Nardo said.
And that nearly knocked the Cowboys out of whack on defense. The Bearcats were piling up yards in bunches on the ground.
Then the Cowboys adjusted.
“I’m not going to sit here and say it was something we did differently,” Nardo said, “and make it seem like, ‘Oh my god, we made some great adjustment.’
“The first couple of drives it got going and they’re really good at it. Once they got used to the speed of how quick those linemen were going to go moving lateral, how those backs were going to stay on their path and hit it, I thought our kids did really well.”
On a night OSU rolled to a fourth straight victory with a 45-13 rout of Big 12 newcomer Cincinnati, the Cowboys’ defense overcame a brief but shaky start to slow down the Bearcats’ potent rushing attack.
It’s a running pattern this season for the defense under Nardo.
Adjust on the fly and do it well.
“I wouldn’t say it’s hard because we do it all the time,” OSU linebacker Nick Martin said. “It’s like second nature getting calls, executing them within minutes. It definitely can be a challenge sometimes if it’s going against what you’ve been doing the whole week. But you’ve got to have the ability to scratch that and implement the new.”
OSU allowed 172 yards in the first quarter, 119 of which came on the ground. Cincinnati had just 270 total yards the remainder of the game, with the lone score in the second half coming against OSU’s reserves.
And after Cincinnati tied the game with a touchdown late in the first quarter, OSU got eight straight stops on defense.
“We just tried to stay calm and keep playing our game,” OSU safety Cameron Epps said. “We knew it would turn out the way we wanted it to.”
OSU coach Mike Gundy said he was pleased with the halftime adjustments across the board. They allowed the Cowboys to turn a three-point lead into a blowout.
“Really, really good adjustments by both staffs,” Gundy said.
Cowboys continue bowl streak
Not too long ago, the Cowboys lost two straight games, including a dreadful defeat to South Alabama.The talk of even making a bowl game was minimal to even non-existent.
Yet, here are the Cowboys with their sixth win to clinch an 18th straight bowl appearance.
