Ollie Gordon II was the star, but Oklahoma State won Bedlam with unexpected heroes
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State safety Dylan Smith kept finding his way into the Bedlam excitement until the very end.
The true freshman safety had a third-quarter interception, was the defender on the controversy-stirring pass interference non-call in the end zone in the fourth quarter, then made the game-clinching tackle on Drake Stoops in the 22nd-ranked Cowboys’ 27-24 upset of No. 9 OU on Saturday night at Boone Pickens Stadium.
The Ollie Gordon II Show rolled along. Quarterback Alan Bowman threw for more than 300 yards. Defensive stars made expected plays.
Yet the final Bedlam for the foreseeable future was won with major contributions from unexpected stars like the barely-19-year-old Smith, who was a middle-schooler when Stoops played his first college football game.
OSU receiver Rashod Owens was a rarely-used backup the first four games. Fellow wideout Leon Johnson III was set to redshirt until injuries rattled the receiver room two weeks ago. Yet Owens and Johnson combined for 206 yards on 15 catches.
When OSU’s season went sideways during losses to South Alabama and Iowa State, guys like Smith, Owens and Johnson weren’t among the suggested solutions.
Yet there they were on Saturday afternoon, making plays that put the Cowboys over the top in yet another upset of a visitor — the third this year.
Smith, who rotated in with starter Cameron Epps, faced one of the day’s biggest challenges, often lining up opposite Stoops, a go-to receiver in a variety of critical situations for the Sooners.
Stoops finished with 134 yards on 12 catches, but his last one went for just 3 yards on fourth-and-5, with Smith in perfect position to wrap him up and ride him out of bounds for the turnover on downs.
“Really, really smart from the standpoint that you have to know where the sticks are,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “We practice fourth downs every Tuesday and every Wednesday, and it paid off for us today.
“I knew they were gonna throw the ball to Stoops. That’s who I’d throw the ball to. (Smith) went downhill immediately. When he started to wrap him up, I knew the game was over. It was smart football.”
Smith, who is off limits to the media as a true freshman, was in line to redshirt early this year. But when starting safety Lyrik Rawls suffered a torn ACL after four games, Smith moved into the two-deep.
“Dylan Smith has such a bright future here,” said OSU defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo, who moved Smith from cornerback to safety in August. “It’s just scratching the surface. When we made the decision to move him to the position he’s playing, and said, 'We gotta activate you, we gotta play you' — the amount of time he’s put into studying the playbook, the amount of time he’s put in to get extra film study or extra meetings with (safeties coach Dan Hammerschmidt)... That kid, everything is a by-product of what he has put in.
“He has earned the opportunity he has gotten, and he has earned the right to make those plays.”
Owens and Johnson are older players but still mostly untested in big situations like Saturday.
Owens’ 10 catches for 136 yards were both career highs. Johnson, who transferred from Division III George Fox University in the winter, hadn’t even been targeted with a pass at OSU until last week.
“We’ve had four of our top six receivers go down,” said Bowman, who completed 66.7% of his passes (28-for-42) for 334 yards. “It’s been tough. Leon thought he was gonna redshirt, but it was like, we gotta roll. We need you.
“Rashod has that dog mentality where he just wants it more. He might not be the fastest, but he wants it more. And he’s big and physical. That next-man-up mentality is what we’ve had and it’s been great.”
Gordon, of course, kept doing what he’s been doing, posting his sixth straight game of at least 100 yards, poking in a pair of touchdowns. Most impressively, the Cowboys found ways to run the ball when OU was fixed on stopping the run.
Gordon might not fight his way to the top of the Heisman Trophy conversation, but he’s in it.
And years from now, his performance will be the big storyline Bedlam historians will point to for the Cowboys’ victory in the final chapter of the epic rivalry.
But don’t forget the unexpected heroes.
“They were backups at the beginning here, but they’re playing like starters, no doubt,” offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn said. “They’re hungry. They wanna prove themselves and they are. They’re doing a hell of a job.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached atswright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at@ScottWrightOK. Sign up forthe Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasinga digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
