South Dakota State at No. 18 Oklahoma State: Top storyline, key matchup, player to watch and who wins
- Aug 31, 2024 Updated 6 hrs ago
Tyler Waldrep
OSU Sports WriterSouth Dakota State at Oklahoma State
1 p.m. SaturdayBoone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater
Need-to-know info
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KTSB 1170
Records: Season opener for both
All-time series: N/A
Will Oklahoma State’s defense look improved against back-to-back FCS champions?
The Cowboys finished among the FBS’ worst in multiple categories last season. Most notably, they were 99th on third down, allowing opponents to convert 41.8 percent of the time, and 123rd in passing yards allowed after giving up 275 per game on average.
Normally, an FCS opponent would be a great warmup act, but South Dakota State enters Saturday’s contest riding a 29-game winning streak. Plus, going back to 2019, the Jackrabbits have proved to be a tough out for FBS opponents. They lost at Iowa by four points in 2022, at Minnesota by seven in 2019 and beat Colorado State by 19 in 2021.
KEY MATCHUP
OSU’s linebackers vs. SDST QB Mark Gronowski
South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski reportedly turned down more than $200,000 NIL deals to play for programs in the Big Ten and ACC.
Richard W. Rodriguez, AP file
Gronowski is something of a sleeper for the 2025 NFL Draft, but that might not last much longer. The South Dakota State quarterback reportedly turned down more than $200,000 NIL deals to play for programs in the Big Ten and ACC. Gronowski earned the FCS offensive player of the year award last season after he finished fifth in yards per completion (14.63) and averaged 4.3 yards per carry on 93 attempts.
Last season, the Cowboys recorded only 27 sacks, which is their worst total since 2013. According to Pro Football Focus, the defense also averaged only 14.1 total pressures (sacks, quarterback hits, quarterback hurries). Another worst finish in the last 10 years.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alan Bowman
Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman threw for 1,546 yards in the final five games of 2023.
Victor Lopez, Tulsa World
The OSU quarterback experienced quite the rollercoaster during the final five games of 2023. He threw for 1,546 yards, 45% of his 2023 total, while finishing with his first and fourth-highest single-game completion percentages. He also tossed nine of 14 interceptions.
Proving he can take better care of the football against a Jackrabbit secondary that returns two players who combined for nine of the team’s 19 interceptions would be a good start.
Collin Oliver and Kendal Daniels
Former rover Kendal Daniels (5) will spend time at starting linebacker this fall.
Daniel Shular, Tulsa World Archive
Former defensive end-turned-linebacker Collin Oliver hasn’t officially changed positions this year. However, he’s expected to split the difference and play more of an edge role both to help the Cowboys and his NFL draft stock. Meanwhile, former rover Kendal Daniels is a starting linebacker this fall. How those two handle the change and how OSU chooses to use them is worth watching.
