What was Oklahoma State football's biggest development in win over South Dakota State?
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — With so much already known about this Oklahoma State football team thanks to its 20 returning starters, the season opener presented few unexpected twists.
Perhaps the defense shows a bigger glimpse into the offseason changes it made when the 17th-ranked Cowboys host Arkansas at 11 a.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.
And maybe the offense has some new wrinkles in store for the Razorbacks, too.
But in most respects, the product on the field Saturday looked a lot like the one OSU fans watched last October.
It wasn’t a carbon copy, however, and the 44-20 win over FCS No. 1 South Dakota State revealed a few important revelations about this edition of the Cowboys.
Here are three key developments from Week 1 that should benefit Oklahoma State this season:
Sesi Vailahi is growing up fast
The backup running back’s numbers don’t knock you over, but the way he played in limited opportunities against SDSU was worth noting. He had 18 yards on seven total touches, plus generated a 15-yard penalty when a defender nearly twisted Vailahi’s head off by the facemask.For a player who was lightly recruited and a late addition to the Cowboys’ 2023 recruiting class, Vailahi has shown significant improvement since arriving at OSU 15 months ago. He’s bigger and faster, but more importantly, has shown he can be trusted in meaningful situations as a backup to Ollie Gordon II.
Indiana transfer Trent Howland didn’t get as many opportunities to show his ability, but that could come this week, considering the size of Arkansas’ defensive line. Having a bigger back like the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Howland enduring some of the pounding might be helpful when the Cowboys decide to rest Gordon.
The defensive line depth looks legit
A year ago, the Cowboys hoped Iman Oates could provide some depth at nose tackle, but he got injured and redshirted. Now, after getting healthy and reshaping his body, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound Oates has become a starter in a position more resembling a defensive end.Younger players DeSean Brown and Jaleel Johnson are prepared to play more than a few snaps a game like they did last year. Aden Kelley is ready to be part of the interior rotation and Obi Ezeigbo looks like he’ll be a viable contributor.
And that’s in addition to all the veteran returners, like Justin Kirkland, Collin Clay, Kody Walterscheid and Collin Oliver.
The group isn’t as established as the 2021 front that led the nation in sacks, but the depth is similar, which will pay off over the course of the season.
Logan Ward is ready for his shot
Logan Ward was perfect in his first day as the Cowboys’ placekicker, hitting all five extra points and field goals of 42, 52 and 25 yards.Ward has been successful in every role he’s held at OSU, previously working as a punter and kickoff specialist. But placekicking can be a finicky business.
The Cowboys have had better-than-average placekickers for a while now, and it was unclear if Ward, a walk-on from Deer Creek High School in Edmond, was ready to be the guy.
Over the summer, the Cowboys brought in a couple kickers to compete with him, but the arrival of new kicking and punting coach Sean Snyder was the biggest development. Snyder understands the mechanics of kicking, and tweaked Ward’s swing to build better consistency.
“It’s hard to explain unless you know the real world of kicking,” Ward told the Cowboy Radio Network on Saturday. “He has implemented some things into my technique that have been valuable and really helpful.”
