10 Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s 29-22 Loss to TCU

BOX SCORE

When two of your three phases don’t get off the bus, it’s hard for a football team to go win on the road.

Oklahoma State’s defense did just about everything you could ask it to on Saturday, but the Cowboys offense struggled to score or even stay on the field.

The result is a 29-22 loss to TCU, the third of the season and the end of OSU’s Big 12 title hopes. Let us commiserate together. Here are my 10 thoughts on OSU’s loss to the Horned Frogs.

1. What else can you ask for from a defense?

Jim Knowles’ group wasn’t perfect against TCU, but it was as good as you could expect given the circumstances. The Cowboys gave up some big plays, but you couldn’t really blame a defense that got close to zero help from its offense or special teams.

Five turnovers forced turned into six points, thanks to Brock Martin’s scoop-and-score. Ben Freehill came on to kick the PAT on that score and clanged it off the upright.

Only one OSU drive lasted three minutes (3:33 to be exact), and the Cowboys had four three-and-outs and 11 drives that lasted five plays or fewer. It’s hard to catch Max Duggan when you can’t catch your breath.

2. What happened to OSU’s offense?

I could probably write 10 thoughts on this question, and I might come out with even more questions and zero answers. I’ll try to be brief here.

There are plenty of excuses for why OSU’s offense didn’t show up Saturday — O-line depth/injuries, no Chuba, no Tylan late. But you’ve gotta find a way to sustain drives, and you’ve gotta coach to win.

Needed more of this.

Needed less of running your starting QB off-tackle on third-and-13.

The other, third phase of the game, also let the defense down. Between the missed PAT and two missed field goals, OSU left 7 points on the field in a game it lost by 7.

3. Injuries stink

The Cowboys aren’t the only football team in the country bitten by the injury bug, but they’ve had their fair share this year and those issues have only compiled down the season’s stretch.

Between a lack of OL depth, stars like Chuba and Teven Jenkins out, and then losing starters like Tylan Wallace, Rodarius Williams and Tre Sterling during the game, you have to wonder what could have been.

Again, every team has depth issues, namely the Horned Frogs who were down below 50 scholarship players a week ago, but that’s just one of the what-ifs that will haunt OSU fans about this season.

3. Jelani Woods is a Bad Man

Men of this size aren’t meant to be able to move like this.

Woods was this close to reeling in the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth, but the ball was thrown high and he couldn’t hold onto it.

4. Dez Jackson had a nice second start

When the Cowboys offense was working on Saturday, it was thanks to Dez Jackson. In his second start, Dez continued his impressive audition for RB1 in 2021. He took all 29 handoffs for 118 yards and a score.

It seems like so long ago, but in the first half OSU’s line was making holes.

Who knows what the roster will look like next year with the NCAA extending eligibility, but we can say with pretty good conviction that No. 30 won’t be back. It’s good to see that OSU has another quality back to put in its rotation.

5. About those fumbles though

OSU forced four fumbles on Saturday, one from Malcolm Rodriguez that was paid off with a scoop-and-score by Brock Martin and THREE by Amen Ogbongbemiga, a program record.

Unfortunately those three were paid off with a suicide sprint to the bench and back to the field for OSU’s defense.

When TCU ran a jet sweep late and Derius Davis found himself surrounded by white jerseys, he took a knee behind the line of scrimmage. You gotta wonder if he was coached up to do that after all those strips.

6. Martin layeth the Smackdown

TCU lineman T.J. Storment was flagged for a penalty on this extra curricular activity, but he might have come out worse for wear. A word to the wise, don’t try to tie with up a multiple-time state champ wrestler.

I will have to check with Seth Duckworth on this, but I think Martin earns points for this takedown.

7. Max Duggan can ball

He may not be an elite passer, but he’s definitely not Sam Ehlinger-lite. He straight-up wanted it on Saturday and took it from the Cowboys making plays through the air and with his feet.

He was impossible to bring down and even spun out of a Trace Ford tackle. And then he froze Tanner McCalister with this one.

Max Duggan with the And-1 mixtape crossover pic.twitter.com/nQ3J0f95aX

— Preston Hiefield (@PC_Hiefield) December 5, 2020

Duggan’s play was notable against OSU on Saturday, but the most impressive thing about him is the journey he took to come back from a heart operation in August and play a full slate of college football. Ton of respect for him.

8. The refs were letting them play

There was a lot of pulling and tugging on jerseys going on, especially early, but they were calling it loose both ways. I don’t mind some hand-fighting.

With all the deep shots taken by both teams, we ended the game with just one defensive PI on either side. Normally that type of game benefits OSU. Unfortunately, Tylan Wallace was not available during the fourth quarter.

9. A record number of reviews

But someone in the replay booth was bored or attention-starved.

The TV crew joked that this game had a record number of reviews. It felt like it and, at times, grinded the game to a halt. There were three or four that were completely unnecessary, but I felt like they almost always ended with the right decision.

10. No trip to Arlington

So much for all the Big 12 title scenarios we were going to dive even deeper into next week or crossing your fingers and hoping OU somehow trips up against Baylor (though I’m sure some of you could still find it in your heart to root for the underdog).

The Cowboys bowed out of the conference title race. All we’ve got left is a trip to Waco followed by #BowlSZN, and, of course, #CadeSZN.