TCU Debriefing: Is Oklahoma State … Good?

We are 75 percent through the regular season and I feel like we’re just now learning how good this team can be.

The Cowboys earned bowl eligibility on Saturday (remember when that was a given?) with their wild win over TCU. Now they’ve got an off week to prepare for Kansas before heading to West Virginia and then closing the year out with Bedlam at home.

Let’s debrief the Cowboys’ sixth win.

The Short Story

After a hot start from OSU’s offense and its defense holding TCU scoreless on the first three drives, the Cowboys found themselves up 10-3 at the end of the first. But the pendulum swung the opposite way in Quarter 2 to send us to the intermission knotted up at 17-all.

While the first half was an evenly-matched, back-and-forth affair, the second turned into absolute chaos. Oklahoma State forced three of their four turnovers in the second half and their only two TDs came on a pair of giant runs by Chuba Hubbard.

OSU’s second half drive chart read:

Punt
TD (Chuba)
Missed FG
Interception
TD (Chuba)
Punt
FG

But thanks to OSU’s defense TCU’s was even uglier:

Fumble
Punt
Interception
Punt
Punt
Interception
TD
Punt
FG

The Cowboys were able to hold on after Matt Ammendola atoned for his first miss of the season with a 42-yard kick to put them up two scores with two minutes remaining. TCU’s late field goal did little more than benefit those who took the over on the 58.5 total.

Brand Sticker (Offense): Chuba Hubbard

I could make an argument for Dillon Stoner for his admirable job of stepping into Tylan Wallace’s cleats, or even Spencer Sanders for his nice game that earned him his second Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.

But, Chuba.

The nation’s leading rusher added to his lead and his legend, racking up 223 yards and two scores on 20 carries, the most ever against a Gary Patterson-coached team. He might not end up catching Barry, but it’s probably time we set that comparison aside and called Chuba what he is, the best OSU running back in the modern era.

A final Chuba stat from Saturday …

Chuba put up more yards in the second half (192) than any other RB has had in a full *game* against TCU since 2000.

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 4, 2019

Brand Sticker (Defense): Kolby Harvell-Peel

KHP earned his second Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award after another stellar performance disrupting a normally level-headed QB.

A week after setting an Oklahoma State record with six pass breakups against Brock Purdy, KHP ruined Max Duggan’s day grabbing two interceptions and breaking up two more passes.

Harvell-Peel grabbed six tackles and three turnovers. He had those two interceptions and a recovered fumble, or 75 percent of OSU’s takeaways.

Questions for the Off Week

Has OSU fixed its turnover issue?: The biggest difference in these last two games and the two previous is turnovers. OSU was really bad in that department for much of the season, and has been really good in the last two games.

Take the last four. Against Texas Tech and Baylor, OSU was minus 7. Against Iowa State and TCU, it was plus 5.

Credit Spencer Sanders for figuring out how to hold onto the ball and decreasing his INTs (?) , and the defense for its sudden ability to ball-hawk. If the Cowboys can keep it up, they’ll give themselves a chance at a fun finish.

Is Oklahoma State a good team: Don’t look now but Oklahoma State is on a win streak. We haven’t been able to say that very often since the end of the 2017 season, but with upcoming matchups against the two worst teams in the Big 12, there’s an opportunity for the Pokes to pile up a couple more wins before a season finale date with the Sooners.

I think the answer to the above question is yes. If it can stay out of its own way, Oklahoma State possesses enough weapons on offense, even without Tylan Wallace, to beat the teams its supposed to beat.

If the Cowboys can fight off Les Miles and Kansas next weekend and get a win on the road at West Virginia the week after (still decent-sized ifs), that’s some real momentum heading into Bedlam.

Play(s) of the Game

The obvious ones would be Chuba’s two big TD runs, but I’ll go with these two because of the juxtaposition between one QB beating pressure and the other succumbing to it.

On this play, two TCU defenders circle the pocket just to fall victim to an elusive Spencer side-step and land in a hilariously cartoonish pile of limbs as QB1 winds up for the deep ball. The TD was the cherry on top.

And then on this one, Malcolm Rodriguez pressures Duggan who heaves one not quite far enough to the sideline to avoid a safety. Jarrick Bernard is able to show off his soft hands grabbing his first interception of the season.