Grades: Experience Will Keep Oklahoma State Passing After Season-Opening Win

Football is back in session.

Oklahoma State kicked off its 2024 season with a 44-20 win against reigning two-time FCS champion South Dakota State on Saturday in Stillwater. A lot has actually changed for me since the last time I graded the Cowboys playing a football game. I’m no longer PFB’s resident teacher, but now, following the Oklahoma education trend, am PFB’s former educator, with this now being my only opportunity to hand out grades on a weekly basis. But as there’s been change for me and probably so many of you, nothing is really different for the Cowboys.

Like an adult who’s dealt with raising children and stressing about a mortgage before going back to school, this college stuff doesn’t seem as difficult after some experience. And, boy, is that what the Pokes have. That experience was evident already in OSU’s season opener as I dish out my first report card of 2024.

Alan Bowman: A

After six years of something, you start to get the hang of it.

Seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman played like exactly what he is on Saturday: a veteran. Even with it being OSU’s first game of the season, there seemed to be no rust or figuring things out for Bowman. He was 25-of-34 (74%) for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

Bowman was by no means spectacular or made your jaw drop, but he was reliable, especially while not throwing an interception. And that’s what a team like OSU needs when Bowman can hand the ball off to the best running back in the country and has an offensive line almost as experienced as him protecting his backside.

Although it had won 29 games in a row, South Dakota State was still an FCS team. The Cowboys will obviously play better squads and Bowman at times will need to do more to lead his team to a win. But as long as Bowman is always the steady hand he was in the opener, there won’t be a game this season OSU will be out of.

Offensive Line: B+

Bowman would have kept his pants white even if he played on the old grassy Lewis Field.

There are high expectations for OSU’s offensive line in 2024, mainly because, like the quarterback it’s protecting, all of the experience the Cowboys have up front. OSU returned seven starting offensive linemen from last season, and even added Arizona State transfer Isaia Glass out of the portal for more depth and experience. Every guy OSU started up front in its opener has been playing college football for at least five years.

Yes, Bowman is a seasoned veteran, but I’d be remiss to not acknowledge that his protection also played a big role in his success. OSU didn’t allow a single sack Saturday and the Jackrabbits put pressure on Bowman only three times all game.

The o-line would have earned an A like its QB1, but OSU, even with the reigning Doak Walker Award winner, averaged only 3.3 yards a carry. That’s not a terrible number, but again, there are high expectations for such an experienced group. In the past, OSU coach Mike Gundy has mentioned four yards a carry as the goal they strive for in the run game. Ollie Gordon still surpassed the century mark, though, with 104 rushing yards, so obviously the run blocking wasn’t all too bad.

Defense: B-

I led my recap with the fact the opener proved that not much has changed in Stillwater from OSU’s 10-3 season a year ago. That doesn’t necessarily mean all good, though.

OSU’s 2023 defense, in its first season under Bryan Nardo, struggled on third downs and with giving up chunk plays. That seemed to still be the case in 2024, but once the turf pebbles settled, the numbers show Nardo’s guys improved, even against an FCS opponent. The Jackrabbits were 3-for-13 on third down, which is converting 23% of the time. For comparison, when OSU played FCS Central Arkansas in last season’s opener, UCA was 5-for-13. Not a major difference, but SDSU is a much better team than UCA with a much better quarterback.

As for big plays, the Cowboys gave up nine, which includes passes over 15 yards and runs of more than 10 yards. Last season, on average, OSU gave up 16.5 plays of 10 yards or more a game, which was second-worst in FBS.

Holding a solid team to 20 points will do, though, especially when your offense is trying to move as fast as OSU was early. And when the Jackrabbits’ defense stepped up in the fourth quarter and forced OSU to punt three times in a row, the Cowboys returned the favor and also kept SDSU from scoring during that stretch, including a Nick Martin sack on fourth down to give OSU the ball on SDSU’s 15 and set up a field goal.

On top of all that, OSU recorded a pair of sacks (which definitely needs to get better) and an interception.