Dru Brown’s Moxie Lifts OSU Past WVU, and Gives it a Fighting Chance vs. OU

On a short week of preparation, graduate transfer quarterback Dru Brown performed as well as could have been expected on Saturday in Oklahoma State’s 20-13 road win over West Virginia.

Brown, filling in for the injured Spencer Sanders who underwent thumb surgery this week, completed 22 of his 29 passes for 196 yards, two scores, and zero turnovers. He also rushed seven times for -15 yards (Spencer would never!), but played turnover free football — a key ingredient to securing a crucial road win.

“Dru Brown was really good today on short notice,” said Gundy on ESPN after the game.

Indeed he was. Brown was expected to start on Saturday for most of the week because OSU feared Sanders’ thumb injury was worse than initially diagnosed, but Brown himself suffered an injury this week in practice, causing a tiny scare to scatter about the program. Sources told PFB on Friday that the injury was minor and that he would play despite skepticism to the contrary.

Brown didn’t need to be Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields for OSU on Saturday — heck, he didn’t even have to be Spencer Sanders. He was a threat with his legs, although his stat line doesn’t suggest it. And with his arm, he showed he was willing to dump it off to Chuba in the flat (a lot) while also daring enough to go deep down the field.

That threat alone was enough to keep West Virginia’s defense on its heels, despite the lackluster box score production. Against OU this coming Saturday, that will be a valuable asset. No, he’s not a late season small sample Heisman contender. But he makes smart decisions, doesn’t turn it over (knock on wood!), and has the moxie of another No. 6 who in recent years has lit up Bedlam with a similar swagger.

LEFT HIM HANGING RUDE pic.twitter.com/ZqpC2q977r

— cg (@cg0012) November 23, 2019

Against an OU defense that has had its fair share of holes poked in it in recent weeks, a Mayfield-like swagger — with dart-throwing talents to boot — might just be enough to buck OSU’s Bedlam woes come Saturday.

Might.

And if confidence and cockiness count for anything, there’s no doubt OSU’s own No. 6 has enough of an edge to give the Cowboys — without their top receiver and top quarterback — a fighting chance to do what OSU has only done twice since Mike Gundy took over as its head coach:

Beat OU.