Gundy Decision on Fourth-Quarter Punt ‘Based on the Flow of the Game’

Complaints from the Cowboy fan base and even unbias observers have come aplenty since the Pokes’ poor performance in Saturday’s Bedlam game.

One of the bigger under-the-microscope calls came in the fourth quarter when Oklahoma State chose to punt on a fourth-and-8 from the Sooners’ 39-yard line with about 12 minutes to go. The Cowboys were down 21 at the time.

The Cowboys took a delay-of-game penalty before Tom Hutton delivered a beautiful punt that pinned OU on it’s 1-yard line. However, Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 30 yards on the next play, essentially wiping out Hutton’s pin.

Gundy wasn’t asked about the decision in his quick postgame news conference, but the Tulsa World’s Guerin Emig asked Gundy on Monday. Here was Gundy’s explanation:

“I think at that point, they were pretty much in rush the quarterback mode,” Gundy said. “We had a young offensive line, and we were struggling to protect the quarterback, even with a three-man pressure. They were dropping eight a lot, and there wasn’t really a lot of places to go.

“Just a call on my part based on the flow of the game.”

OSU’s offensive line was struggling. The game ended with Cowboys quarterbacks being sacked four times and hurried on four other occasions.

After the punt, OU put together a 99-yard touchdown drive that put the game that was probably out of reach definitely out of reach.