Connect with us

Football

Instacap: Oklahoma State Outclasses Tulsa in Opener 59-24

Published

7 years ago

on

Tyron Johnson’s manhandling of Tulsa cornerback Kerwin Thomas on his way to a 44-yard fade touchdown was only an indication of what was coming.

James Washington did something similar six minutes later, and the Oklahoma State running backs washed, rinsed and repeated the Hurricane defense over and over again in the Cowboys’ 59-24 season-opening victory.

It was the Pokes’ 22nd-consecutive win in a home opener.

OSU was impressive but still a little rusty in some areas the first half. Jalen McCleskey let a punt dribble toward the goal line until he didn’t. He picked it up and fumbled in the end zone. It ended in a Tulsa touchdown.

Then before the first half ended, Mason Rudolph scrambled to his right and tried to throw deep to his left. He was hit as he threw it, and Petera Wilson came down with it. He plays for the other team, and that ended with a field goal as time expired.

But outside of the one blunder, Rudolph was his usual Heisman-worthy self. He wrapped up Game 1 with 303 yards and three touchdowns on 83 (!!!) percent passing. Washington, too. He caught six balls, earning 145 yards and a pair of scores.

But the headliner might have been the first-year players. Johnson’s touchdown was on his first play from scrimmage in an OSU uniform. He was as-advertised: 44 yards receiving, 11 rushing, 29 in the return game and all the swagger.

Then there was the beauty of J.D. King’s Cowboy debut. On Wednesday, I wrote about the similarities between King and Hill’s progression through their freshmen falls. He made me look brilliant.

King swiped the spotlight on just his second collegiate carry when he burst through the middle of the defense and ran high and tight for a 71-yard score. It was the longest OSU run since … 2011. That is, until LD Brown went for 73 later in the fourth.

Throughout the game, King looked increasingly like a junior version of current NFL back and last season’s No. 2 Chris Carson, bowling defenders on their backs with a ferocious running style.

King, Hill and the other backs hit the 300-yard mark, and with Rudolph eclipsing 300 as well, it was the first time that has happened in five years. The Cowboys averaged 10.2 yards per play and 9.0 yards per carry. Hill closed out his sophomore opener with 15 carries for 132 yards. King had six for 95 and Brown had five for 92. It was an electric performance.

Another (technical) first-year guy was Dillon Stoner. It was up in the air as to whether he or freshman and key signing Tylan Wallace would be the No. 2 inside receiver. Stoner was the guy on Thursday. And he was awesome. He played in 29 plays with Rudolph, and when he was in, he was a frequent target. He finished with four catches for 18 yards, but he was key in keeping drives going and momentum pointed in the right direction.

The Cowboys’ youngest and most inexperienced players made Tulsa’s No. 1s look silly at times, and the Cowboys’ stars made the Hurricane seem even worse, especially for a team that won 10 games last season.

Rudolph, Washington and the defensive starters got OSU out to a 52-17 lead before Taylor Cornelius and the backups took over and held it down for the 59-24 victory.

The Cowboys’ next test will be at 7 p.m. on September 8, in Mobile, Alabama. OSU is now 70-41-5 in season-openers, winners in 10 of the past 12 games and 1-0 in the biggest season since, well, you know when.

Related Topics:

Most Read

Copyright © 2011- 2023 White Maple Media