Notebook: Oklahoma State and Central Arkansas

I posted my 10 thoughts on OSU and Central Arkansas earlier tonight, but it’s time to empty the notebook. Here are all the things I took note of or thought during OSU’s 32-8 win over Central Arkansas.

• I’m not sure how many of you had to endure, like I did, the pregame of the Baylor-Lamar game, but I’ve seen better-produced stuff from the office bedroom I work out of. It was grotesque. And then Baylor almost scored 70. Le sigh.

• Sometimes it feels like Mike Yurcich treats Mason Rudolph like he’s Donovan Woods, doesn’t it?

• Did the field get a makeover from last year or am I still traumatized from all those years of yellow-orange “Cowboys” and fake grass that looked more black than it did green?

• I’m glad we didn’t schedule Stamford.

• The announcing crew (which was halfway decent for a FXSW game) noted that J.W. was really handling losing his starting job well and praised him for staying at OSU when almost every team in the country wanted him. Is that a true narrative or are we just saying it until we believe it?

• Two quickies on the offense: 1. It’s wild how when you go deep to playmakers, good things happen, isn’t it? 2. If you’re not going to go deep, you could throw 8-yard comebacks until you got to the other team’s 10-yard-line. Like, I think Mason Rudolph could start on OSU 1-yard-line and complete 11 straight 8-yard-comebacks underneath to Brandon Sheperd. Why do we only attempt to do this a handful of times a game (and I’m being generous)?

• Speaking of routes, the out to James Washington is one of my favorites. They’ve completed it in both games so far this year. And speaking of James Washington …

James Washington with the circus catch on a pass interference call. pic.twitter.com/u5jDt5R7J1

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) September 13, 2015

• OSU had 12 different receivers catch passes on Saturday. That’s more than an Army QB finds over the course of a four-year career even if he starts all four years. I searched for the school and NCAA records but couldn’t find either. Somebody let me know if you have them.

• The referee could have been Markel Brown’s uncle.

• It goes without saying, but 4.7 yards per attempt rushing against FCS teams is not going to get the job done.

• True or false: There will be at least one OSU family who lists “Jalen McCleskey” as the cause of death on a death certificate for an elderly family member over the next four years.

• Yes.

Going to take a lot more than that to keep @david6glidden out of the endzone. #okstate pic.twitter.com/W9tREv0Lcy

— Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) September 13, 2015

• How down does OSU play to its competition (especially on offense). That’s one big picture thing I’d love to change about the Gundy era. You should be burying teams like Central Arkansas.

• I absolutely loved UCA’s flea flicker and subsequent two-point conversion. Not that it matters a ton, but they showed more giddy-up in those two plays than OSU has on offense all season. Like they just enjoyed being out there making Dana Holgorsen proud.

• One of my favorite parts of the game was Glenn Spencer running down Ashton Lampkin in the middle of the fourth quarter after he made a third down play in a FCS game that had long been put away. That’s what makes him Glenn Spencer.

• UCA had as many fourth down conversions (2/3) as it did third down conversions (2/15).

• On putting the game away: Nobody ever thought that outcome was in question, right? The poor announcer were trying to pump up UCA during the stretch when OSU only led by 12 and talk everybody into the fact that this could be Jacksonville State-Auburn II. No.

• I would rather Rudolph not be throwing big blocks on reverses in the fourth quarter against FCS teams. Might just be me though.

• What’s our YPA on quick-snap runs over the course of the Mike Gundy era? Can’t be higher than like 1.5 yards, but man, we sure like that call. Like a high school pitcher who struck somebody out with a nasty splitter in 9th grade and then hung the next 39 consecutively.

• The throw of the game was Rudolph2Glidden deep over the middle in the fourth quarter. Seed.

Thought this was the throw of the game tonight. pic.twitter.com/6mmwrhlkko

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguy) September 13, 2015

• Gundy continues to use J.W. perfectly inside the red zone. I absolutely love what he brings to the table as a specialty QB who can even roll out and throw it a little bit. The ultimate X-factor.

• Was that the quietest near-600-yard outing in Oklahoma State history?

• Zero turnovers for UCA on Saturday. Do you think Glenn Spencer will eat an intern or just rock out 500 skull crushers before Monday morning?

• Player (and play?) of the game.

Ta-da! #okstate pic.twitter.com/mh73mJENoJ

— Jordan Smith (@Doafhat) September 13, 2015