Notebook: OSU Outlasts the Cyclones in Sloppy Near-Overtime Thriller

The Cowboys were able to right the ship with a near-overtime nail-biter in Ames. I don’t know why I thought it would be any different.

Let’s jump into the notebook as I wrote my way through the game.

• For all of the talk about culture and the chipper attitude of the team and coaches following Bedlam this week, the Cowboys came out flat and looked uninspired. One team looked like it had something to play for to start each half and the other looked like it was already thinking about the drive home.

• Finally some special teams snafus that benefit OSU. Iowa State’s upback touched a bouncing kickoff before it went out of bounds. That set them back at their own 9 and then a couple of poor punts gave the Cowboys great field position.

• Tommy Tuberville sounded like he would rather be listening to LSU-Arkansas on the radio than calling a Big 12 game in person.

• I’m pretty sure a member of Iowa State’s horn section stole one of the ABC mics before the game and no one noticed and turned it off.

• With James Washington facing double coverage most of the game, the Biletnikoff fave was mostly a decoy. His one official target was a 25-yard catch.

Gundy says they were triple-covering James Washington. “He gets to go line up and hangout. That’s what you get when you’re the best WR in the county.”

— Carson Cunningham (@KOCOCarson) November 11, 2017

• But true freshman Tylan Wallace had his best game in college, catching all three targets for 49 yards. Wallace had just seven targets for three grabs on the year heading into the game.

• Two silly penalties led to first half ISU scores. Calvin Bundage lost his head and slapped a Cyclone helmet which turned a fourth and 5 into 15 yards for the bad guys. Ramon horse-collared an ISU runner who was going out of bounds. Fifteen more yards and the drive ended in 7 more points for Iowa State.

• Update: OSU was trying to give away the game in penalty yards. Aaron Cochran was called for holding on third and long. Tre Flowers targeting to extend another drive. OSU was called for nine penalties for 105 yards and seven were on the defense and resulted in an Iowa State first down. Sloppy, sloppy game.

• OSU was only 5 of 13 on third down conversions and averaged third and 10.1 yards to go. Luckily the defense only allowed ISU to convert 4 of 13.

• Zach Sinor had one of his best games of the year. Five punts with an average of 44.6 yards per kick and three were downed inside the 20 and a fourth was very close to being downed at the 1.

• The targeting penalty by Tre Flowers means he’ll miss the first half against Kansas State.

• If Cyclone fans want to complain about a call, Dillon Stoner’s game-winning touchdown definitely should have been called back after James Washington’s got away with an obvious hold that the ref just missed. Much more to gripe about there than the game-sealing INT.

• The point? Every team has something to gripe about almost every game. It’s the result of human beings being officials and it’s what makes college football so fun and frustrating.

• Justice Hill might be the best player OSU has, and I don’t think he’s getting enough national love. If he isn’t an All-American than I don’t know what one looks like.

• Glenn Spencer may have used up all that equity he earned during the Texas game, but the Cowboy defense did come up with two huge three-and-outs after Justice Hill’s 2-point equalizer in the fourth quarter. Then That Play happened.

What a play. Wow. pic.twitter.com/WCOexiuDvV

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 11, 2017

That’s an interception. It looked like an interception in real time. It looked like one in replay. I know if you’re on the other side you’ll never admit that, but Iowa State fans got a sliver of a glimpse of what OSU fans felt like after the Quinn Sharp kick.

Here's the @usatsimg photo of the last INT. Obviously doesn't capture the entire thing, but pretty clearly looks like #okstate ball. pic.twitter.com/JobRkgOkHC

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 11, 2017

• Speaking of that, Matt Ammendola was awarded 3 points on a kick over the right upright that looked eerily familiar.

Quinn Sharp just spit out his popcorn.

— Kyle Cox (@KyleCoxPFB) November 11, 2017

• David Montgomery is a beast. You don’t bring down David Montgomery with a single defender very often. Iowa State didn’t get him as involved late as they should have, probably a gentlemen’s agreement between Matt Campbell and Mike Gundy for those two free timeouts The Mullet gave ISU at the end.

• With a chance to effectively end the game on third and 8, Rudolph tossed it to J.D. King for 7. I know a lot of people wanted OSU to go for it on fourth and 1 but I understand punting there. You’re flirting with disaster. If it doesn’t work out Gundy gets roasted for an epic fail.

• A.J. Green sealed the win with a heady interception, but his partner Rodarius Williams had a couple of crucial batted-down passes late to save TDs as well. People have been up and down on these two. We probably were too high going into Oklahoma and too low afterwards. Corners are going to get beat, especially very young ones, but OSU has a couple of athletic rangy cover men that are gaining a ton of experience. Should be a strength moving forward.

• This is the type of game we’ve seen so many times over the last three years and earned the Cardiac Cowboys their moniker. The difference is that this season, they hadn’t been winning those. TCU, Bedlam and I thought this one would follow suit. It’s a big win and probably saves OSU’s season from being viewed as a disaster.

Next up: The Cowboys welcome The Purple Wizard to Stillwater for maybe the last time and we need the Big 12’s other purple team to take two losses starting with tonight. *ducks* Go Sooners.