OSU Has Been Good in the Red Zone This Year but Was Great Against West Virginia

There were several reasons Oklahoma State wouldn’t complete that 17-point comeback as underdogs at home on Saturday. The four turnovers to West Virginia’s one comes to mind. A Heisman hopeful and vaunted West Virginia offense that the suddenly flexing Pokes defense could only hold down for so long is another.

But through that tale of two halves both offensively and defensively for Oklahoma State, the home team controlled the red zone on both sides of the field for most of the game. And that made all of the difference.

Coming into Senior Day, Oklahoma State had been good, not great inside the 20s. If we look at PPR (points per red zone attempt), the Pokes came in fourth in the league on offense, averaging a hair over 5 points per trip.

The Cowboys encroached onto Mountaineer sacred ground seven times on Saturday and came away with 45 points (six touchdowns and one field goal) for a PPR of 6.4. OSU has hit the perfect 7.0 PPR (TDs not FGs on all red zone trips) just twice this year. The first was in that zany loss to Iowa State and the second was in Bedlam.

On defense, the Cowboys also came in fourth, allowing just under 5 points per trip.

But on Saturday, against a team that ranked behind only Oklahoma in efficient red zone scoring, Oklahoma State’s defense was stingy and disruptive where it counted. West Virginia scored on just four of its seven red zone trips and was held to a field goal on one of those.

Following Taylor Cornelius’ first interception in the second quarter, the Mountaineers marched deep into OSU territory to the 5-yard line before being denied on downs.

Then Oklahoma State forced a Will Grier fumble at its own 17-yard line just as the Mountaineers were threatening to answer that third quarter Chuba Hubbard TD that started the comeback.

Malcolm Rodriguez had other ideas.

Even when an ill-advised return attempt saw Dillon Stoner muff a punt and give the ball to the Mountaineers, again on the OSU 17, the defense was able to flex those muscles and only allowed 1 yard in three plays forcing the road team to settle for 3.

Of course, the biggest red zone stop of the year might have been that bat down as time expired by A.J. Green.

“I think we left probably 14 points out there,” said Dana Holgorsen. “When you are in the red zone and can’t punch it in, if you are a great offense, you do that. I guess we are not a great offense because we couldn’t do that.”

Give Jim Knowles’ squad a little credit, Dana. The Cowboys were underdogs at home, and were desperate for a win on Senior Day. And they made the plays in the most important areas of the field (on both sides) to get it.