Quarterback(s) to Back: OSU and Iowa State’s Offenses Rank Last in the Big 12 in Scoring

The Cowboys came up short on Saturday and, regardless of what you think of the theory behind it, OSU’s three-quarterback system isn’t getting it done.

Oklahoma State is ranked 12th in the Big 12 in passing offense and 13th in scoring, and they haven’t even started conference play yet. That starts Saturday afternoon at Iowa State.

If there is a silver lining to the Cowboy’s road trip to Ames this weekend, it’s that the Cyclones rank one spot below them in both categories, having lost their last two games.

Redshirt freshman Rocco Becht has had his own struggles, including a pair of interceptions in the Cyclones’ disappointing 10-7 loss to Ohio on Saturday.

In fact, the Cowboys and Cyclones have combined for 101 points in three outings. Eight Big 12 teams have scored more points alone so far this season.

So, as we look at a pair of offense not yet up to snuff, let’s juxtapose the ones taking snaps — OSU’s tri of Alan Bowman, Gunnar Gundy and Garret Rangel with Iowa State’s Rocco Becht. And if you go off what Mike Gundy said on Monday, the Cowboys will continue riding that carousel in their conference opener.

Becht was thrust into a starting role after returning QB1 Hunter Dekkers was one of three Cyclones implicated in a sports gambling scandal. Becht, a former four-star prospect, saw the field in three games last season and earned the job over true freshman JJ Kohl.

In his first start, Brecht wasn’t asked to do much, but he did enough to help the Cyclones earn a comfortable 30-9 win over Northern Iowa. He was an efficient 10-for-13 for 113 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions.

But since then, he and the Cyclones’ offense have struggled, scoring just 20 total points in losses to Iowa and Ohio. Against the Hawkeyes (a current top 20 scoring defense), Becht struggled the most. He completed just 52 percent of passes and threw one TD and one pick.

He was more efficient (71 percent) against Ohio but threw two picks in the loss. The second one was tipped by an Ohio defender, but it allowed the Bobcats to hold the ball for the win.

Strength vs. Strength

A big factor in this game will be how well the Cowboys’ defense can get after Becht. OSU is currently tied for second in the league having logged 10 sacks in three games. Conversely, Iowa State leads the league with just one sack allowed in three weeks. Marshall is the only FBS team to not be sacked and they’ve played only twice.

So, if the quarterback doesn’t magically warp into a strength-on-strength matchup, maybe the ability to get after Becht will.