Roundtable: How We Expect OSU to Bounce Back, Favorite Mestemaker Throws

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The Cowboys are looking to rebound off their second loss of the season this week.

Oklahoma State hosts Colorado for America’s Greatest Homecoming, with the game kicking off at 6 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium. Before kickoff, though, the PFB writers got together to hit on some of the storylines from the past week.

Marshall Scott: Well, the Cowboys got some bad news on Wednesday night that Mose Phillips is likely to miss the remainder of the season. He’s started all of OSU’s wins and not started in the Cowboys’ losses. Obviously Ts and Ps to Phillips’ recovery, but how do you think the Cowboys cope with his absence?

Tyler Waldrep: Logistically it seems to be as simple as plugging in Evan Jackson who played every snap at Houston. Mose seemed to flash as a playmaker with good instincts.

Haven’t noticed that as much from Jackson, though he did jump a route and nearly intercept a pass at Houston. It kinda got lost because Mo Horn probably picks that pass off if Jackson didn’t (not that he would know that in the moment).

Jackson has big shoes to fill to prove he can help the Cowboys lock things down. So I wouldn’t be shocked if teams test him coming up. I’m also officially worried for what the safety room looks like behind him and Quinton Hammonds. If OSU takes a huge lead this weekend or any week it would probably benefit the team to get some reps in to backups just incase.

Kyle Cox: It’s definitely a big loss, especially with the inconsistency the Cowboys have had in pass coverage and big plays over the last couple of games. I’m not sure the Buffaloes are the team to underline it, but that hole is going to look harder to fill if they can’t figure it out on the back end soon.

Marshall: Even going back to the preseason, Eric Morris had noted that Jackson has had high highs but needs to be a bit more consistent. Maybe with the more consistent snaps now, he can find that consistency. I also wouldn’t mind seeing a guy like Cameron Epps get some more spot duty. He’s a bigger body and could be better suited in certain matchups.

The last time the Cowboys came off a loss, they recorded a shock win. The opponent doesn’t necessarily provide as big a moment this week, but what would you like to see from the Cowboys on Saturday to say they’ve responded well?

Kyle: I don’t know if we’ll get a shock but the best one could hope for is an “oh, right, there they are.” It’s well-trodden road, but it starts with finishing drives in the end zone and sustaining those drives early. And that comes from moving the ball on the ground more consistently than the Cowboys have the last couple of weeks.

I’m going to pick them to win but you don’t want it to come by way of third-fourth quarter rally.

Tyler: I think the Cowboys are lucky to be home. Colorado has played two Big 12 contenders in Texas Tech and Utah tough in its last two games. This feels less like a gimme than it did two weeks ago.

That said, OSU has the potential to be great. So I’d like to see the Cowboys prove that by scoring touchdowns in the red zone in the first half and getting off the field on third downs. Maybe even come up with a few sacks for good measure. OSU is favored by 13.5 points, which feels a touch high to me for a line, but Oklahoma State also feels capable of winning by more. I’d like to see a true blowout for me to feel like this weekend proves anything real long term against better opponents.

Marshall: Yeah, I think a first-drive touchdown would relax some tensions, but even if that doesn’t happen, I think getting Caleb Hawkins going early will be a good sign. Ideally, that would involve turning around and handing it to him, but if that’s not working, get him some early dump-off passes and let him set the tone and open stuff up elsewhere.

Tyler: The “free space” has been the biggest loser in the red zone issues. I don’t think it’s Hawkins’ fault, but as you guys are sort of eluding to it feels like the line struggles to spring him in obvious running situations at times. Would be good to see him run easy a few times just because the line made some holes.

Kyle: It strangely feels like it’s been a looooong time since we’ve sat back and marveled at how well he falls forward. I’m not saying he doesn’t do it. But yes, I agree. Hawkins gaining consistent 4-5 yard plays might be almost exciting as a 40-yard pass to Wyatt Young at this point.

Marshall: The defense is also having to bounce back from its roughest performance of the season. We discussed they’ll be without Phillips, but what do you guys make of where that unit is right now?

Kyle: Like Tyler alluded to, the third-down defense is good place to start. I think the defense may have reverted to where it actually is. After half a season of data, it seems more likely that the impressive third-down % they boasted over the first three games may not have the legs for the whole season. It would help if they can win the turnover battle more consistently. Again, losing a a playmaker like Phillips doesn’t help.

They’re maybe good, not great to borrow the vernacular of a previous regime. I still think they are good enough to facilitate the Cowboys winning a lot of games if the offense figures things out, but I don’t think the Pokes’ defense is at the level I’d convinced myself after Oregon.

Tyler: I love watching the corners play, and I just don’t see it with Kollin Lewis. I just don’t understand why LaDainian Fields and Mo Horn aren’t always out there. If its an exhaustion issue, then sure, but Horn’s snap counts fluctuate a lot more than you’d expect, and Fields didn’t start at Houston which felt weird.

I think OSU will be able to stop the run much better most weeks. I’m losing faith it will stop the pass. Fields and Quinton Hammonds seem solid. Even Christian Bodnar seemed off at times last game.

I will say Morris puts pretty much all of the pass defense struggles on the secondary. This defensive line earned a lot of praise preseason and even this week. I’d like to see those guys get to the quarterback a little more often.

Marshall: Teams have been able to stay on schedule on OSU of late (first half WVU, UCF and Houston).  OSU has to find a way to buck that, whether that be with sacks or negative runs or just some good, old-fashioned incompletions. Feels like they haven’t been getting outright gashed outside of one or two plays, but a few three-and-outs would go a long way.

Tyler: I sadly think Kyle nailed it. I knew OSU wasn’t the nation’s top third-down defense when they hit that point after three games.

But I had talked myself into thinking they were great, maybe even elite on those high-leverage plays. Since then OSU has fallen down to more of a good level with occasional greatness.

Marshall: Let’s close with a bit of fun. What Drew Mestemaker throw do you think has been the most impressive to this point?

The throw rolling to his left from Saturday was outright ridiculous, and I let out an audible gasp on the flea-flicker vs. Oregon. But, I think my answer is his ball to Terrence Lewis in Morgantown where Mestemaker put the ball in a spot among a West Virginia zone that he had to trust Lewis to run into.

David Pollack did a good job of breaking it down in this video. It wasn’t his most jaw-dropping play, but there was a ton that went into it and the ball was dropped in a bucket.

Kyle: I keep going back to the 52-yard TD against Oregon, when he hangs in the pocket despite pressure, gets hit, and hits Wyatt Young with a laser off his back foot. But his deep ball is just a thing of beauty. Even with some of the tough throws he’s maybe forced a bit at times, when he glances through his progressions I have an unhealthy Steph Curry-like confidence that it’s going in.

Tyler: Oh!

For me its easily the 54-yard pass last week to Wyatt Young. I’ve written about that play this week, forced a rather bored Eric Morris to talk about that play on Tuesday and I’ve verbally recounted the play to several people.

Drew’s ability to throw the ball that far (50 real physical yards, not after the catch) and hit Young in stride all while on the move. Sheesh! I might think about that play weekly for the next year.

That anticipation throw to Lewis against West Virginia might be second for me. I prefer that vastly to the flea flicker which was cool in its own right.

But yeah I’m with Kyle, Drew’s ball is dynamic, especially when he really chucks it.