Spencer Sanders in Walking Boot, Status to be Evaluated Wednesday

The status of OSU starting quarterback Spencer Sanders is up in the air as the Cowboys prepare for their Big 12 opener against West Virginia on Saturday.

Sanders left Saturday’s season-opener with a high-ankle sprain after playing just a series and a play. At his weekly media availability on Monday, coach Mike Gundy didn’t have a definitive answer for Sanders’ availability this upcoming weekend.

“We booted him up,” Gundy said. “We’ll take it off on Tuesday and then put him out there Wednesday and go from there.”

Gundy, who often holds injury information close to the vest, also said there isn’t an alternate quarterback plan at his time. With that said, it seems highly likely true freshman Shane Illingworth would be the guy given his game-winning performance against Tulsa on Saturday.

Illingworth was the third quarterback OSU used Saturday, coming in after several stalled possessions with junior college transfer Ethan Bullock at the reigns.

Illingworth finished the game 4-for-5 with 74 yards, and he led three scoring drives. Bullock finished 8-for-13 with 41 yards, he was sacked four times and he led no scoring drives.

It will be interesting to see how new offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn handles the uncertainty of the week. After Saturday’s win Dunn said Sanders, a dual-threat, and Illingworth, a pocket passer, were on “opposite ends of the spectrum” in terms of skillset.

The Cowboys host West Virginia on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m.