Tulsa Debriefing: How a Comeback Win Can Aid the Cowboys in Austin

Oklahoma State’s 40-21 win over Tulsa presented the Pokes with their first taste of adversity and, hopefully, a learning experience. Can the added grit from facing their first halftime deficit aid the Cowboys on the road in Austin and through the rest of the Big 12 slate? We’ll see.

Let’s debrief and put a bow on Tulsa and look forward to OSU’s conference opener.

The Short Story

OSU started off hot on the ground, with Chuba Hubbard’s 163 rushing yards and two TDs in the first quarter (that’s a great stat line for a game), before getting a taste of its own medicine in the second courtesy of Tulsa’s Shamari Brooks.

But the defense and Spencer Sanders, bounced back in the third, taking control of the game and the Cowboys never looked back. A late — and third — rushing score by Chuba allowed the Pokes to cover.

Who Earned a Brand Patriot Pete Sticker?

Offense: Chuba Hubbard

The helmet sticker could go to no one else on the offense. Chuba earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after a career-high 32 carries for a career-high 256 rushing yards. His three ground TDs tied his career best, as well.

Through three weeks, Chuba is the nation’s leading rusher and his seven rushing scores ties for No. 1. He’s even getting some buzz nationally. If he can string together monster games for the first time this year on the big stage in Austin, there will be more than Twitter whispers for Chuba as a Heisman darkhorse.

Defense: Trace Ford

Trace Ford just can’t stay out of the highlight reel. True freshmen at this stage in their careers still have plenty of room to grow both physically and in their knowledge of the game. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the Big 12.

Through three weeks, Ford leads the Cowboys with three pass breakups and some how this was not counted as No. 4

Ford and fellow frosh Tyler Lacy are tied for the team lead with three QB hurries, two of Ford’s came on Saturday. The Pokes are down several of their big men up front, but the early returns from some of these young guys are promising.

Questions for Texas

1) Spencer Sanders got his first taste of turmoil on Saturday and, according to Mike Gundy, that will help him going forward. I don’t think that can be overstated. If Spencer and Co. find themselves down a couple scores in the third quarter in Austin, he’ll have at least led his team through some adversity.

This will be Spencer’s Big 12 debut, in his home state, against the state school that didn’t offer him. How does he handle the expectations to bounce back? How does he handle the pressure or the limelight? This could be a huge game for Spencer’s legacy one way or another.

2) Who will be available on the defensive line? The Cowboys replaced more starts along their defensive front than in any other position group this offseason, but between Brendon Evers and Sione Asi missing the Tulsa game and Israel Antwine yet to make his debut, they’ve been even younger and thinner than expected. That might fly against Tulsa but that lack of depth could bite the Cowboys in Austin this week.

Play(s) of the Game

Chuba had the most big plays, but the biggest play came from Spencer Sanders and Tylan Wallace who combined for this timely third quarter score to pull away from the Golden Hurricane.

Sanders found his No. 1 wideout for 90 yards and 6 points which goes down as the third-longest passing play in Oklahoma State history.

And we’ll close this with an Amen.

Amen Ogbongbemiga leads the Cowboys through three weeks with 3.5 sacks, but this one was as clean of a look as he’ll get all year. Maybe we should credit Shamari Brooks on the whiff.