Can Oklahoma State Start Better Against Iowa State?
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Oklahoma State has put together some solid second halves, but it needs to do more than just finish games.
OSU will play Iowa State on Saturday in a game featuring teams that desperately need a win. For OSU to move to 3-1, it will need to break a trend that has become more costly each week.
The Cowboys have to play well to start the game.
South Alabama was a winnable matchup for OSU, but after the Jaguars got out to an early lead, they continued to pile on. Once OSU finally made some adjustments to keep USA from extending the lead further, it was too late, and OSU’s offense would not have had the firepower to score enough anyway.
How to Watch Oklahoma State and Iowa State: Kickoff Time, TV Channel and Odds
Although the large early deficit made it seem like OSU had no momentum, it could have easily taken an early lead. But OSU could not get out of its own way. Jaden Bray had what looked like a sure catch-and-run for a touchdown on the first possession but dropped it.
Against Central Arkansas, the Cowboys had a similar first-possession blunder. Garret Rangel led the Cowboys down the field into UCA territory, but with a fourth-and-three on the 30-yard line, Rangel threw an interception.
But Rangel led OSU on a touchdown drive on the next possession. OSU will need to channel some of that resiliency against ISU.
More importantly, OSU needs to limit its mistakes offensively. If OSU finds itself with a promising drive early in the game, it must capitalize on those opportunities.
On the other side, the Cowboys need to keep the Cyclones off the board for as long as possible. Since offense will continue to be hard to come by for the Cowboys, not allowing the Cyclones to play from ahead will be critical.
ISU scored only seven points against Ohio and 13 against Iowa, so getting stops shouldn’t be an issue for OSU. But when dealing with an offense that struggles to score, OSU’s defense must not allow big plays like it did against USA.
The Cowboys were plagued by giving up significant gains to the Jaguars last week. Each time the Cowboys looked set to make their way back into the game, they gave up a backbreaking play.
If OSU gives up too many of those plays early this week, it will probably prove to be too large of a hole to come back from. But if the offense fails to show up to begin the game, it may not even matter how well the defense plays.
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