Oklahoma State vs. Kansas: Three Key Matchups For Cowboys as Underdogs
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Last week, the Oklahoma State Cowboys took down Kansas State in a Friday night battle that seemed to have been a turning point for Oklahoma State. Now, they've got a chance to continue riding that momentum as they host the Kansas Jayhawks in Stillwater on Saturday.
With Jason Bean likely starting under center, the Cowboys will have a huge opportunity against the No. 23 Jayhawks. Here are three key matchups as Oklahoma State hosts Kansas at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Oklahoma State run defense vs. Kansas run game: With Jason Bean starting under center for Kansas, the Jayhawks will prepare for this matchup much differently. Last week against UCF, the Jayhawks ran the ball 51 times for 399 yards. Bean threw the ball just 12 total times.
It'll be up to the Oklahoma State run defense to ensure the Jayhawks can't control the game on the ground, and instead get ahead early and make them play from behind. Early stops will be essential for the Cowboys' defense.
Oklahoma State offensive line vs. Kansas defense: The Cowboys' balanced approach simply doesn't work if the offensive line doesn't do its job well. Ollie Gordon can't find consistent gains on the ground, and Alan Bowman can't find his weapons in the air with enough time.
When the offensive line is succeeding, though, like they did last week, the offense opens up exponentially. If the Jayhawks are finding success offensively, the Cowboys will have to be able to keep up on the scoreboard, making offensive line success that much more important.
Oklahoma State red zone offense vs. Kansas defense: Oklahoma State playing a complete game could be huge for them. It hasn't happened yet, so it's hard to understand what their ceiling is as a team.
Even in the Cowboys' best game this season, they failed to convert in the red zone. Thankfully for the Cowboys, the defense showed out and didn't let Kansas State come back, but converting in the red zone would have allowed the Cowboys to blow out the Wildcats a week ago, and they might not get so lucky this week if they can't score touchdowns.
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