Timely Stops Bolster Oklahoma State Defense Against Kansas State

Winning games has not come easy for Oklahoma State this season, but an opportunistic defense could be the key moving forward.

The Cowboys upset Kansas State on Friday night and did so in an unorthodox way. In putting up 29 points, the Cowboys scored just one offensive touchdown.

And while the offense made just enough plays to keep KSU at bay, the Cowboys’ defense stepped up to get the victory. The Cowboys made life rough for Wildcats’ quarterback Will Howard throughout the night.

Going into the game against OSU, Howard had thrown for at least 250 yards in every game this season and had completed more than 60% of his passes. But OSU’s defense held Howard to only 152 yards and, most importantly, forced Howard into throwing three interceptions.

Howard’s most costly pick was his second, just before the end of the first half. As the Wildcats tried to get downfield and close the gap before halftime, freshman safety Cameron Epps came up with his second interception and ran it back for a touchdown.

Not only did Epps’ pick-six give the Cowboys a massive momentum boost, but it also allowed Alan Bowman and the Cowboys to play from ahead for the rest of the night. That is a luxury OSU’s offense has rarely had this season but desperately needs.

Playing from behind seemed to get the best of KSU as OSU’s defense made a couple of massive stops in the final stages of a one-possession game. The first of those stops was the Cowboys’ third takeaway.

With just more than three minutes left, Nick Martin intercepted Howard after the Wildcats had crossed midfield. But with the Wildcats having all three of their timeouts and the Cowboys’ offense sputtering again in the second half, the defense still had to make one more stop.

After OSU punted, KSU quickly reached its 44-yard line. But after three straight incompletions from Howard, KSU faced fourth-and-10.

The Cowboys got their third fourth down stop, this time courtesy of Collin Oliver batting down Howard’s pass at the line of scrimmage. Including turnovers on downs, the Cowboys forced six turnovers while turning it over only once.

As great as OSU’s defense was, the offense still had to do its part to win. Simply holding onto the football and getting into field goal range was not pretty, but it put the defense in a position to finish off the win.

But if OSU wants to continue winning, the offense must capitalize on opportunities when the defense delivers. Of the five offensive possessions after forcing turnovers, OSU scored just twice, both times scoring field goals.

Ultimately, the Cowboys were able to play from ahead and take advantage of opportunities on defense. If they can continue to do those two things, the Cowboys should have no problem extending the bowl streak.

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