Cowboys collapse on road to lose second-straight in Big 12 play

MANHATTAN, Kan. — There’s no denying that the Cowboys are in a downward spiral, and Coach Mike Gundy needs to pick up the pieces as they navigate through the Big 12 gauntlet.

After all, Oklahoma State is coming off a 42-20 loss at Kansas State. Not to mention the Cowboys are 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 2005, which was Gundy’s first season. Now Gundy is trying to get his alma mater back on the winning track, after a lackluster performance on the road.

The 51,741 fans at Bill Snyder Family Stadium made it a house of nails for Gundy’s squad. Oklahoma State (3-2) couldn’t get into a rhythm on offense, committed three turnovers and the defense couldn’t contain Kansas State’s rushing attack.

Once the smoke cleared, the Cowboys led the Wildcats in first downs, plays and time of possession, but still lost the game by 22 points. It was a head-scratcher to Gundy, because he thought his players would bring the intensity.

“We had chances in the first half, but we didn’t capitalize and left some points on the board,” Gundy said. “When you play a good football team in a good college football environment on the road, you have to capitalize on those situations, and we didn’t.”

A lot of Kansas State’s attention on defense centered around Oklahoma State’s reigning Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon. However, he was limited to 76 yards on 15 carries, and in return that put more pressure on quarterback Alan Bowman, and he couldn’t deliver.

Although the Cowboys led midway through the second quarter, the Wildcats scored 35 unanswered points until under two minutes left in the fourth quarter, which Gundy thought was unacceptable.

“It just kind of snowballed early on in the second half, and then we had to become one-dimensional offensively, which makes it more difficult,” he said. “So there’s a lot for us to work on, coaching-wise and players in the coaching organization.”

Bowman attempted 50 passes, and completed 26 of them. He ended up with 364 yards through the air, one touchdown and two interceptions. As a matter of fact, No. 20 Oklahoma State turned the ball over three times, which didn’t help generate any momentum. Despite the Cowboys racking up 490 yards of total offense, Gundy couldn’t get his boys to play complimentary football.

On defense Oklahoma State couldn’t stop Kansas State’s explosive plays. The Wildcats’ quarterback Avery Johnson did damage with his arm and legs. It’s hard to argue against that when Johnson threw for 259 yards, scored five total touchdowns, and wasn’t sacked at all. Still, Gundy thought his defense battled until the end.

“The one thing I did tell them was I think the defense went out the last three times and got stops,” the 57-year old coach said. “Somebody will say, ‘Well, you’re down 20 points, doesn’t matter, they went out and got stops.”

For a second-straight game, the Cowboys’ defense allowed a running back to eclipse the century mark in rushing yards. Which is why Gundy anticipates an intense week of practice, to try and improve against the run. Safety Trey Rucker finished with a game-high, 10 tackles. Linebacker Nick Martin got banged up late in the contest, but generated eight stops, including one for loss. Cornerback Korie Black even picked off Johnson, but the Cowboys couldn’t take advantage.

Now Oklahoma State has lost its’ last two trips to Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Regardless, there’s plenty for the Cowboys to work on as they approach week six. West Virginia is a run-heavy team, and coming off a bye-week, so Gundy should be concerned, after giving up 300 yards on the ground to Kansas State. On top of that, Oklahoma State is still struggling to establish an identity offensively, which is a head-scratcher with the talent on the field.

“We got to fit the run better offensively, it’s important for us now to stay balanced.”