Week 1 of the college football season was not kind to the Big 12, with Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State all losing to non-Power Five opponents. Going into Week 2, Oklahoma State was the only conference team with a game scheduled against Tulsa.
Favored by 23.5 points at home, the Cowboys were expected to take care of business in a rather easy manner against the Golden Hurricanes. However, Mike Gundy’s squad continued the trend of Big 12 teams struggling early in the season.
To begin, redshirt sophomore Spencer Sanders exited from the game early in the first quarter with a high ankle injury. From there, transfer Ethan Bullock took over but mightily struggled, going eight of 13 with 41 yards and an interception.
Oklahoma State’s offensive line was a major liability as well, allowing six sacks. On the ground, the Cowboys averaged 3.0 yards per carry, seeing Tulsa players in the backfield all night.
Late in the third quarter, it all began to click offensively for Oklahoma State with third-string quarterback and true freshman Shane Illingworth. Star wide receiver Tylan Wallace finally got involved in the passing game, having four catches for 94 yards, all in the second half.
Step 1: Throw deep to Tylan Wallace
Step 2: Profit— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 19, 2020
Defense is where Oklahoma State excelled on Saturday. The most eye-opening stat is Tulsa’s third-down conversion rate, which was 0%. The Golden Hurricanes were out of sorts all night with 15 penalties for a total of 120 yards.
Although they pulled away late in the second half with a 16-7 scoreline, Oklahoma State will have major questions before their Big 12 opener against West Virginia on Sept. 26.
First, is Sanders going to be able to start next week? Bullock did not provide much spark and having a true freshman in Illingworth make his first start would be risky.
Once the quarterback is figured out, offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn must figure out how to get running back Chuba Hubbard back to his normal self. Instead of declaring for the NFL Draft, Hubbard decided to stay in Stillwater for another season.
He ended with 93 yards and a touchdown but on 27 carries for 3.4 yards per carry. It broke his 11 game streak with at least 100 yards. He was not the same explosive player we have become accustomed to. Due in large part to the defensive effort by Tulsa.
Dubbed as a dark horse to win the Big 12 championship, Oklahoma State will have to answer questions before facing Texas on Oct. 31 and Oklahoma on Nov. 21.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]