Oklahoma State (10-0, 7-0 Big 12) trailed 24-7 and 31-21 before rallying for a victory that might not look impressive but was still critical in jockeying for one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff.
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But this is a different year, a different game and a different team of Oklahoma State Cowboys.
The OSU Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the Iowa State Cyclones today in a game on the Big 12 college football schedule which sees one team entering the day nationally ranked and undefeated for the 2015 season, and the other team trying to find success in an mostly trying season thus far.
Iowa State redshirt freshman RB Mike Warren became the first freshman in Cyclones history to rush for over 1,000 yards on Saturday against Oklahoma State. Iowa State led 24-7 until near the end of the second quarter, largely due to what Lanning was able to produce in the running game. The Cowboys outgained the Cyclones in total yards, 259-104, in the second half.
Rudolph threw for 401 yards against Central Arkansas, then topped that with 437 yards and three scores against Kansas State. Instead, Iowa State quickly found the end zone to go up, 31-21, late in the third quarter. The Red Raiders are clearly better than they were in 2014, after cementing bowl eligibility with a 59-44 win over Kansas State on Saturday. Oklahoma State’s Chris Carson then ran for a touchdown to answer. Lanning, the starting quarterback for ISU’s last three games, is also a sophomore. Williams ran for 101 yards and three touchdowns and threw for a scoring pass for the Tar Heels. The next one went for 92. The Pokes drove down field as Walsh would run a quarterback reed in for the touchdown to make it 28-31.
One of the reasons Oklahoma State’s offense was so successful in spurts against Iowa State was the threat of a better rushing attack. Oklahoma State took advantage of long third-down conversions to own the time of possession (35:27) and was 11-of-17 on the night. Instead, OSU turned those expectations into an easy go-ahead touchdown pass.
A couple more wins won’t be enough to save their bowl hopes.
The good news for Oklahoma State? Rudolph – the former Northwestern Shrine Bowler and state champion – has led the Cowboys to 12 consecutive wins dating to last season, and now, the fourth-ranked Cowboys are on the verge of a Big 12 championship. “I think if we can finish these two games with just great defensive performances, it’ll let us know where we’re at as a team and as a defense and we can move forward for there”. Many wrote off Oklahoma after it shockingly lost to Texas, but the Sooners have annihilated every team in their path since, crushing five straight conference opponents by an average of 38.4 points.
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But now that the Cowboys have a signature win on their resume, getting victories by any means necessary is perfectly fine down the stretch.
