The Texas Longhorns massacred their non-conference cupcakes and a 3-0 start has us all feeling good. But it’s time to lay off the sweets and dig into the main course. The Oklahoma State Cowboys kick off the Big 12 Conference season for the Longhorns, ranking as the appetizer leading up to Oklahoma and West Virginia. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon may be gone from OSU but the team still presents a test to a relatively unchallenged Longhorn team.
Who will step up for the Cowboys in their attempt to lasso the Longhorns, outside of head coach Mike Gundy, who’s a man because he’s forty? Horns Illustrated is here to unleash the knowledge. It’s time to “Know Your Enemy.”
The Great QB Unknown
Texas has to prepare for two quarterbacks since Mike Gundy has been extremely guarded about who will… [s2If current_user_is(s2member_level2)] start at quarterback this week. The preferred started for OSU is freshman Wes Lunt, who injured his left knee against University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Freshman J.W. Walsh filled in nicely, throwing for 347 yards and 4 touchdowns, with another 73 yards on the ground . Of course, any major conference QB should destroy UL-Lafayette, so forgive us if we don’t hand a Big 12 Conference Player of the Year award to Walsh.
Lunt possesses more of a prototypical passer’s body, at 6-4 and 214 pounds. He also set the Illinois state high school record, throwing for 590 yards in a game, so it’s easy to see why the Cowboys pursued him so eagerly in recruiting.
Walsh, a 6-2, 205 pound freshman, brings a different skill set, earning a top five recruiting ranking at QB by showing off a strong arm to go with scrambling ability. Walsh also puts a nice touch on the ball, so it’s not unrealistic to think the Cowboys and Walsh will feel confident throwing the ball deep to prevent the Longhorns from stacking the box.
A Cup of Joe
The Texas trio of Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergeron, and Johnathan Gray were the talk of the town all off-season, but Oklahoma State runs with the best of them and a lot of that starts with junior Joseph Randle. who should scare the heck out of Longhorn fans. Randle ranks 15th in the nation with 111 rushing yards per game and has sleeper NFL draft pick written all over him.
Randle catches nearly as well as he runs (43 catches for 266 yards in 2011), which explains why he ended up on the First Team All-Big 12 list. The Texas defense must keep Randle contained to win this game.
Look for Jeremy Smith, Randle’s running sidekick, to also get his number called often in Oklahoma State’s ground game. Randle and Smith cut up defenses, both averaging over six yards per carry in 2012.
Immediate Returns
The 2011 Defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl has been relatively quiet but that may change this week for the junior cornerback out of Huntsville, Texas (Huntsvegas, represent!). Gilbert is a playmaker on defense but really shines on special teams. In two years, Gilbert scored four times as a kick returner, tied for the best among active players. Ole Miss returned a score on the Texas special teams unit two weeks ago, and Gilbert has all the speed and skill in the world. Imagine Marquise Goodwin in orange and black. Now, look in the mirror and tell yourself it will be okay.
No Margin for Error
Oklahoma State possessed one of the most opportunistic defenses last year, finishing the 2011 season with a +21 turnover margin. 2012 has been quite a different story, as the Cowboys defense ranks dead last in the Big 12, with a -4 turnover margin (Texas ranks best in the Big 12). To add a bit broader perspective, the defense is ranked 105th in the nation, tied with the Oklahoma Sooners, oddly enough. The Cowboys were shredded for 59 points against Arizona two weeks ago, the only real quality opponent the team has faced in 2012. This is the most encouraging statistic heading into Stillwater, with David Ash protecting the ball at a high level and playing with a never before seen level of confidence for him.
The Cowboys give up 27.7 points a game on average, second worst in the Big 12 in scoring defense, and teams have scored 10-of-10 times when they get into red zone against OSU. Wretched numbers when you consider they have played Savannah State, Arizona, and Louisiana Lafayette. The Longhorns have a great chance to score early and often against this team.
The Cowboys’ counter those red zone defense numbers with a perfect 20-for-20 in red zone opportunities on offense, but no team wants to be caught up in a shootout every week.
No Place Like Home
The Oklahoma State Cowboys own the best home record (20-5) in Big 12 Conference play since 2009. Of course, they beat the Longhorns in Austin the last two years, so Texas may not mind playing the role of Mad Max: Road Warrior. Saturday’s match-up should be crazier than Mel Gibson, that’s for sure.
Adam Sweeney is a writer for Horns Illustrated and editor of PlaymakerOnline.com, he can be reached via twitter @Adamstoneradio .
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