Oklahoma State Cowboys Offensive Players To Watch vs. Baylor in Week 5
The Oklahoma State Cowboys will walk into McLane Stadium on October 1 with one thing in mind - revenge.
While it was their defense who got them to AT&T Stadium and the Big 12 Championship game in 2021, it was their offense that left them one yard short of a chance to play in the College Football Playoffs. In Week 5 of the 2022 season, the Cowboys will look to avenge that 21-16 loss against the defending conference champion Baylor Bears.
The Pokes will bring seven of their offensive starters with them into 2022 but will go young at the skill positions, notably losing their top rusher in Jaylen Warren. Let's tell you about the players on the field you should look out for in the 2022 matchup.
QB Spencer Sanders
Sanders comes into the season with a bevy of experience with 32 stars, but his numbers did not pop in 2021. In fact, if I were highlighting defensive players to watch from the Bears, I would rank Sanders number one. In the two matchups last year, Sanders threw a gaudy seven interceptions against the Bears and got just three points from the final two drives of the Big 12 Championship game, each of which stalled out inside the Bears five yard line. He was a liability for the Cowboys in that game.
That said, Sanders' excellent athleticism and running ability is what made the Cowboys' offense move last year. Behind an RPO/pro-style offense, they ran the ball more than they had in years and the passing game was really helped by the threat of Sanders' running ability. He will need to be a weapon on the ground again or the Cowboys will become predictable and quite stoppable.
RB Dominic Richardson
Richardson featured in all 14 games last year but was a distant third among Cowboys rushers behind Warren and Sanders with only 373 yards on 79 carries. Under Offensive Coordinator Kasey Dunn, the Cowboys' offense has shifted dramatically from almost an air raid attack to that RPO style in 2021, putting extra responsibilities for the back to be better blockers and pass catchers.
Richardson will carry a lot of the load on the ground, so look for the Cowboys to ride Richardson and control the clock.
WR Brennan Presley
In the Big 12, Presley is as dependable as they come in the slot position. Looking at their games last year, Oklahoma State was always successful when Presley was successful and rarely were when he was having an off day.
Standing at just 5'8", Presley might be easy to overlook. It's especially easy to overlook him if you're a Baylor fan, as he only had three catches for 30 yards combined in the two games against the Bears last year. Both games, the Cowboys were stagnant. In the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, however, Presley had a monster day with 10 catches for 137 yards and was integral in the comeback victory. He'll need to make a positive impact against the Bears this time around if the Cowboys are going to move the sticks against this defense.
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Covering Baylor for Inside The Bears and the Locked on Baylor podcast. You can follow me for more Baylor content at @realcamstuart on Twitter. Originally from Rockland, Massachusetts and a Baylor alum, so I might mix the occasional bias and/or Boston sports tweet in there every once in a while.