Oklahoma Schedule Preview: Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Sooners head to Stillwater for their regular season finale against their in-state rivals.

The Bedlam series returns to the regular season finale as the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys will battle in late November.

After hammering the Cowboys 41-13 last year in Norman, the Sooners will hit the road on Nov. 27 where they’ve historically had great success against the Cowboys.

But while the series has been full of offensive shootouts as of late, it’s the two defenses which will likely take center stage in Stillwater.

Led by linebacker Malcom Rodriguez and safeties Kolby Harvell-Peel and Tre Sterling, the OSU defense has grown every year under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Malcolm Rodriguez leads a resurgent Oklahoma State defense under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles :: Bryan Terry / USA TODAY Sports

Rodriguez returns as Oklahoma State’s leading tackler, totaling 82 total tackles last year while adding three quarterback sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.

The Cowboys will have to replace his running mate, however, as linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga moved on to the NFL in the offseason. Though he logged 80 tackles and 2.5 sacks last year, he went undrafted before signing a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Calvin Bundage also moved on to the league, signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bundage brought down opposing quarterbacks seven times last year as he returned from an ACL injury that ended his 2019.

Oklahoma State still has a formidable pass rusher returning in Trace Ford, who exploded for 4.5 sacks before his season was cut short with injury last year.

For Mike Gundy’s Cowboys to capitalize on their newfound defensive strength in 2021, they’re going to need more consistent play out of their offense.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2021 Schedule

• Sept. 4: at Tulane Green Wave
• Sept. 11: vs. Western Carolina Catamounts
• Sept. 18: vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
• Sept. 25: vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
• Oct. 2: at Kansas State Wildcats
• Oct. 9: vs. Texas Longhorns
• Oct. 16: vs. TCU Horned Frogs
• Oct. 23: at Kansas Jayhawks
• Oct. 30: vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
• Nov. 13: at Baylor Bears
• Nov. 20: vs. Iowa State Cyclones
• Nov. 27: at Oklahoma State Cowboys

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A lot of that work will start up front. OSU lost its star offensive tackle in Teven Jenkins, but gets Josh Sills back to lead the unit. Decimated by injuries and transfers right before the season last year, Gundy said at Big 12 Media Days that he was confident the unit had taken a step forward this past spring.

If the offensive line can hold, the success of the offense will fall squarely on the shoulders of junior quarterback Spencer Sanders.

Though injured, Sanders what a disappointing season last year. He was still plagued by the same turnover issues he flashed as a freshman, and showed only moderate signs of growth. But again at Big 12 Media Days, Gundy was confident in his signal caller, saying he had grown more in the last few months than his entire time at Oklahoma State.

Offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn will need that to be true. OSU lost playmakers Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace off of the offense from a year ago.

Brennan Presley will hope to build off his big end of the season performance where he caught six passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns against Miami in the Cheez-It Bowl :: Scott Sewell / USA TODAY Sports

The change at running back might not be the worst thing, however. Hubbard was underwhelming at best in 2020, allowing for the emergence of L.D. Brown and Dezmond Jackson. The duo combined for 984 yards and six touchdowns last year behind the patchwork OSU line.

The biggest loss was Wallace, who hauled in 922 yards and six scores last season. Brennan Presley came on strong toward the end of 2020, and Gundy hopes that Presley and Sanders form an explosive connection through the air in 2021.

Though the defense has taken steps forward, it will take a special offensive performance late in November at Boone Pickens Stadium for the Cowboys to break their six-game losing streak to Lincoln Riley’s Sooners.