Burning Answers: Lessons Learned in Oklahoma State's Homecoming Loss
Oklahoma weather delayed the inevitable as the Cowboys dropped their sixth-straight contest.
On Saturday, Oklahoma State lost 42-21 to Arizona State, falling to 3-6 overall and still searching for a Big 12 win. OSU’s loss was delayed between halves for nearly three hours due to lightning.
While the Cowboys have struggled to find success throughout the season, they seemed to turn a corner after their bye week. However, their effort against Arizona State looked much more like the lifeless team that has plagued Stillwater.
Answers to burning questions for OSU’s homecoming matchup:
Is Oklahoma State going to win a Big 12 game?
At this point, it looks unlikely that OSU will emerge victorious against a conference opponent. That statement can be made solely based on their play throughout the past two months.
However, the Cowboys’ remaining schedule makes it seem like a good bet. OSU finishes the season with games at TCU, home against Texas Tech and at Colorado.
With TCU looking to secure bowl eligibility next week and Texas Tech and Colorado still fighting to make the Big 12 Championship, it could be a long November in Stillwater.
Does either coordinator have a chance to keep their job?
After yet another disappointing performance by the Cowboys, it would be a disservice to the OSU fanbase to keep the current staff untouched. While Mike Gundy will almost certainly be back next season, his coordinators should be different.
Bryan Nardo’s defense has been among the worst in the entire country, and after another embarrassing performance, his time in Stillwater is nearly over. Meanwhile, Kasey Dunn has been a longtime assistant for the Cowboys, and it would be tough for Gundy to let go of him. However, his performance through five years as offensive coordinator has been lackluster, and he would likely need to be in a different role next season if he sticks around.
Will Alan Bowman be the only quarterback to play the rest of the season?
It took nine games, but Mike Gundy finally unleashed Maealiuaki Smith in the final stages of Saturday’s loss. Smith looked solid, but it’s difficult to take much away from that performance, considering his limited playing time. He completed one of his two pass attempts for 11 yards and added another 5 yards on his only carry.
Bowman finished the day with 175 yards, one touchdown and one interception while completing 57% of his passes. The seventh-year man has been below average for the Cowboys, and Smith could be a legitimate option to get a start now that the bandaid has been ripped off.
If the true freshman doesn’t get the nod at TCU, he might be in line to start against Texas Tech after the Cowboys’ second bye week.
Can homecoming give the Cowboys a much-needed spark?
Unfortunately for the Pokes, homecoming was a wash… literally. America’s greatest was off to a solid start throughout the first half, but as rain pushed through, it also pushed out many fans.
During the lengthy delay, most fans left the stadium, leaving little energy for the second half. When the teams took the field again, Boone Pickens Stadium was rather empty. Without any home-field advantage to speak of, OSU came out flat, and the Sun Devils had no issues pulling away.
READ MORE: Game Time Announced for Oklahoma State at TCU
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.