Burning Questions Going Into Oklahoma State's Matchup Against Arkansas
Oklahoma State’s season opener answered plenty of questions but also posed more.
After a 44-20 win against South Dakota State, the Cowboys have another test in front of them against Arkansas. The Razorbacks will be a perfect test for the Cowboys ahead of Big 12 play and will give them an opportunity to see where they can improve against higher-level competition.
Burning questions for OSU’s matchup with Arkansas:
Can OSU contain another running quarterback?
Last week against South Dakota State, OSU gave up some big plays to quarterback Mark Gronowski through the air. While those big plays were detrimental to the Cowboys’ defense, Bryan Nardo’s unit never had issues with Gronowski on the ground, giving up 17 rushing yards and no rushes longer than 10 yards.
Arkansas’ Taylen Green will present a much different challenge. A more explosive quarterback on the ground, Green rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s opener. Although he might end with a similar total against OSU, keeping him from getting big plays will be critical.
Was OSU’s third and fourth down defense in Week 1 elite or lucky?
In the season opener, the Cowboys defense held the Jackrabbits to 3-of-13 on third downs and 0-of-4 on fourth downs. Getting off the field against a team that was one of the FCS’ best in those categories last season was an impressive feat.
Considering Arkansas attempted only 16 fourth downs last season, it might not be willing to take many chances. After going 9-of-9 on third down in Week 1, Arkansas’ ability to keep drives alive will be an integral part of its chances to win in Stillwater.
What does Ollie Gordon’s workload look like?
Going into the season, OSU coach Mike Gundy said it would be ideal to keep Gordon to around 20 rushes per game. In the season opener, the star running back had 28 carries and had three catches. While that could be attributed to simply conditioning in the opener, OSU did not give many reps to Gordon’s backups.
Sesi Vailahi was anticipated to get most of the reps after Gordon, with Trent Howland also getting some carries. Those two combined for only eight carries and 11 yards. Considering their lack of production in the opening week, it will be interesting to see how Gundy and offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn approach the running game, particularly when Gordon is on the sideline.
Does Gavin Freeman get involved more?
The Oklahoma transfer wide receiver was one of four receivers to make a catch in the Cowboys’ season opener. With his ability to make plays happen in the open field, he also returned a kickoff and a punt.
However, in Monday’s press conference, Gundy said the team had yet to make a decision on if Freeman would redshirt this season. Considering his versatility, a big performance this season is possible. Still, if he takes a backseat to the Cowboys’ top three receivers again on Saturday, it might be best to redshirt him, barring injuries, and reserve him for the final two regular season games into the postseason.
READ MORE: Game Preview: Oklahoma State Set For Battle Against SEC Foe Arkansas
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IVAN WHITE
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.