Five Key Plays in Oklahoma State's Impressive Opening Win
Oklahoma State opened with a statement win against an FCS powerhouse, and a few plays defined its first game.
On Saturday, the Cowboys beat South Dakota State 44-20 in Stillwater as they look to contend for the Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff spot. With the offense shining and the defense making big plays, Mike Gundy’s team had its best opening game in the past few years.
Five key plays from OSU vs. South Dakota State:
Early Fourth Down Stop
SDSU’s offense saw the field first and looked to make the first punch. Facing a fourth-and-2 on OSU’s 43, SDSU coach Jimmy Rogers elected to keep his offense on the field.
Faking a quarterback run, Mark Gronowski tried to find Greyton Gannon, who got past the Cowboys' defense and was wide open. However, Gannon stumbled past the line of scrimmage and Gronowski’s pass fell to the ground, ending the possession.
Korie Black Gets a Pick
On the Jackrabbits’ second possession, Gronowski looked to find his receiver along the right sideline on a third and long. However, Korie Black cut in front of Grahm Goering to earn OSU’s first takeaway of the year.
PICK @Mightyy_K2 pic.twitter.com/9y0YPACPbF
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) August 31, 2024
Black’s interception was shortly paid off on the other end, with Brennan Presley punching in OSU’s first touchdown of the season.
Ollie Being Ollie
The Cowboys’ first possession out of halftime featured a heavy dose of the reigning Doak Walker Award winner. Ollie Gordon caught a pass from Alan Bowman behind the line of scrimmage and danced his way through defenders before diving for the end zone along the left sideline.
After review... Ollie Gordon II is, in fact, him 😤
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 31, 2024
Gordon's second score of the afternoon adds onto the @CowboyFB lead.#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/cWNxjLEulP
His second score of the day pushed OSU’s lead to 24-6 and gave him a highlight to open his Heisman campaign. Gordon finished with 146 total yards and three touchdowns.
Owens Goes Deep
The Cowboys’ offense looked solid throughout the afternoon, but Bowman’s pass to Rashod Owens showed just how explosive the team can be. In the third quarter, with SDSU trying to inch its way back into the game, Bowman launched a 58-yard pass to Owens to push OSU’s lead back to three possessions.
.@luxury_owens12 first TD of the season is a 58-yard bomb from @alanbowman_ 😤 pic.twitter.com/ITjum2LMRO
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) August 31, 2024
A favorite connection of Bowman’s in 2023, Owens had a great game to build off to begin his final season.
Logan Ward Hits From Deep
Although it did not significantly impact the game, as OSU already led by four possessions, Logan Ward drilled a 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
.@loganwardd money from 52-yards out 🦵 pic.twitter.com/5uNtZdG4uJ
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) August 31, 2024
After Alex Hale was a consistent kicker for OSU last season, the kicking game was a bit of an unknown entering Saturday. Ward excelled and made all three of his field goal attempts, showing that OSU can probably put points on the board anytime it crosses the 40.
READ MORE: Oklahoma State vs. SDSU: Top Performers According to PFF
Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
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.