How Have Oklahoma State’s Wide Receivers Fared so Far?
The Oklahoma State Cowboys have started 2-2 on the season, and everyone is trying to figure out what the problem is.
OSU head coach Mike Gundy said after the Iowa State game he wants an offense that can do multiple things throughout the game.
“We want to be balanced,” Gundy said. “We want to be able to rush the ball for four yards a carry, would help. We have to be good at play-action passes and throwing the ball around a little bit.”
One of the keys to a good offense is good wide receiver play. So far, the Cowboys wide receivers have not done that.
Through four games this year, OSU has six receiving touchdowns, including two of them to Brennan Presley.
If you compare receiving touchdowns for the Cowboys to the rest of the Big 12 Conference, OSU would rank 13th in the conference. Oklahoma’s Drake Stoops has five receiving touchdowns, which is one less than Oklahoma State’s total all season.
One of the reasons for the wide receiver miscues was the unknown and erratic quarterback play. Through four games, OSU ranks 97th in completion percentage and 88th in passing offense.
When Gundy named Alan Bowman the starter for the Iowa State game, OSU showed what this offense is capable of.
Bowman threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns, including a 20-yard shot to Rashod Owens before OSU ultimately lost to the Cyclones.
“Decision-making, what I heard on the headphones, seemed to be good,” Gundy said. “I didn’t hear of a lot of poor decisions, so I thought he played pretty good.”
If the Cowboys can find the guy at quarterback, the wide receivers will be able to get comfortable with him not just in the next game but throughout the season.
The Cowboys' next contest will come this Friday when they take on the Kansas State Wildcats on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Boone Pickens Stadium.
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Nick is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University, where he also minors Sports Managment. He has covered OSU softball for 107.7 The Franchise and also covers Oklahoma high school football for Enid News & Eagle.