Oklahoma State's Defensive Line Will Be Crucial Against Arkansas Football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys host the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. local time in a Big 12/SEC battle.
Playing an SEC program -- no matter where the team will finish in the league's standings -- the Cowboys will have to be sharp in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the Cowboys have a veteran offensive line, backed by a versatile offense with plenty of playmakers. There is a bit less pressure on the offensive line than there is on the defensive line.
With Ollie Gordon in the backfield, combined with talents like wide receivers Brennan Presley, De'Zhaun Stribling and Rashod Owens out wide, the Cowboys' offense should be able to produce. Can Oklahoma State slow down Arkansas, though?
Sure, it was against Arkansas Pine-Bluff, but the Razorbacks posted 70 points in a shutout victory to kick off their 2024 season. On 33 carries, the Razorbacks posted 279 rushing yards with a variety of contributors. As a team, they averaged 8.5 yards per carry.
“I thought our running backs ran really hard,” Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said of their victory. “I think Ja’Quinden Jackson proved he can run over you, he can make you miss, he also caught a nice ball out of the backfield."
For the Cowboys, stopping the run is going to have to be an emphasis. They're playing an SEC program with stout offensive linemen. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy knows exactly what they're up against in the trenches.
"When you play a team in the SEC, you're gonna play girth. You're gonna play massive guys that have a lot of size and are physical in the box," Gundy explained. "They have a really good geographical location for producing bigger type bodies like that."
The Cowboys' defensive line is going to have to come into the game ready to play a physical style of football, engaging the Razorbacks' offensive line in blocks while trying to stop the run, allowing the linebackers to get to the line of scrimmage unblocked ready to make plays.
The linebacker trio of Collin Oliver, Nick Martin and Kendal Daniels could have a huge game plugging the gaps and stopping any big plays -- and defensive back Trey Rucker proved a week ago he can help in the tackling department and play an aggressive style of football.
While the Cowboys' offense can find a way to be successful, there will be pressure on the defense to back them up and slow down Arkansas.
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KADE KIMBLE
Kade is a strategic communications student at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he also minors in Sports Management. He has been covering the Oklahoma City Thunder with InsidetheThunder.com since the 2022 season after having followed the team since its early days.