Oklahoma State Unsure of Which BYU Quarterback They Will Face
The Oklahoma State Cowboys opened their season with some questions under center on a weekly basis. For three games, they rotated three quarterbacks in each game. Now, many, many weeks later, the Cowboys are facing a team with a quarterback battle.
BYU senior quarterback Kedon Slovis was injured after starting eight games this season, and junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff has replaced him as a starter in the past three games. BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said earlier this week that the two will have to compete for the starting spot on Saturday.
“Going into this week, it’s about who’s going to help us put points on the board, extend drives and convert for first downs," Sitake said. "That’s the goal. Kedon [Slovis] hasn’t been healthy but he’s been practicing. He [and Jake Retzlaff] have been competing against each other. Whoever gives us the best chance will be the guy taking the first snap. That’s not to say the other one’s eliminated from being in the game.”
Though this was said earlier this week, a decision still hasn't been made and the Cowboys won't quite know what to expect under center. The Cougars' offense looked much improved last week against Oklahoma's defense as they lost a one-score game after threatening the Sooners for an upset.
A part of the Cougars' improved offense is Retzlaff's ability under center allowing the run game to open up, something that wasn't the case for them when Slovis was the starting quarterback.
Either way, the Cowboys should know enough about both quarterbacks and how they impact the way the Cougars play with them under center in this one. Evidently, the Cowboys' ability to stop the run, despite whichever quarterback is under center, will be huge for them.
The Cowboys are 17-point favorites over BYU and need a big win to help send them to Arlington to play in a Big 12 title game.
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Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's On SI in 2022