Wallace and Defense Definitely Deserved Better as Cowboys Mistakes Spoiled Their Exploits
STILLWATER -- As I said in the video, if I were writing the story that I most had on my mind following the Cowboys 41-34 loss to Texas to drop Oklahoma State from the ranks of the unbeaten, I would have written a story about the mistakes, the self-inflicted wounds that allowed the team that was not the best one in Boone Pickens Stadium to leave laughing a celebrating. It was also a verdict that left the Oklahoma State defense as a whole to feel the loss and wide receiver Tylan Wallace, who convinced one and for all, that he has the best ball skills of any receiver that I've ever seen in an OSU uniform. I've seen a bunch of them from Dykes to Woods to Blackmon to Washington.
"I appreciate that," Wallace said of the compliment on the postgame radio interview. "I take a lot of pride in my ability to go up and get the ball and I have the attittude that if the ball is thrown my way, then I'm going to get it."
Wallace had 11 receptions for 187-yards and two touchdowns. The touchdown in the third quarter was similar to a catch he had last season against Baylor where he wrap around and caught the ball off the defender's back. This one he kind of took off the defender's shoulder.
In all, Wallace caught the two touchdowns, nine of his other catches resulted in first downs, and two of his other targets resulted in first downs, one on a Texas holding penalty and the other on a pass interference penalty against Texas. That is 13 of Oklahoma State's 32 first downs as touchdowns go down as first downs as well.
The problem is that in football rushing yards are more controlling that passing yards. Oklahoma State ran for 130-yards, while passing for 400 with Wallace responsible for 187-yards on the catch end.
Offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn acknowledged that the offense needed to get the run game going. Even an old wide receiver coach understands the value of rushing yards compared to passing yards, but Wallace was sensational as the pillar the offense could lean on.
"Coming out they were playing a little bit of man and some cover four and then late in the game they went more to cover two and cover two man and, obviously, it is harder to throw the ball in those situations," Wallace explained of Texas on defense. "Credit to them and we had mistakes, so we have to clean those up and get ready to play next week."
"They paid a lot more attention to him later and kind of took him out of the game plan," Dunn lamented after the Cowboys had gone to the well over and over to Wallace.
Wallace was sensational and there isn't much more he could have done to help his team. Defense is the same way. They could have forced turnovers. They could have stopped Texas a few more times, but for Wallace and the defense it was a winning effort. In the area of turnovers, the running game, and allowing a 100-yard kickoff return and being guilty of a roughing the kicker penalty on a late punt that allowed Texas to keep a critical drive alive in which they took the lead the Cowboys failed. It got them beat and they need to get it corrected before heading to Kansas State where they are known for accepting any charity from teams that want beat themselves.
