Oklahoma State Faces Tough Questions Following First Loss
On Saturday, Oklahoma State saw its first loss of the season, going down 0-1 in conference play in a demoralizing loss to Utah at home.
After a first-drive that culminated in a field goal, the Cowboys failed to find offensive rhythm until the fourth quarter, seeing just 158 total yards before its final two drives. Eventually Alan Bowman was re-inserted into the lineup — and was able to find success with strikes to Brennan Presley — but it was too little, too late against a quality opponent.
Now, OSU faces a myriad of questions heading into the rest of its new-look Big 12 slate.
Is Alan Bowman still the answer at quarterback? Will the defense have the legs to make up for offensive woes? Can the Cowboys rebound to win the Big 12?
Of course things seemed less murky days ago, but OSU’s 3-point loss didn’t quite paint the full picture as to how disorganized Saturday’s game was. The Utes looked far more the part of the soon-to-be Big 12 kings, despite the experience gap.
Luckily for the Pokes, head coach Mike Gundy and co. have been in this position before, and there’s plenty of season left. The leadership seems acutely aware of its shortcomings, and the conference isn't as daunting as its been in the past, with Kansas State, BYU and Colorado as the more fearsome teams to face the rest of the way.
OSU will look to rebound against Kansas State at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. The 23rd-ranked Wildcats saw a loss of its own last week to BYU, but will look to defend its home turf.
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DEREK PARKER
Derek is co-founder of All Pokes and publisher for Draft Digest and Inside The Thunder for Fan Nation, powered by Sports Illustrated. He has been a sports writer in the Oklahoma market for five years now covering a variety of sports over the course of his career.