Big 12 Football: Week 1 Power Rankings

Sep 3, 2015; Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) runs for a touchdown against Central Michigan Chippewas during the second half at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. OSU won 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys did not look very good in their opener. They edged Central Michigan 24-13 away from home in a game that should’ve been a lot easier. If Oklahoma State plans on competing for the Big 12 title, they’ll need to improve on some things.

Sophomore quarterback Mason Rudolph had some struggles against the Chippewas. Rudolph finished the game 22 of 32 for 266 yards and a touchdown and he also added 20 yards on the ground. He made some errant throws and looked skittish at times, however a lot of that could be because of poor offensive line play.

Speaking of poor offensive line play, the Cowboys failed to create running lanes and struggled in the red zone. They were able to average 4.4 yards per carry, but at times they really failed to finished blocks and get push against an average defensive line.

The offense may have struggled, but the defense looked pretty good. Oklahoma State held Central Michigan to a measly 78 rushing yards and 2.8 yards per carry. In addition to that, they added an interception. Sophomore defensive tackle Vincent Taylor was a star, he recorded three tackles for a loss and one sack. Taylor was consistently creating disruption—and yes, disruption is production—and terrorizing the Central Michigan backfield.

The Cowboys will play Central Arkansas at home next week, so they’ll have opportunity to redeem themselves on offense.

Next: Oklahoma