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Oklahoma State Football: 3 takeaways from crushing loss at Kansas State

By Connor Muldowney

STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 15: Head Coach Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys adjust his glasses before the game against the Boise State Broncos at Boone Pickens Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 44-21. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 15: Head Coach Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys adjust his glasses before the game against the Boise State Broncos at Boone Pickens Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 44-21. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma State football went into Manhattan looking to get one step closer to bowl eligibility, but Kansas State had other plans.

Has Oklahoma State completely lost it? After racing out to a 4-1 start to the season with a big win over Boise State under their belts along with a spot in the AP Top 25, the Cowboys are trending in the wrong direction, losing two straight winnable games against Iowa State at home and this week on the road versus Kansas State.

Bill Snyder and the Wildcats were able to overcome a tough 2-4 start to the year with some motivated players, crushing the Cowboys in Manhattan to improve to 3-4.

Oklahoma State, on the other hand, looked lifeless in the defeat as the offense was lackadaisical with plenty of dropped passes from receivers not named Tylan Wallace and a non-existent run game.

The remaining schedule for the Cowboys doesn’t get much easier from here on out, so this _-_ loss to Kansas State may have been the nail in this season’s coffin for Mike Gundy.

What’d we learn from the Cowboys’ Week 7 loss to Kansas State?

3. Run defense took a step back

Through the first six weeks of the season, Oklahoma State had one of the better run defenses in the nation. The Cowboys allowed just 117 yards per game on the ground, but that changed against the Wildcats of Kansas State on Saturday afternoon.

In fact, Kansas State gashed Oklahoma State left and right, picking up  291 rushing yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

Sure, Skylar Thompson’s ability to run with the ball made life more difficult for this defense, but after weeks of the secondary having a tough time, it was the front-seven’s turn to take a step back. This could be a slight concern moving forward, especially since Kansas State had a lackluster offense heading into this week’s game, but it could also be an anomaly.

Could this presumed strength be turning into a slight weakness? We will find out as Big 12 play develops more, but the Cowboys aren’t where the need to be.

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