Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Oklahoma State football: 3 reasons the Cowboys will upset No. 9 Oklahoma

By Christopher Lewnau

STILLWATER, OK - OCTOBER 14: Ollie Gordon II #0 and Brennan Presley #80 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys jump into the stands with fans after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks 39-32 at Boone Pickens Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State won 39-32. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - OCTOBER 14: Ollie Gordon II #0 and Brennan Presley #80 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys jump into the stands with fans after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks 39-32 at Boone Pickens Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State won 39-32. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Sep 16, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Lyrik Rawls (6) and Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Kendal Daniels (5) bring down South Alabama Jaguars wide receiver Caullin Lacy (4) during an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and South Alabama at Boone Pickens Stadium. South Alabama won 33-7. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 16, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Lyrik Rawls (6) and Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Kendal Daniels (5) bring down South Alabama Jaguars wide receiver Caullin Lacy (4) during an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and South Alabama at Boone Pickens Stadium. South Alabama won 33-7. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Opportunistic Cowboys defense

Although the Pokes only rank 61st in the country in scoring defense, Oklahoma State’s defense has leveled up in recent weeks. The unit has been producing 2.3 takeaways per game over the past three weeks. A performance clip like this has OSU tied for 10th nationally in said category during this span.

Therefore, it’s no coincidence that this improvement in defensive form has coincided with the Cowboys’ current win streak. As such, led by former 247Sports Composite four-stars in safety Kendal Daniels and nose tackle Collin Clay, Oklahoma State will put pressure on Dillon Gabriel. Clay will be collapsing the pocket and stuffing the run, while Daniels will be seen in multiple spots on the field. The Swiss army knife of a safety will be ball-hawking downfield, as well as coming up towards the line of scrimmage to rush the passer on a blitz or two, whilst also routinely disrupting the short passing game and rushing attack.

As a result, Oklahoma State will create turnovers and sacks on Saturday against a somewhat already rattled Gabriel. Remember, Gabriel has thrown two picks, has been sacked four times, and has produced a QBR of just 62.2, according to ESPN, in the two games leading up to this monumental matchup.

So needless to say, he and the Sooners squad have been trending downward ever since the Red River Shootout upset of rival Texas.

Home/Oklahoma State Cowboys