10 Thoughts On Oklahoma State’s 31-6 Win Over TCU

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Whooooooo boy!

Oklahoma State touched off a whipping of the TCU Horned Frogs 31-6 with a two-man truck stick from Chris Carson to end the festivities in Ft. Worth. That is the second time in two weeks Carson has effectively ended a game with a pounding of some poor Big 12 defender.

It was a metaphor for the entire day, too, as the Cowboys put on their best defensive performance of the year (and probably beyond) and Mike Yurcich and Co. made the OSU run game great again. The Pokes rushed for 334 yards on the backs of Justice Hill (154) and Chris Carson (146). Mason Rudolph (23 yards and 2 TDs) even got in on the fun.

There will be a lot to discuss about this win and what’s forthcoming over the next fortnight, but let’s take a look back at the 25-point beating OSU put on TCU to get to 10-1 on the season.

1. Chris Lacy allows OSU to gameplan well

Is Chris Lacy the sixth-most talented receiver on Oklahoma State’s current roster? I think he might be. James Washington, Jhajuan Seales, Jalen McCleskey, Marcell Ateman and Tyron Johnson. Who do you have Lacy over?

Regardless, Lacy now has back-to-back 100-yard games after a four-catch 109-yard performance at TCU on Saturday. The 109 yards were a career high, and here’s why that matters. TCU had a freshman cornerback (No. 12 Jeff Gladney) on Lacy most of the day, and Mason Rudolph made him weep. We know the deep ball would be a vulnerability for the Frogs, and Yurcich game-planned perfectly.

Gundy on Chris Lacy: "He's become a real weapon for us."

— Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson) November 19, 2016

James Washington is so often double-teamed (or at the very least given the best CB on the other team), and it allows McCleskey and Lacy to do work (which Lacy has been doing a lot of recently). Related: OSU only loses Seales from this group next year. Have mercy.

2. Does OSU have the best 1-2 punch in the league? Country?

Who do you want right now: Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine or Justice Hill or Chris Carson? It’s at least a debate, right? Oklahoma State rushed for 334 yards on Saturday which is the third most since 2010 for this team. Here are all the 300-yard games since the offense changed in 2010.

Today was No. 5. It was also the first time since 2013 that Oklahoma State has had two players go over 100 yards rushing in the same game as Hill posted 154 yards and Carson busted fools up for 146 himself. OSU has now posted three straight games of 5.5 yards per carry or better including Saturday’s astounding 7.4.

Hill’s dominance all season has been obvious. Carson’s has been more recent (and more devastating). Together they have made Oklahoma State one of the most balanced offensive teams in the nation with one game left in the regular season. And to think: Gary Patterson’s run defense was described as his “pride and joy” before this game.

Gundy postgame: Chris Carson is the most improved player on the team.

— Mark Cooper (@mark_cooperjr) November 19, 2016

Gundy: "At the end of the game I mentioned, 'that's the way we used to finish games.' We're getting fantastic plays from our running backs."

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 19, 2016

3. Mason Rudolph rushing helps the offense

Mason Rudolph got in on the fun on the ground today as well. His road passing performances throughout his career have left a lot to be desired, but one way to solve that problem is to run him a little bit to open up the offense.

Rudolph was again average through the air and appeared a touch off from the get-go. He only completed half his passes (17/34) for 207 yards and a TD.

But he had a pair of TDs on the ground to go with seven carries for 23 yards and genuinely looks like enjoys running the rock. I’m like Gundy — I love what this dimension of OSU’s offense brings to the table, but I don’t want to watch when he’s cruising around the field.

4. Now you can win and close in multiple ways

What the last few weeks have proven is that OSU can win games in multiple ways. It is more in control of its own ability to score than at any point last season. It took shots today in the first half, saw it wasn’t there, and stuck to the ground attack in the second half.

You know OSU going for 206 yards in the second half when it only went for 200+ three times in the last two seasons makes Mike Gundy happier than a 30 percent off sale at Cabela’s. The Cowboys also ran for 7.4 yards per carry which is just the 13th time that has happened in the Gundy era. It’s also the first time TCU has given up 7+ yards on the ground since 2000.

These are ludicrous numbers, and they highlight a bigger point: OSU finally (FINALLY) has its flow back on the offensive front. The running backs are awesome, the offensive line has meshed and the confidence is overflowing. It feels good to be awesome on offense again.

5. Best defense since TCU last year?

Just look at this drive chart for TCU:

TCU drive chart:

Punt
Punt
TD
Punt
Punt
Punt
TO on Downs
Punt
INT
TO on Downs
INT
TO on Downs

Incredible game for the #okstate defense.

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 19, 2016

That’s six points on 12 possessions or 0.5 points per possession. That will have Glenn Spencer reciting warrior poetry in his sleep tonight. It’s the most complete defensive performance by an OSU team since the TCU game last year. That TCU team put up 29 points, but that was an elite offense and it got like 348 possessions that day. This was a thumping for sure, and one of the worst TCU has ever incurred.

OSU held TCU 6 points, the fewest points scored by the Frogs since a 10-6 loss to SMU in 1998. #okstate

— Dave Hunziker (@Gopokesvoice) November 19, 2016

Also, Kenny Trill might stink.

6. The game hinged on fourth down stops

OSU had three fourth-down stops inside their own 25 on Saturday, and two of those were inside their own 10. It felt like the entire day hinged on TCU going for it at the end of the first half and getting stuffed followed by one in the third quarter as well.

Those two moments signaled Gary Patterson’s lack of confidence in his beloved defense stopping OSU’s offense and basically served as turnovers for Spencer’s bunch. This is the benefit of going up early in the first half and scoring on three straight drives in the second.

While we’re here, Gary. Why are you running a non-passing running back when you have a passing quarterback who is probably the best runner on your team?

7. OSU’s defensive depth is crazy

Chad Whitener didn’t play last week. Jordan Burton didn’t play this week. Normally that would be a huge blow for an Oklahoma State defense, but when you have guys like Justin Phillips and Calvin Bundage filling the void, you can afford injuries. That is not a luxury Oklahoma State has traditionally enjoyed.

To punctuate the point, its defensive line looked as strong as ever with guys you don’t hear a lot from like Tralund Webber and DeQuinton Osborne (The Blizzard). Even with a Villi Leveni out for the season, Oklahoma State still has juice on defense. That’s an amazing reality.

8. Bringing energy to DFW

Matt Leinart said on the FS1 broadcast at halftime that OSU needed to play with more urgency than it played with in the first half. I completely disagreed with this. I do think it looked like OSU was flat, but that was a mirage caused by Rudolph being a tick off with this throws. I thought it was actually TCU that came out like it had had a few too many pitchers at Joe T. Garcia’s on Friday night.

The Oklahoma State team continued its tradition of winning first quarters (first in the Big 12 in this stat this year) and save a Barry Sanders botched punt, would have shut TCU out in the first half (and the game?)

9. Gundy is living (and loving) his prime

Gundy Badger referenced Oklahoma State as a 10-win team in a press conference after the game in which he ate a banana (!) and read the stat sheet.

Gundy keeps the CMU-wasn't-a-loss train rolling: "You don't get to 10 wins very often."

— Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson) November 19, 2016

All of this moments after leaving his mark all over TCU’s stadium.

Mike Gundy backpedaling toward the tunnel, blowing kisses toward the #OKState fans. The fans chant "Gundy! Gundy!"

— Mark Cooper (@mark_cooperjr) November 19, 2016

You could hear him during the game dropping f-bombs all over the referees late in a 25-point game. Gundy is at the very top of his game, and he knows it will never get better than this for him as a coach. Two NFL QBs in the last seven years and a fan base that is more drawn to him than a gaggle of teen girls to a One Direction reunion.

Gundy is peak Gundy right now, and none of us can get enough.

10. OSU-OU for all the Tostitos

If Oklahoma State beats OU, it wins the Big 12 Championship. If OU beats West Virginia on Saturday evening, the OSU-OU game will be the de facto Big 12 title game. What a world.

This will be the fourth time in the last six years (since the Big 12 went to 10 teams in 2011) Oklahoma State will have played on the final weekend for the Big 12 crown (shoutout to everybody rolling Mike Gundy earlier this year).

If OU wins at West Virginia tonight, it will only have played three games on the final week in which a win would have meant an outright Big 12 title. Baylor is next with two. No other Big 12 team has played more than one.

I’m already giddy for December 3. Gundy’s mullet is going to have two weeks to really spread its wings. Rudolph has a chance to go 2-0 in Norman for his career. Justice and Carson vs. Perine and Mixon. The President against Dede Westbrook (for the Biletnikoff?) A potential CFB Playoff berth on the line. Another monster OSU finale with historic implications. I’m here for all of it.

Bring me Bedlam.