Photo Attribution: US Presswire
1. My boy @mattamilian nailed it in a tweet right after the game – that second half is going to define this season. Remember the last 30 minutes in College Station last season and how much that galvanized the team and the fans for the rest of the year?
Same thing this year with Lunt finding his groove, the running backs responding, and the defense delivering a next-level performance against a TCU team that came in averaging 36 PPG.
2. The helmets were terrific, and needed to be after that abominable display with the Pete bumper sticker on orange gloss last week. Jamie Wheat is right, OSU might never wear the same helmet again.
3. Lunt was shaky in the first half (as Monken hinted at all week) but getting lit up a few times helped his confidence: “oh, I guess I shouldn’t think about my knee when I have 275-lb linebackers trying to crush my skull.” He made a couple “eff you” throws in the second half and finished with the quietest 324-yard performance in OSU history.
4. Here’s how I imagine the Blake Jackson-Webb Wes Lunt convo went during halftime:
Jackson [walks up]: “hi, my name is Blake, I’m very large and athletic and I run right down the middle of the field every play. I can jump high and my hands are the size of David Glidden’s body. I would appreciate if you at least tried to throw me a pass in the second half.”
Lunt: [nods]
Lunt (20 minutes later): [throws seed over the middle to wide open Blake Jackson]
Lunt (when Jackson gets back the huddle): “nice to meet you.”
5. I just want to take a few seconds to honor the diamond formation. [pause] OK, good. And you are NOT tackling this out of the diamond formation:
Yeah, good luck tackling that – twitter.com/pistolsguy/sta…
— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguy) October 27, 2012
6. There have been 12 quarters of football since the Texas game, here’s how many points OSU’s defense has given up in those quarters: 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0. Is that good?
7. The way the refs managed the 4th quarter reminded me a little bit of the way Hotmail has been managed over the last 10 years.
8. The linebackers today were ridiculous. He won’t get an publicity1 but Lyndell Johnson (I call him LBJ) was crazy good today, all over the field.
9. It really felt like Gary Patterson said “screw it, Randle and Smith aren’t going to beat me, if they want to let Lunt do the job then so be it.” And Lunt did the job.
10. Can OSU take down mighty K-State in Manhattan next week? Lunt will have to play better but with a couple turnovers this locked in D could turn the trick. And that would mean, wait for it……..a first place seat in the Big 12 race.
- Actually he might because Gina loves him ↩
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Welcome to Pistols Firing
11. The best play Gilbert makes so far this year, and the refs screwed him. Maybe that’ll spark him.
#10 – I sure hope you’re not counting the chickens before they hatch!!
#6 – I’m very happy with the D! TCU’s O only got 7 today! 7! When’s the last time, other than Savannah St., that happened!? Amazing!
P.S. We are actually VERY close to be undefeated. We all know we beat UT… and the AZ game was all us shooting ourselves with those personal foul calls. I think we really are a good team, and are reloading and NOT rebuilding. Also, what other team could take the injury hits we have taken, and not just at QB, and just keep on clicking! I’m excited about next week, I just wish we had another Kansas or somebody for Lunt to get some more reps against first!!
Oh… and Arizona just upset #9 USC in Tucson tonight, so they’re not so bad at home after all.
Couldn’t agree more. The talent is here for sure, but the execution has stunk up until this point. We really are in a good spot considering we were only firing on 2 out of 8 cylinders. But I won’t let 2 quarters of playing in-sync get me too high. The defense still plays soft on 3rd downs and knowing that we’ve played against Texas, Iowa St., and TCU (all had poor throwing QBs) doesn’t put me on Confidence Street yet.
Klein will be the ultimate test next week. If the can get us through the first quarter without falling behind, we stand a good chance to skooch into the driver’s seat.
Joe Randle’s TD throw was awesome
#6…today, they get credit. The previous 2 weeks get chalked up to mediocre Big 10 offenses.
Have you ever seen a team that finished #3 in the country fly so far under the radar the very next season while they still have a chance to win the conference title outright? Even the local media has downplayed OK-State’s record. Just saying if the team lost the “S” on their jersey, we would be garnering national media attention.
I think you’re right. Especially the way we “lost” to Texas and should be 6-1 instead of 5-2. I just hope KSU overlooks us like everyone else is…
I would love for K-State to overlook us buSnyder is too good a coach to let that happen
Yes, you are definitely right about that, but one can hope right?
If I were an opposing OC, I would throw every pass at Gilbert…a short 7-8 yard out…until he bites, then would go over the top. He sucks this year…seriously…
I watched the game again last night for the second time. The D-line and linebackers were outstanding and the safeties were solid. However, the corners – specifically Gilbert – were a disappointment. In addition to the 10-yard cushion provided to their receivers, no one other than Peterson tried to make a play on the ball. Gilbert was beaten several times, too. What’s up with that?
I was one of the biggest Gilbert supporters during preseason. But man, he’s like a show dog. Has the attitude, has the look, but seems to forget was his primary function is. Not sure where his head’s at, but this year he’s been inches away from making big plays…but always falls short. After today, I would almost rather have a frosh in his place — couldn’t do any worse, right?
With that said, look at CBs in the Big 12. The systems eat CBs up and he’s already 100,000-times the athlete I ever was…but I hope he can rebuild his confidence for the 2nd half of the season. He’s vital, but he needs that “one” big play and he was robbed of it this week. So, toast your glasses in hopes that next week he gets his moment.
Not the way pictured this season panning out, but just a little bit of a reality check..we’re 5-2 w/ two freshman QB’s at the helm, our starter finally “back”, but still down our best wide receivers (and some future best WR)…and we’re still 5-2, with the future in our hands.
I sat through the 0-10-1 season, and many Pat Jones teams while I was in school (90-96)…and I couldn’t be happier with how this team is performing. We’ve been kicked in the mouth, lost players, but found a way to win. Credit that to Gundy and his staff.
I’m the eternal optimist, but I still see three wins left on our schedule, four if we play “out of our minds in Norman”, and five if our defense can shut down Optimus Klien and Lunt gets his swagger back…
I’m happy with this year, but looking forward to the next three.
Go Pokes!!
Amen and Amen! I was in high school during that 0-10-1 season. It was torture, but I always stood by my Cowboys! I’m just thrilled to have a chance to see my team compete on the biggest stages with an actual chance to win like I watched Oklahoma, Nebraska, and the usual suspects do my entire childhood! Go Pokes!
P.S. I don’t think you can really be a true, lifelong Cowboy and NOT be an eternal optimist! It comes with the territory… because if you weren’t, you’d a given up a LONG time ago!
Yep…”wait til next year” HAD to be a part of the lexicon…
Monken nailed it pre-game; took Lunt a bit to get in the groove, get the timing back, but he was a different quarterback in the 2nd half. KSU will *KILL* us on the corners if we keep playing them so soft; most frustrating part of this game today….
Gilbert got jobbed on the PI call – WR clearly pushed off twice. And honestly the freshman CB from Wagner (#1 – peterson i think?) did a nice job on a jump ball and played it perfectly. But Gilbert got thrown at 3 plays in a row at one point and I’m pretty sure all 3 went for 1st downs. He completely wiffed on the tackle on the 2nd of the 3 plays. the other 2 he looked completely lost in coverage