Turnovers, Big Plays Cost Oklahoma State Conference Opener

Oklahoma State was outlasted by the Baylor Bears in Waco on Saturday night. Big plays allowed on defense, and turnovers on the offense proved to be too costly to overcome in a raucus Waco environment.

“We can’t give up those big plays,” defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer said after the game to media. “It doesn’t feel good at all.”

Typically, Oklahoma State’s defense wears out against teams because of OSU’s high powered and quick offense that doesn’t stay on the field enough for the defense to rest. But on Saturday, the Pokes dominated time of possession: 41:27 total compared to Baylor’s 18:33.

The big play was still an issue. On scoring plays alone, Baylor cashed in from 23 yards, 38 yards, 38 yards, 89 yards, and 15 yards on the evening.

And even with the big plays, Oklahoma State was in decent position to take the lead late in the game, until a fumble inside the 5-yard line gave Baylor the ball, who drove it 99 yards the other way for the touchdown that would put the game out of reach.

But it wasn’t just one. Oklahoma State had four turnovers on the night — not including a turnover on downs inside the five-yard line where Rennie Childs was stuffed short.

Gundy added in the postgame that the gameplan worked, “but turnovers by the offense and big plays allowed by the defense ultimately cost them the game.”

Oklahoma State will leave Waco wondering “what if?”, but it’s clear that this could have been a different outcome if not for several mistakes at crucial parts of the game. Ryan Simmons summed it up best here:

You lose the turnover battle, you lose games. End of discussion.

— Ryan Simmons (@RS_52) September 25, 2016

They’ll get a shot to bounce back next week as the Texas Longhorns come to Stillwater.