In an effort to bring you in-depth insight on the opposing teams that West Virginia plays, WVSports.com goes Behind Enemy Lines for an in-depth look at the Big 12 conference match-up with Oklahoma State.
What can you expect from the Cowboys? Well, we contacted an authority on the subject in OStateIllustrated.com publisher Jeff Johnson.
1. What’s the pulse on this Oklahoma State team after back-to-back losses? Whats been the issue?
Depends if you're taking the pulse of the fanbase or Mike Gundy. The fanbase is up in arms over the back-to-back losses by this veteran team. So far, publicly at least, Gundy doesn't seem too worried and certainly not hitting the panic button (behind closed doors could be very different, of course).
Much like the early part of last season, quarterback play has been erratic and the defense is prone to giving up big plays. By game five, the offensive line was run-blocking fairly well and Ollie Gordon had had the first couple of games that built his monster season. Those two things haven't materialized yet in 2024. Combine the offense not being consistently good or able to sustain drives and the defensive issues are compounded given how much they've been on the field.
2. What type of offense do the Cowboys run and who are the playmakers to watch? How do they want to attack?
The same it's mostly been since Todd Monken departed a decade ago. The "OSU offense" which is really the Gundy offense, which can be oversimplified to "run the football and throw it deep." Unlike with Spencer Sanders, there is no quarterback running game threat. They have continued to incorporate run/pass option aspects into the offense the last few seasons.
OSU has a legitimate 5 or 6 threats at wideout and in the slot D'Zhaun Stribling, Rashod Owens and an emerging Talyn Shettron do the work on the outside. Brennan Presley has been a big part of the offense for five seasons now out of the slot and Oklahoma transfer Gavin Freeman is a reasonable facsimile when Presley isn't on the field.
Given the threats at receiver and Gordon's well-known running ability, this should be a potent offense on paper. So far, it really hasn't been. The reasons why are pretty deep, but Bowman not throwing it well and predictable (sometimes very) play calling are the two things that stand out the most.
3. Ollie Gordon ran wild on West Virginia last year but has had modest numbers this season. What have been the issues in the run game?
His blocking hasn't been very good up front. At the same time, Gordon isn't hitting the holes that are there the same way he did last season. Teams are also stacking the box with an extra man most of the time and occasionally two. OSU has really needed to pass to free up the running game and so far with the exception of Tulsa, QB Alan Bowman has not been able to punish teams when they stack the box.
Early in the game in Manhattan, Gordon showed flashes of last season. There appeared to be a focus on getting him outside the tackles rather than pounding it inside. After some success, OSU inexplicably went away from those plays and it was back to 3 yards and a cloud of dust for Gordon and the OSU run game.
4. How about the defensive scheme and the playmakers to watch? What have been the struggles on that side of the ball thus far?
This is Bryan Nardo's second season at the helm after Gundy plucked him from the D2 ranks. Same as last year, the Cowboys run multiple looks, with 3- and 4-man fronts, though the latter has been much more prominent this season. On the back end, they employ hybrid DE/LB's (Collin Oliver) and LB/S's (Kendal Daniels) at times.
Busted coverages and big plays have been the Achilles'.Heel under Nardo. One big one surrendered against KSU was a case of feet getting tangled on a pick play. The OSU defender went down, while KSU's receiver did not and was thus wide open for a touchdown. Nardo needs less of these and a bit of help from the offense in keeping his unit off the field.
Oliver is out for an extended period and that dramatically affects OSU's pass rush. Safety Trey Rucker and linebacker Nick Martin are among the nation's leading tacklers, but Martin's status for WVU is up in the air following an injury late in the K-State game. Cornerback Korie Black has been a true shut-down corner and doesn't get challenged very often.
5. What are the keys to the game and how do you see this one playing out?
Getting the offense going somehow, some way is critical for OSU. That could be coming out and throwing it all over the yard, but given Gundy's stubbornness regarding the need to establish the running game and Bowman's erratic play, that's probably not likely. OSU simplified their run-block schemes about this time last year and it worked very well. There were some signs of a shift there against K-State, so we will see if that continues.
Defensively, OSU has to account for Garrett Green and minimize big plays.
At this point, I have no idea how it plays out. This feels like a season on the brink for the Cowboys. It felt that way last year through four or five games and the Pokes rallied their way to a Big 12 Championship game appearance. A lot has to improve to see a similar turnaround this season. It starts Saturday with WVU and to be quite honest if it's not a marked improvement OSU could very well extend their skid to three games.
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