Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. UTSA Roadrunners: Complete Game Preview
On September 6, the Oklahoma State Cowboys lost J.W. Walsh early on in their contest against the Missouri State Bears. Luckily, Walsh's backup, Daxx Garman, was able to shake off the rust from not playing a snap since 2009 very quickly and lead the Pokes to a 40-23 victory.
Garman looked excellent last weekend, and he'll have the chance to prove that performance was no fluke with Walsh possibly out for the season, according to Jake Trotter of ESPN.com. However, Garman has a much tougher test in front of him this week in the UTSA Roadrunners.
UTSA boasts a stout defense and took the Arizona Wildcats to the wire in their matchup last week. They'll be looking to do the same against the Cowboys and should be a solid test for Oklahoma State's young offensive line.
This game looks like it could be much closer than a casual fan might assume. The Cowboys will need to earn this one.
Game-Day Information
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Who: Oklahoma State vs. Missouri State
When: Saturday, September 13 at 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET
Where: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stadium: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218 cap.)
Series History: Oklahoma State 1-0
TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Mark Followill, Brian Baldinger and Lesley McCaslin)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 112, XM Radio Channel 196
Oklahoma State Key to Victory
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Force Turnovers
As mentioned in the opening slide, UTSA's defense is pretty good and could easily cause problems for Oklahoma State's offense. However, the Roadrunners' offense currently ranks among the nation's worst.
Tucker Carter, in particular, has yet to impress from the quarterback position. If the Pokes can force him to make a few bad decisions, they'll be in a very good place.
Given the way Glenn Spencer's defense has been playing over the last few weeks, it's easy to see them doing just that. Look for the defensive line to dominate for long stretches in this one.
UTSA Key to Victory
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Control the Clock
The Roadrunners probably don't have the horses to keep up with Oklahoma State in a shootout. That means the best way for them to win is to shorten the game through ball control.
UTSA has to put together as many 10+ play drives as possible and keep the Cowboys' up-tempo offense off the field.
That serves two purposes. For one, it gives Oklahoma State fewer chances to make game-changing plays. Secondly, and probably most importantly, it gives their defense time to rest.
Oklahoma State pushes the tempo on offense and defenses tend to wear down over the course of a football game. If the Roadrunners offense can stay on the field for 20 real-time minutes per drive, that gives their defense a chance to regroup.
Considering their defense is the biggest reason they might pull an upset, making sure they're ready to go is the most important thing for UTSA to do.
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Oklahoma State Player to Watch
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Tyreek Hill
In this space last week, The Freek was casually mentioned after I talked extensively about Daxx Garman.
This week, I'm saving the whole slide for Hill.
Garman needs to play well and handle the pressure, but this is the week I think The Freek finally blows up. True, he had 278 total yards against Florida State in the opener; however, he has yet to break a touchdown run.
Against UTSA, Hill's going to have chances to turn draw plays and swing passes into big gains as the Roadrunner defensive linemen pin their ears back to try to get after Garman.
With his speed and elusiveness in space, Hill cannot be contained in open space and it looks like he might have a lot of it this week.
Look for Hill to finally break the plane for a score. And then do it again en route to a two-touchdown, 150-yard performance.
UTSA Player to Watch
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David Glasco II
The Roadrunner defense is what everyone is going to be talking about going into this one. However, I'd also keep my eye on Glasco.
Glasco isn't an outstanding running back, but he is solid. UTSA needs him to have his best game of the year if they want to challenge Oklahoma State.
As mentioned in their "Key to Victory" slide, UTSA must control the clock against Oklahoma State. To do that, Glasco needs to grind out positive yardage and let the passing game pick up easy first downs.
If Glasco can near the 100-yard mark on 24-28 carries, the Roadrunners will have a good chance at stealing one from the Cowboys.
Game Predictions
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Anyone coming into this one expecting a rout is probably in for a rude awakening Saturday night.
Oklahoma State has more talent than UTSA, but that talent is young and the offensive line, in particular, might struggle this week.
However, the talent the Pokes have at the skill positions and their depth along the defensive line will be the deciding factor in this one.
Expect Oklahoma State to rack up five or more sacks, while Tyreek Hill and Brandon Sheperd do damage in space against an aggressive Roadrunner defense.
It's going to be a relatively close but comfortable win for Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma State 35 UTSA 24
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