Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma: Game Grades, Analysis for 2016 Bedlam Series
No. 9 Oklahoma took the Bedlam Series and the Big 12 title on Saturday, knocking off No. 10 Oklahoma State by a 38-20 margin.
Overcoming the loss of star wideout Dede Westbrook, the Sooners ran wild at home, putting up 341 rushing yards on the day. Junior Samaje Perine led the way with 239 yards and a score, with Joe Mixon adding a 79-yard score that put away the Pokes.
For the second straight year, head coach Mike Gundy's team just couldn't find offense against Oklahoma. Quarterback Mason Rudolph had his worst game of the year, completing only 11 of his 25 passes for 186 yards. With him unable to connect downfield, the Cowboys couldn't keep pace with the high-powered Sooners.
The win gives OU head coach Bob Stoops his 10th Big 12 title in 18 years as the Sooners await their postseason fate.
Oklahoma State: Offense
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Despite some early success, the Oklahoma State offense sputtered in this one and was unable to keep pace with the Sooners attack.
The Pokes got going early, thanks to some success on the ground from Justice Hill and Chris Carson. This approach gave Gundy's team early 10-3 and 17-10 leads, which looked promising after the Sooners lost Westbrook for the day.
Then the Sooners got going, rattling off touchdown after touchdown in the second half. From there, it was on Rudolph to keep pace, and he just couldn't do it. The junior was off the mark all day and held the ball too long on key dropbacks. Take out two big plays to James Washington and Jhajuan Seales, and he's 9-for-23 for 88 yards on the day.
After averaging over 40 points per game coming in, it was the offense that doomed this team.
Grade: D
Oklahoma: Offense
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As has been the case over their nine-game winning streak, it's hard to find fault with what the Sooners did on offense.
Oklahoma State opened the game stacking the box against Perine and Mixon. So quarterback Baker Mayfield dropped back and threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
Once the Cowboys were forced to adjust to Oklahoma's deep speed, the rout was on. Led by Perine, the Sooners ran for over 300 yards in the second half, grinding down the Cowboys defense into dust with their talented backfield.
Assuming Westbrook returns quickly from his concussion, this team will go into a big-time bowl game with arguably the most complete attack in the country.
Grade: A
Oklahoma State: Defense
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The numbers look bad, but the Oklahoma State defense did its job for most of the afternoon in Norman.
Gundy's early decision to stack up against the run seemed to pay off for the Pokes. The Sooners only ran for 40 yards in the first half, and the loss of Westbrook appeared to take the air out of Lincoln Riley's offense.
Then the second half happened.
With the Pokes forced to try to take away the deep ball, Perine and Mixon unloaded on the Pokes in the second half. With the Cowboys attack sputtering, the defense was forced to face the bruising Perine 27 times after the break.
After a fourth-quarter drive failed to result in points, this group looked exhausted as Mixon took a carry up the right sideline for 79 yards. Up until then, these guys did everything they could to keep this close.
Grade: C+
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Oklahoma: Defense
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Coming into this one, Oklahoma State was averaging 40.4 points per game and hadn't been held below 30 points since the Sugar Bowl last season. Then the Cowboys ran into the Sooners.
Stoops' defense got an assist from the offense, but the Sooners were effective throughout the day. Rudolph was constantly under pressure, never getting the time to set up the deep routes that make this engine go. Once the rushing attack was taken away, the Pokes had nothing to keep the Sooners honest.
Linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo played like a star. The junior piled up nine tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble and killed Oklahoma State's hopes with a pressure on Rudolph. He should be first-team All-Big 12.
Grade: A
Oklahoma State: Coaching
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Early on, it looked like Gundy had the Sooners beat with preparation. Then conservative play-calling killed him.
The Cowboys started off in control, thanks to a few wrinkles in the run game and the team selling out against the run. Aside from failing to convert from the 1-yard line, the game was trending in Gundy's direction, and the Sooners were getting hit by injuries.
But after the Sooners tied it at 24 late in the second quarter, the Pokes seemed to lose their grip. They made no attempt to get points on their final drive of the first half, settled for a questionable field goal on a critical fourth-quarter drive and simply became predictable in the second half.
Against an offense like Oklahoma's, conservatism is just delaying the inevitable. This was a rough end to an otherwise great season for Gundy and his staff.
Grade: D
Oklahoma: Coaching
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Overcoming the loss of Westbrook, the Oklahoma coaching staff outclassed the opposition with its work in this one.
It took a little while, but the Sooners blew up Oklahoma State's defensive game plan by winning down the field. With the Pokes sitting on the run, Riley sent his playmakers deep and was rewarded with passing plays of 69, 67 and 42 yards in the first half.
That success set up a big second half for the running game, which tallied 301 yards in the final two frames.
Defensively, it was all about forcing Rudolph to make quick decisions. The Sooners took away the deep ball with pressure, and Rudolph couldn't make them pay with an accurate throw all day.
Nice work from this staff.
Grade: B
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
