Oklahoma State: Kendall Hunter Drives OSU Past Washington State, Cowboys Roll
For Cowboy nation, there wasn't a better site on Saturday then senior running back Kendall Hunter step back onto the field and completely blow past every Washington State defender that he could.
Hunter racked up 208 yards with 18 carries by halftime and two touchdowns, giving Cowboy fans hope that the running game won't disappear with the new "Air Raid" offense in town.
Hunter however wasn't the only play to show up Saturday night. Junior Brandon Weeden finally stepped into the starting line up and certainly didn't disappoint.
Throwing for 218 yards and completely 22 of 30 passes, Weeden's early struggles with rhythm and timing virtually vanished after picture perfect passes to sophomore receiver Justin Blackmon.
Oklahoma State's new offense looked brilliant after tallying up 65 points both from the air and the ground. Hunter finished the game with 257 yards on 21 carries with four touchdowns. Blackmon had all three of Weedens passing touchdowns and recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown as well.
The defense however, made some major mistakes. A young and inexperienced secondary miss played a lot of passes and had trouble finishing some tackles, which allowed Washington State's offense to score a mere 17 points.
The defensive line however proved to be just as strong as last season until a few minor injuries occurred that showed the youth and inexperience of the depth.
The offense shows promise and can give the fans and coaching staff hope that the Cowboys might surprise some teams this season. For the first time in a long time, Cowboy football might not have to rebuild, they might have just reloaded.
The Cowboys play Troy Saturday September 11th, which will actually put the Cowboys against more of a quality opponent then Washington State that stands at the bottom of the Pac-10.
Hunter has put his name into the Heisman conversation in just one week, and Weeden has proved he can run the offense. Only time will tell if the Cowboys can really make a run against the Big 12 South this season.
