Kansas vs. Oklahoma State: 5 Keys for Cowboys Victory

Every game is important for good teams. Oklahoma State needs to remember that this week, and keep in mind five things in order to win.

Kansas will travel to Oklahoma State this week to face a Cowboys team that is riding high after a huge win two weeks ago. Although this appears on paper to be an easy game for OSU, the Cowboys must focus on this lone game and not look ahead to next week’s huge matchup with Texas.

Here are five keys to this Big 12 matchup.

Get Justin Blackmon the Ball Early and Often

Justin Blackmon is the most explosive player on the Cowboys' team. The 6’1” wide receiver has 450 receiving yards and four touchdowns already this season.

The Cowboys have one of the best offenses in the nation (572 yards per game) and will face one of the worst defenses in the country in Kansas (allowing 44.3 points per game). The Cowboys need to get out in front quickly, and Blackmon will be a big part of that.

Develop the Running Game

Despite being a pass-heavy offense, the Cowboys do run the ball and quite well at that.

As a team, Oklahoma State has averaged 156.3 yards per game this season on the ground. Pretty good when one considers they also average 415.5 yards per game through the air.

Running back Joseph Randle has rushed for 461 yards and seven touchdowns so far this year, proving he is a legit contender for All-Big 12 honors at the end of the year.

He will be a key on Saturday in the Cowboys maintaining a balanced offensive attack.

Respect the Opponent

A mark of good teams is that they respect every opponent, preparing for each and not looking ahead or behind to other better opponents.

Kansas is not a very good opponent. They are 2-9 against BCS-conference opponents in the two seasons and appear to be poised to go winless in Big 12 play.

The Cowboys must focus and play well against Kansas, even if just to get off on a good foot for Texas next week. The one-week-at-a-time mantra is cliché but important, and this team is mature enough to put it into practice.

Play Good Defense

Despite their reputation as a below-average team, Kansas, much like every Big 12 team, has a decent offense. Quarterback Jordan Webb has completed 67.9 percent of his passes and has thrown nine touchdown passes. However, their real strength is their rushing game; as a team, they average 4.5 yards per rush and 236 rushing yards per game (11th in the nation).

The Cowboys must stop the Jayhawks from getting first downs by forcing them into 2nd and 3rd-and-long situations in which Oklahoma State can make big stops and force turnovers.

Playing at home should help their defense, but they will still need to play well.

Avoid Injury

Even though the Cowboys need to take Kansas seriously, they must also remember it is a long season and play accordingly. If Oklahoma State puts up a big lead early, they need to take out their starters at the appropriate time.

Getting a vital player like Brandon Weeden or Justin Blackmon injured in a game like this one would be extremely detrimental to what looks to be a fantastic year.