Halftime Thoughts: Central Arkansas at Oklahoma State

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Oklahoma State 10 Central Arkansas 0

Another inferior opponent with “Central” in their name, and another slow start.

The Cowboys came out of the gate with the same play calling that left many of us frustrated last week. The running game continues to be an issue, and the Bears go into halftime looking like a decent FBS team, not an 0-1 FCS team. Oklahoma State looked a little rusty and uninterested last week against Central Michigan. Tonight, they just look bad.

It’s hard to be excited about anything in this game.

Well, except for maybe this:

Here’s a few notable stats:

Total Yards: OSU: 252 UCA 86

Mason Rudolph: 16-26, 207 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Chris Carson: 10 rushes, 50 yards, 1 TD

Marcell Ateman: 3 receptions, 37 yards

Possession Time: OSU: 14:36, UCA 15:24

First Downs: OSU 12, UCA 5

The Good

There’s not much in this category.

– Chris Carson got a rushing touchdown, and actually showed some speed and moves, aside from his surprise hurdle move.

– Jalen McKleskey got it going with a nice 56 yard reception, his first positive yardage catch.

– The defense has held their own, putting plenty of pressure on Bears quarterback Taylor Reed, who is just 6-12 for 45 yards. UCA’s rushing attack is almost as ineffective as the Cowboys’, so that’s nice…I guess.

– Zach Sinor continues to excel in the punting game. Four punts, three inside the 20-yard line, which I’m pretty sure included two within the 10. High five Zach.

The Bad

-Mason Rudolph is having some trouble making decisions, continually throwing into double coverage, and lobbing an ill-advised fade in the endzone to Glidden, the team’s shortest receiver, who was flanked by two defenders. It’s almost like he’s thinking “I mean, it’s just UCA, I can probably get by with this.”

– The offensive line is still having trouble blocking up the middle on runs, and Mike Yurcich just keeps on trying.

– Jalen McKleskey needs some better advice on fielding punts, and should consider that convenient option known as a “fair catch.” Seriously. He’s due for a fumble soon.

Overall, the team just looks mediocre, which is especially troubling against a team like this. Not sure how many adjustmetns need to be made at halftime, just better execution and decision-making.

We’ll see.

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