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Halftime Thoughts: UTSA at Oklahoma State

By Kurt Freudenberger

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Oklahoma State 31 UTSA 7

Well then. For the first time all season, the Cowboys have come out with a fast start. Sure, it’s mostly due to the defense, but hey, it’s a fast start. The early 17-0 lead was nice, but the offense sputtered until the later part of the second quarter.

Still, this turnover party has been fun to watch, and the Cowboys seemed to be putting together a pretty complete game by the time the half ended. Overall, the first feel-good half of the season so far for the Pokes.

Some quick stats:

Total Yards: OSU: 255  UTSA: 190

Possession Time: OSU: 12:39   UTSA: 17:29

Mason Rudolph: 9-14, 142 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Blake Bogenschutz: 8-13, 58 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

Dalton Sturm: 3-5, 53 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Rushing Yards: OSU: 113  UTSA: 79

The Good

– Obviously, the first quarter was fantastic. Turnovers all over the place.

– Chris Carson needed that early touchdown run. The second one was nice too. Both came pretty easily, and it’s great to see him get loose.

– Turnovers aside, the defense looks about the same as the previous two games — Solid, and making offenses work for every yard while keeping them out of the end zone…for the most part.

– The J.W. Walsh package remains pretty effective when used.

– Ben Grogan is being 2014 Ben Grogan so far.

– Jalen McKleskey is making better decisions on punt returns.

– The third down defense is actually showing up.

– As usual, the offense looked better when playing with a faster tempo at the end of the half. Imagine that.

 The Bad

– That first red zone possession was rough. James Washington probably wishes he could have those passes back.

– Actually, now that I think about it, the pass coverage on the Roadrunners’ touchdown was pretty weak. That was too easy.

– Pretty slow start for Rudolph so far, but that last drive was a great sign.

– 3/3 in the red zone, but the three scores seemed to be harder than they needed to be.

– Dalton Sturm looked pretty good in there behind center at the end of the second half, albeit against a prevent defense.

On to the second half. I can’t imagine the Cowboys coming up with four more turnovers, so we’ll get to see the offense in some normal situations, which will give us a better gauge. Dalton Sturm coming in at quarterback for UTSA could make the game a little more interesting.

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