OSU Report Card
Oklahoma State cruised to a 61-7 victory as expected against a lower-division foe, but still, there was little in which to find fault. The grades reflect a good day for the Cowboys.
Mason Rudolph: A
Playing less than two full quarters, the Cowboy quarterback was 18 of 26 for 188 yards with two touchdowns but would've had better numbers if not for a couple of drops. Still, he gets high marks mostly because he looks stronger and more confident than ever, a great sign for the Cowboys after that foot injury. Rudolph even did his Eli Manning impersonation, breaking three tackles including two in which he was wrapped up before finding Jhajuan Seales in the back of the end zone.
Opportunistic mentality: A
The Cowboys capitalized on any mistake. A botched punt became a touchdown. A loosely held football became a strip. OSU forced four fumbles, recovering all of them, and scored two touchdowns on fumble recoveries. Yes, it was against Southeastern Louisiana, but carry that mentality forward into Big 12 play, and it could be a big-time difference maker.
Scene: A
Hard to argue with sunny and 85 degrees. What a grand day to be outside watching some football. Even though the crowd wasn't robust -- you can't really blame folks for not flocking to see Southeastern Louisiana -- there was plenty of fun being had both inside the stadium and out.
Reserve production: C
Even though the defense used a heavy dose of reserves throughout the game, it gave up only a total of seven points and 203 yards. That's good defense regardless of the caliber of opponent. The offense? There was a more noticeable drop-off with the reserves, especially on the offensive line. Say this for that front, though -- it got better as the game went on. Not perfect but better.
Entertaining touchdowns: A
The Cowboys didn't just get into the end zone a bunch Saturday. They did it in style. A muffed punt corralled in the end zone by Madre Harper. A spinning, lunging run by Chris Carson. A leaping catch by Jhajuan Seales as he was falling backward. Then came the grandest of them all -- Devante Averette forced a fumble, tried to scoop it but started to fall out of bounds, so he flipped it behind him. Ramon Richards snagged it and cruised into the end zone.























































































Jenni Carlson, a sports columnist at The Oklahoman since 1999, came by her love of sports honestly. She grew up in a sports-loving family in Kansas. Her dad coached baseball and did color commentary on the radio for the high school football... Read more ›