OSU Football: Defensive Talking Points Before Alamo Bowl

Oklahoma State has played only one game since Thanksgiving, so to get the juices going again, here are some talking points on the Cowboy defense as it heads into the Valero Alamo Bowl against Colorado on Dec. 29.

 •  A big part of OSU's defensive success is due to winning the field position battle. The Cowboys lead the nation in opponent's starting field position, as their average drive has started at their own 23.8-yard line. That has been a significant factor in allowing the Cowboys to rank fourth in the league in scoring defense.

 •  Forcing turnovers has long been a focal point of defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer's scheme. The Cowboys have sealed multiple games with late turnovers and are now ranked No. 20 in the country and No. 2 in the Big 12 with 24 turnovers gained on the season. They are also No. 9 nationally and No. 2 in the Big 12 in turnover margin at +0.83. The Cowboys have forced at least one turnover in every game this year, including 14 in the last seven games. In OSU's win over No. 10 West Virginia, the Cowboys outscored WVU, 17-0, in points off turnovers and won the game by 17 points.

•  In eight of OSU's nine wins, the Cowboy defense has held its opponent to less than 50 percent on third down conversions, including twice when they were held to less than 25 percent. The Cowboys are holding opponents to a 39.1 conversion rate on the year to rank fourth in the Big 12, and success in that area has had a strong correlation with OSU's win-loss record.

 •  Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally with six blocked kicks this season, three of which came as part of the Cowboys' win over Texas. Defensive tackle Vincent Taylor leads the country individually with four blocks, which matches the OSU record that was set in 1971. The latest block came at TCU as Taylor swatted TCU's only PAT goal attempt to swing the momentum back in OSU's favor in the Cowboys' 31-6 win.

 •  After the regular season, the Cowboys lead the Big 12 in red zone defense (76.1), fourth-quarter scoring defense (53), kickoff coverage (18.1) and punt return defense (1.4) in addition to blocked kicks. They rank in the top three in interceptions (13), opponent fourth down percentage (41.7), turnover margin (+0.83), fumbles recovered (11) and defensive touchdowns (2).