3 Cowboy Takeaways: In Top 25 Matchup, OSU Delivers Baylor First Loss Of The Season

A top 25 matchup between two undefeated teams took the field in Stillwater this week.

After a fiery first drive for the 19th-ranked Cowboys for a touchdown, it turned into a defensive first half. OSU shut out the 21st-ranked Baylor Bears in the first, but also gave the ball up, with three interceptions this game.  

Amid mistakes, Oklahoma State’s running game looked really strong throughout the game. Between Jaylen Warren, Sanders himself and running back Dominic Richardson who stepped up to the plate, the Cowboys had 220 rushing yards this game.

The Cowboys’ third-down defense continues to impress and live up to the hype. Baylor did get into the scoring column in the second half, but the Cowboys never let them take the lead, delivering the Bears their first loss on the season, 24-14.

P.S. I’m digging these matte black helmets. They’re sharp.

The Cowboys maybe channeling the 2011 OSU team that was in house tonight, as they get off to their first 5-0 start since 2015.

First Takeaway: Be A Goldfish

Let’s apply the (infamous) words of a fictional futbol coach to this football game.

A goldfish is reportedly the animal with the shortest memory. As fictional football-turned-futbol coach Ted Lasso tells his players, be a goldfish. Take your mistake, then forget about it and keep playing.

This could be useful when a quarterback throws two interceptions on back-to-back drives.

A fiery first drive capped off by an eight-yard Jaylen Warren touchdown made it seem like this was going to be an explosive top-25 matchup. Then came the two interceptions.  

Commentator Robert Griffin III - who I was unprepared for but actually loved listening to him? - shared that offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn says Sanders is an emotional guy. He says you’ll know when he’s excited and you’ll know when he’s upset. However, it appears Sanders is able to put aside some of that and move forward with play, taking Ted Lasso’s advice to heart: be a goldfish.

To end the half, Sanders dropped a deep ball to Rashod Owens who snagged it out of traffic for a touchdown.

The sting of those two interceptions hurts a bit less (I’m sure for Sanders as well) when he’s able to come back and hit a ball like that.  

Keep being a goldfish, Spencer.

Second Takeaway: The Takeaways  

The Cowboys were dominant in the first half, so why was it only 14-0?

Oklahoma State had the ball for nearly 20 minutes of the first 30 and absolutely overpowered Baylor on yards, 256 to just 99. The running game was moving the chains, rushing 160 yards, including great numbers from QB Sanders. On the other side of the field, the defense allowed just six rushing yards for Baylor. The Bears were getting nowhere but the Cowboys weren’t putting up the points consistent with those kinds of dominant numbers.

Let’s talk takeaways.  

Sanders’ three interceptions cost them important scoring opportunities. Not everything can be blamed on turnovers, but they certainly don’t help. To credit the Oklahoma State defense, who was a wall tonight, every turnover in the first resulted in no points for Baylor.

While it’s the quarterback that throws the interceptions, football is a team effort. Turnovers hurt everyone and Oklahoma State needs to clean them up in order to keep ending up on top.

Third Takeaway: Blast From The Past

All in the house tonight: Robert Griffin III, Justin Blackmon, and Brandon Wheeden.

The 2011 Cowboys team was honored tonight at the game for their incredible 12-1 season that brought home the university’s first football Big 12 conference title. The 2011 team went on to beat Stanford 41-38 in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl.

Also in Stillwater was Heisman trophy winner and former Baylor quarterback RGIII, whose final year of college ball was 2011, commentating this game. A bit apprehensive at first that they had RGIII announcing his own former team, he was so fun and engaging to listen to. He even got to shake hands with Pistol Pete and head coach Mike Gundy before the game out and about in Stillwater.

Wheedon even tossed a touchdown pass to Blackmon, to really cement the nostalgia at Boone Pickens this Saturday night.