Oklahoma
State
Cowboys
Preview 2007
By
Pete Fiutak
& Michael Bradley
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2007 OSU Offense Preview |
2007 OSU Defense Preview
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2007 OSU Depth Chart
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2006 CFN OSU
Preview
Any time an alumnus comes through with a cool $165 million to
finance an athletic facility spending binge, hopes tend to rise,
steps get a little bouncier, and everybody walks around with a
smile. Were Oklahoma State alum T. Boone Pickens’ generous donation
the only bit of good news in Stillwater these days, it would
certainly be enough. Add in a football team that returns 15
starters, including practically all of its offensive skill-position
players, and you have reason for giddiness.
The Cowboys aren’t ready for BCS title game contention, especially
with an entire defensive line to replace and some holes along the
offensive front, but it’s not far off. There’s a buzz about the
program thanks to last year’s seven-win season, Independence Bowl
triumph, and four near-misses that OSU folks believe would have
become victories with a more experienced club.
Head coach: Mike Gundy
3rd year: 11-13
Returning Lettermen: 44
Off. 20, Def. 21, ST 4
Lettermen Lost: 17 |
Ten
Best OSU Players
1. WR Adarius Bowman, Sr.
2. LB Chris Collins, Soph.
3. QB Bobby Reid, Jr.
4. SS Andre Sexton, Soph.
5. RB Dantrell Savage, Sr.
6. RB Keith Toston, Soph.
7. DE Marque Fountain, Sr.
8. P Matt Fodge, Jr.
9. DE Nathan Peterson, Sr.
10. LB Patrick Lavine, Soph. |
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2007 Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 9-3 |
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Sept. 1 |
at Georgia |
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Sept. 8 |
Florida
Atlantic |
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Sept. 14 |
at Troy |
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Sept. 22 |
Texas Tech |
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Sept. 29 |
Sam Houston St |
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Oct.
6 |
at
Texas A&M |
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Oct.
13 |
at
Nebraska |
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Oct.
20 |
Kansas State |
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Nov.
3 |
Texas |
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Nov.
10 |
Kansas |
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Nov.
17 |
at Baylor |
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Nov.
24 |
at
Oklahoma |
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2006
Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 4-8 |
| 9/2 |
Missouri State |
| 9/9 |
at Arkansas State |
| 9/16 |
Florida Atlantic |
| 9/23 |
at Houston |
| 10/7 |
at Kansas State |
| 10/14 |
at Kansas |
| 10/21 |
Texas A&M |
| 10/28 |
Nebraska |
| 11/4 |
at Texas |
| 11/11 |
Baylor |
| 11/18 |
at Texas Tech |
| 11/25 |
Oklahoma |
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This is that more experienced club beginning with junior QB Bobby Reid,
who overcame a late benching to lead the Cowboys over Alabama in
Shreveport. His continued development into a multiple threat could
ensure a run at double-digit wins and perhaps a run at the Big 12 South
title, although that could be a little premature.
Fact is, Oklahoma State is on the rise. Though some were scared when Les
Miles left for LSU, Mike Gundy has done a good job continuing the
progress which started under Miles and has even improved upon the
recruiting (depending on which services you choose to believe). The
trick now, as it is at all the Big 12 programs which aren’t national
name brands, is to find a way into the championship chase – and beyond.
This could be a big boost in that pursuit, since the Cowboys have so
much talent returning and the momentum built up from last year’s bowl
win.
The question is whether this team can put together a defense that has
the same ferocity as its productive offense. It’s fun to score points,
but when you allow 30 or more on seven different occasions (and 29 on
another) and go 2-5 in those games, your off-season assignment is pretty
clear. Gundy is hoping the hiring of new defensive coordinator Tim
Beckham, late of Ohio State, to replace Vance Bedford, who left for
Michigan, will do that. Perhaps the Cowboys have to sacrifice a little O
to get better at stopping people; then again, maybe they can have both
explosive power on one side of the ball and stingy play on the other.
That would certainly establish them as a Big 12 powerhouse.
And get Pickens to get that checkbook cranked up again.
What to look for on offense: Reid was benched in the
regular-season finale against Oklahoma due to some shaky
decision-making. There’s no question he has talent; now he must lead and
win. He’ll do so in a balanced attack that produced almost equal yardage
amounts on the ground or through the air. OSU senior wideout Adarius
Bowman is ready for a huge season (not that last year was small), while
backs Dantrell Savage and Keith Toston have 1,000-yard capabilities.
What to expect on defense: The Cowboys need to get their front
wall fixed up, the better to prevent teams from gaining 4.0 yards a
carry and scoring 17 ground TDs again. JUCO import Tonga Tea should help
the tackle spot, while senior ends Marque Fountain and Nate Peterson
combined for 12.5 sacks and 25 tackles behind the line in ’06. Last
year’s youthful back lines should be far stouter this season thanks to
increased experience.
This team will be much better if…it can stop opposing
quarterbacks from completing 60.8% of their passes. That was a big
reason OSU ranked 88th in the nation in pass efficiency
defense. A more experienced secondary will help, but the Cowboys also
need their front four to put enough pressure on the passer so that
Beckham won’t have to blitz too often.
The Schedule: It’s not great, but there are enough easy
non-conference games (Florida Atlantic, at Troy, Sam Houston State) to
assure a nice base of wins. There are only six home games, but they
include key South battles against Texas Tech and Texas. Going to Texas
A&M, Nebraska and Oklahoma might tough enough to prevent any dreams of
winning the South. To make matters worse, those three are all in
October. Starting the season off at Georgia, a more winnable game than
many will predict, will be a good measuring stick to see just how much
the program has progressed under Mike Gundy.
Best Offensive Player:
Senior WR
Adarius Bowman. With tight end size, decent speed and enough athleticism
to be a part of the basketball team Bowman likely would’ve been one of
the top 100 players taken in this year’s draft. He averaged a whopping
19.7 yards per catch with 12 touchdown grabs, and now he has the
potential to do even more now that he has a year of experience in the
system.
Best Defensive Player:
Sophomore LB
Chris Collins. If he’s back to his pre-knee injury form and doesn’t have
further problems with an alleged sexual assault charge, he’ll be a lock
for All-Big 12 honors. One of the league’s newest stars, Collins was all
over the place in the first six games making play after play before
getting knocked out against Kansas forcing him to miss the final seven
games. He’s the type of defender to build a defensive front seven
around.
Key player to a
successful season:
Junior NT Jeray
Chatham. The 280-pound junior will combine with Tonga Tea to take over
on the nose. With the defensive line one of the only areas of big
concern, these two have to be rocks against the run and the type of
anchors who gum everything up so the rest of the defense can fly into
the backfield like the coaching staff would like.
The season will be a
success if
... the Cowboys win eight regular season games. It took a bowl win over
Alabama to get to seven wins last season, and now the offense should be
even better, the defense gets the entire back seven back, and the
coaching staff appears to be hitting its stride as far as knowing what
it’s doing. Coming up with a win over Georgia, Nebraska, Texas A&M,
Oklahoma or Texas is a must, while winning two of the bigger Big 12
games could make OSU a major player in the South race.
Key game:
Sept. 22 vs. Texas
Tech. The Cowboys have won their last two at home against the Red
Raiders, and it’s a must that it becomes three in a row with the meat of
the league schedule coming up with three road games and Texas over the
next five Big 12 games. It’s the conference opener for OSU, and if it
can win, it’ll likely be no worse than 4-1 going into the road dates at
Texas A&M and Nebraska.
2006 Fun Stats:
- Sacks: Oklahoma State 37 for 250 yards – Opponents 18 for 120 yards
- Penalties: Oklahoma State 74 for 614 yards – Opponents 56 for 424
yards
- Average yards per carry: Oklahoma State 5.2 – Opponents 4.0