The Big 12 is kind of a mess, and Oklahoma State and Texas Tech entered Saturday night’s game as two teams hoping sneak in and win the title, with tough schedules remaining for Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas. The Cowboys emerged on top in the slugfest, thanks in large part to the play of quarterback Clint Chelf.
Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech reaction: Cowboys dominate ground game in big win
An important Big 12 battle went the way of Oklahoma State, and fans are pointing to the Cowboys’ ability to move the ball on the ground.
John Weast
The Cowboys got off to a quick start in the first quarter with three straight touchdowns -- one a six-yard toss from Clint Chelf to Tracy Moore, and two Desmond Roland one-yard runs. Ryan Bustin's 32-yard field goal put the Red Raiders on the board, and it was 21-3 Oklahoma State after one.
Texas Tech put on a serious comeback in the second quarter, as they have done time and time again this season. Davis Webb's 38-yard touchdown pass to Eric Ward brought them within 11, but Oklahoma State answered back with Chelf's one-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Seaton.
Pete Robertson picked off a Chelf pass with about five minutes left in the half, and returned it 21 yards for the score. Kenny Williams ran in a score from two yards out before the period was through, and the Cowboys' lead was 28-24 at the half.
Oklahoma State was able to extend their lead on the legs of Chelf, as the quarterback ran for two touchdowns in the third quarter -- one for 67 yards and one for eight -- to make it 49-31 heading into the final period.
Gus Johnson was impressed by the run.
The two teams exchanged field goals in the fourth, and Oklahoma State won the game 52-34.
The heroics of Chelf have caused Robert Whetsell at Cowboys Ride for Free to question everything Oklahoma State fans thought they knew this season.
And through it all, we have discovered the opposite of what we have held to be true.....
J.W. Walsh is the passing QB.
Clint Chelf is the running QB...and Choo Choo is WAY more appropriate for someone who runs.
Think back. The heartbraking loss in Norman was due to two things...our defense not being able to get a stop, and Chelf’s legs. If the D could’ve gotten off the field once or twice the Cowboys would’ve won. If not for Chelf’s 63 yards, every one of them huge, OSU wouldn’t have been in a position to win.
Seth C of Viva the Matadors is concerned about Texas Tech’s rushing defense, especially considering their remaining schedule.
For the second game in a row, the defense really struggled. Really struggled. We really don’t need to detail how bad the rushing defense has been, but of the games remaining on the schedule, all of the teams run the ball well. Yikes. The defensive line is struggling in much of the same way that they struggled in previous years. They just can’t get off their blocks to make plays and that’s either a strength issue or a technique issue. I also don’t know how or if this really gets solved this year.
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