Week 1 of college football is in the books and officially onto Week 2! There were some dominating victories across the board, including wins from two teams that are matched up against each other this Saturday. That matchup is between Oklahoma State and the Arkansas Razorbacks in an excellent college football matchup.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys dominated their way to a victory. Running back Ollie Gordon led the way with three total touchdowns during the game. But Arkansas also had a major win up their sleeves. They put up 70 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. They now look to build on that resume heading into Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday morning with a matchup against the Pokes.
Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas History
Oklahoma State and Arkansas have a storied football history. The very first game was back in 1912, with Oklahoma State taking the win 13-7. Since then, the teams have met a total of 46 times. The Razorbacks hold the record against the Cowboys, winning a total of 30 games with one tie. The last game was in 1980, when Lou Holtz led Arkansas to beat the Jimmy Johnson coached Cowboys team 33-20.
Key Players for Oklahoma State
Once again, running back Ollie Gordon proved why he deserved all the preseason accolades he acquired this off-season. He led the Pokes to a win, putting up a line of 146 total yards with three touchdowns. He looked back to his mid-season form, and provided a change of pace for the RPO scheme.
The receivers showed up in a big way, led by Rashod Owens and Brennan Presley. The two combined for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Owens scored his touchdown on a 58-yard throw from Alan Bowman, which gave the Cowboys a nice lead over the Jackrabbits in the third quarter.
The defense was led by safety Trey Rucker. He was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. He led the team with 15 total tackles in the game. Also disruptive for the Cowboys were linebackers Nick Martin and Collin Oliver. The two combined 12 tackles and two sacks.
Key Players for Arkansas
The Razorbacks are led by Boise State transfer Taylen Green. The dual threat quarterback threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns while adding another two touchdowns and 88 yards rushing.
The entire running game was explosive for the Razorbacks a week ago. Utah running back transfer Ja’Quinden Jackson played in a single half but racked up 121 total yards and two touchdowns. The team sat most of the starters in the second half of the game. Otherwise, the score would have rivaled that of a basketball game.
Oklahoma State’s Blueprint for Victory
Overall, Oklahoma State’s record versus a SEC school is not great, sitting at just 7-13 for regular season games. But this is a different breed of team. With the offense finding their footing early, all quarterback Alan Bowman has to do is get the ball to his playmakers. Namely Gordon, Presley and Owens. The three-headed monster will be able to attack on all fronts.
The defense will need to step up, especially in the run defense. They gave up 124 yards on the ground, and let the Jackrabbits average almost five yards per carry. With a running back like Jackson and a mobile quarterback at the helm, the Cowboys will need to figure out a way to stop the run. The safeties will need to be on the look out as well to not give up the big plays. They were beat a few times against South Dakota State and it cost Oklahoma State a few touchdown stops.
Overall, this will be a good game inside a sold out Boone Pickens Stadium. With the Vegas odds at 7.5 in the Cowboys favor, the Pokes pull this one out 34-31.
Erika Brown
Erika Brown is a fantasy football writer for The League Winners. A journalism graduate from Oklahoma State University, she enjoys watching OkState football games and writing about college football.