Oklahoma State football rewind: Gunnar Gundy's valuable INT, redshirt tracker & more

STILLWATER — With a weekend off before the looming matchup with Baylor on Oct. 1, the ninth-ranked Oklahoma State football team is setting its sights on Big 12 Conference play.

That will kickstart a run of four road games over six weeks for a squad that has only played in the confines of Boone Pickens Stadium this season.

But before we turn the page to the future, let’s look back at some key players and key moments from the Cowboys’ 63-7 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Here’s a look at a few things we learned in the rout of the Golden Lions:

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Top 5 players of the week

Quarterback Spencer Sanders: Yes, his day was short. His last play came with 14:18 left in the second quarter when OSU took a 35-0 lead. His efficiency was strong, completing 13 of 16 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns.

Quarterback Gunnar Gundy: The redshirt freshman was 12-of-20 for 128 yards and two touchdowns, playing more than half the game. And it was highly valuable experience for the second-stringer who had not thrown a collegiate pass prior to Saturday.

Defensive end Ben Kopenski: The redshirt senior walk-on from McKinney, Texas, has the talent to play a significant role at a lot of Power Five programs, but he’s buried behind a slew of talented players at OSU. He hit the field in the first quarter on Saturday and picked up two sacks among his four tackles, plus a pair of quarterback hurries.

Linebacker Lamont Bishop: The linebacker group is learning on the fly, and Bishop showed that the Cowboys have some depth behind starters Mason Cobb and Xavier Benson. Regularly the third linebacker on the field when OSU goes to its run-stopping defense, Bishop was on the field a lot, and led the team with five tackles. He also recovered the accidental onside kick late in the first quarter, when a squib kick hit a UAPB player.

Defensive end Trace Ford: The redshirt junior continues to prove he’s back to health after two ACL surgeries between December 2020 and August 2021. In limited time on the field Saturday, Ford had a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry, then blocked a punt and returned it for his first career touchdown.

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Top 5 players of the season

Quarterback Spencer Sanders: Across the board, his numbers are up — except for interceptions, which are way down, with one in 95 attempts. Of course, the competition gets tougher, but what Sanders has displayed through three games shows the capability of the offense running at a faster and more efficient pace than in any of his previous three years as starter.

Defensive lineman Tyler Lacy: If you’re investing in NFL stock, you’re running out of time to get Lacy at a good price. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound redshirt senior continues to prove his value and his versatility. He started and played primarily at defensive tackle on Saturday, and has also upped his production at end. He has 11 tackles, 5.5 for loss and two sacks.

Receiver Braydon Johnson: With the wide range of depth and skillsets among the receiver group, there isn’t one established go-to guy out of the James Washington or Tylan Wallace mold. But Johnson is stepping forward as a serious threat on short routes and deep throws. His speed is a difference-maker and he leads the team in receptions (14), yards (300) and touchdowns (3).

Linebacker Mason Cobb: The junior is still learning on the job, but his impact is noticeable, leading the defense with 24 tackles. And he’s making his presence known behind the line of scrimmage with six tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries and a sack. He has also played the most snaps of any OSU defender with 157 so far.

Offensive guard Hunter Woodard: The play of the offensive line hasn’t been a major question this year, though the run blocking could certainly stand to improve. Woodard, a redshirt senior and the most experienced veteran of the group, has been strong at right guard. According to Pro Football Focus, Woodard has graded out the highest among OSU’s starting linemen in pass blocking and run blocking so far this season.

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Why Gunnar Gundy’s interception mattered

Backup quarterback Gunnar Gundy made some memories last Saturday, finally getting to throw a pass, then throwing his first touchdown passes as a Cowboy. The son of head coach Mike Gundy has grown up a fixture at Boone Pickens Stadium, and Gunnar was thrilled to have that experience in front of the hometown fans.

But in the bigger picture, Gunnar says one of his most important moments of the night wasn’t one to be celebrated.

His third pass attempt of the game, midway through the second quarter, went through the hands of Braylin Presley and was intercepted by Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

“You’re always scared to throw an interception,” Gunnar said. “It’s the worst thing you can do playing quarterback. But it was good in a way. It got me to the point where I was like, ‘Hey, you know, stuff happens sometimes.’ You just gotta go back there, regroup and keep playing. Can’t change it.”

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Spreading the wealth

OSU is tied with Minnesota for seventh in the NCAA in scoring at 49.7 points per game, but the Cowboys hold a national lead in a different scoring category.

Thirteen OSU players have scored touchdowns through three games this season, more than any team in the country. For reference, OSU only had 15 different players score touchdowns last season.

Braydon Johnson has three receiving touchdowns and quarterback Spencer Sanders has three rushing touchdowns, tying for the OSU lead.

Ollie Gordon, Bryson Green, Dominic Richardson and John Paul Richardson each have two TDs.

And thanks to all the touchdowns, kicker Tanner Brown remains the team’s top scorer, even though he’s kicked only two field goals. His 19 extra points give him 25 points for the season.

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Redshirt tracker

A total of 13 true freshmen have now played in at least one game, with nine making their career debuts last Saturday. NCAA rules allow redshirt-eligible players to participate in up to four games and still maintain redshirt status.

At this point, only running back Ollie Gordon is the only true freshman who has appeared in every game, and with his usage in the primary rotation, it seems unlikely he will redshirt this season.

Here’s a look at where the Cowboy freshmen stand in participation:

Appeared in three games: Running back Ollie Gordon.

Appeared in two games: Cornerback Cameron Epps, receiver Stephon Johnson Jr., receiver Braylin Presley.

Appeared in one game: Running back C.J. Brown, defensive end DeSean Brown, linebacker Gabe Brown, linebacker Chance Clements, offensive lineman Austin Kawecki, cornerback D.J. McKinney, quarterback Garret Rangel, tight end Tabry Shettron, receiver Talyn Shettron.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football: Gunnar Gundy learns from first interception