OSU 3-2-1 kickoff: Will Cowboys get Ollie Gordon, run game going early vs. Iowa State?
AMES, Iowa — Big 12 play has arrived. For Oklahoma State, that could be good or bad at this point.
Coming off an upset loss to South Alabama, the Cowboys have plenty of issues to address as they look to turn things around in a hurry.
Here are three players to watch, two big questions and one wild prediction for the game:
Oklahoma State football rewind: Top players, the cost of defeat, Cowboys' redshirt tracker
3 players to watch in Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State
Quarterback Alan Bowman: The 23-year-old super senior is one of three quarterbacks expected to play, but he’s the one who earned the start each of the past two games. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him earn a third straight. And it will be up to him to get the Cowboys off to a fast start, a necessity for an offense that has mostly been stuck in the mud.
Safety Kendal Daniels: The former Beggs star is now in the rover safety position, a role Iowa State is all too familiar with as part of the 3-3-5 defense. This is the chance for the 6-foot-4 redshirt sophomore to put his own touch on the game. He’s also coming off a night in which he had six tackles and a sack despite briefly leaving the game with an ankle injury.
Wide receiver Brennan Presley: The Cowboys’ dynamic playmaker needs the football more. The goal is generally around a dozen touches. Last week, he caught just three passes. The week before, he caught four. Even with possible kick and punt returns, that’s far from enough. Look for OSU to go his way early.
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2 big questions in Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State
Can the Cowboys get their run game on track early? Iowa State has allowed just 3.2 yards per carry this season, while the Cowboys have rushed for 3.9. But the biggest issue for OSU is getting the rushing attack going way earlier. It took until the fourth quarter against Central Arkansas and the third quarter against Arizona State. It never got going last week. Look for OSU to feed star Ollie Gordon II early and often in an effort to stay balanced.
Can OSU avoid a downward spiral for a second straight season? It might technically be too early to panic considering it’s Week 4. Maybe. But a year ago the Cowboys stumbled against TCU in double overtime and things unraveled in a massive way. Losing to South Alabama is way, way worse than losing to the eventual national runner-up. It’s the kind of defeat that could linger, especially going on the road to open Big 12 play at a place that has generally been treacherous for the Cowboys.
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1 wild prediction in Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State
OSU kicker Alex Hale leads the team in scoring. With how the offense struggled last week, this doesn’t appear to be a wild prediction. But when considering the weather conditions on Saturday — rainy and windy — it gets a little tougher for the Australian kicker. But weird things happen in Ames, so a kicker leading the way to a win on a bad weather day would be fitting.
—Jacob Unruh, Staff writer
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football needs Ollie Gordon involved in offense early
