Why Kasey Dunn's creativity is a hidden key to Oklahoma State football's offensive success

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State receiver Leon Johnson III sat in a recent film session preparing for a new opponent when he identified a weakness in the defense the Cowboys were set to face that week.

“If we run this, it’ll be open,” Johnson thought to himself as offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn began to circulate around the room.

“Then Dunn hands us a piece of paper and I’m like, ‘Oh, well there it is.’”

The exact idea he had was already on the paper, and Johnson realized Dunn was a couple steps ahead of everyone else.

Opponents probably feel that way, too, during the five game win streak the 15th-ranked Cowboys will take to Central Florida for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando.

Now in his fourth year as the Cowboys’ play-caller, Dunn has been a lightning rod for unhappy fans, but he has them left little to complain about this year, with the offense leading the midseason turnaround that has the Pokes on a direct path to the Big 12 Championship Game.

More: Watch Oklahoma State football fans throw goalpost in Theta Pond after Bedlam win over OU

Dunn has taken his creativity to another level. His scripting of the early-game play calls has been flawless. His in-game adjustments have reinvigorated the offense.

As Alan Bowman settled into his role as the team’s sole signal-caller, and Ollie Gordon II into his as the featured back, Dunn’s play-calling gears clicked into place.

“He’s gotten to be a better play-caller every year,” head coach Mike Gundy said. “He’s done a good job of being pretty versatile in the plays he’s called.”

It’s common for an offense to add new wrinkles or play designs every week. But Dunn’s creativity has added far more.

The Cowboys revealed the heavy use of pre-snap motion with Brennan Presley in early October, helping to get the gifted slot receiver more involved with the offense.

Then came the developments in the run game to better suit Gordon’s running style.

And for Bedlam last week, the Cowboys broke out a slew of formation shifts that had as many as four players moving before the snap on several plays.

Much of it is a distraction to keep defenses wondering what’s happening. But some of it is designed to open up the offense. Both are working.

More: Oklahoma State football's Bryan Nardo, Alan Bowman share emotion of only Bedlam experience

Dunn, of course, isn’t responsible for every good idea the Cowboy offense has come up with, and he’s the first to share credit with his staff. But if he’s going to get the blame for every offensive failure, shouldn’t he also deserve some praise when the offense is buzzing?

“We have a blast sitting in our staff room with the offensive coaches, trying to design stuff, find stuff,” Dunn said. “We’re trying to find things that suit us offensively.

“What we have now is a veteran core of players. So we can do a lot of things. A lot of things that people don’t see, they’re doing for us right now. Then it ends up in a big play and things just look better.”

With that veteran experience, Dunn feels comfortable keeping a larger selection of plays on his call sheet, including some of his basic plays that the team might not practice every week. But he has the comfort to call them on a Saturday, because he knows the team understands them.

Over the last six games, OSU is averaging 491.3 yards per game, more than 100 yards over its average for the first three. In the first four weeks, OSU failed to score more than 27 points in any game. But in the last five, it’s averaging 37.6.

In those five games, OSU has scored four touchdowns and a field goal on its opening possessions, plus three more scores on the first drive of the second half.

In addition to Dunn’s preparation, the second part of the equation is player execution, and that, too, has been sharp over the last six games.

More: 'We got one here, too': Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon strikes Heisman pose in Bedlam win

“Coach Dunn has always had the creativity,” Presley said. “I just think it’s more of, we’re finally making the plays. Early in the year, whether it was some drops by receivers and stuff like that — I just pick on receivers because I am one — but we weren’t making the plays we were accustomed to making.

“But we took it upon ourselves to start making those plays. If we don’t make some of those plays, it kind of deflates the team.”

The offensive creativity of the Kansas State and Kansas games blended with the streamlined blocking schemes that have helped the offensive line emerge as a weapon. Then Gordon and Bowman blossomed in their roles.

During the five-game win streak, the Cowboys are averaging 227.0 rushing yards and 280.2 passing yards per game, the type of total-yardage pace they’ve averaged for a season just once in the last decade.

“Confidence breeds success,” Bowman said. “We have a lot of older guys and they can understand a lot on their plate. We can install a lot each week. No matter who we’re game-planning for, we’re not gonna be doing the same plays.

“To have Coach Dunn go out there and dial it up for us, we’re having a lot of fun, and he makes it easy.”

OSU vs. UCF

KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Fla. (ESPN)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football win streak boosted by Kasey Dunn's creativity