Usually, rebounding is something basketball coaches talk about.
But as No. 20 Oklahoma State prepares for its Big 12 Conference football game at No. 23 Kansas State on Saturday in Manhattan, Kan., “rebounding” is a key point.
“It’s our job as coaches to get them to respond,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said Monday. “I’m confident in our older guys and leaders making sure that our focus is good, that we have a good week of prep. We’re playing a really good football team with Oklahoma State.”
Both teams suffered disappointing losses last Saturday. Oklahoma State lost at home to Utah 22-19 after the Cowboys’ comeback attempt came up short. Oklahoma State trailed 22-3 in the fourth quarter before Alan Bowman, who had been benched after the first half, led two touchdown drives with a pair of 2-point conversions.
But Utah ran out the clock on its final possession, not allowing the Cowboys another chance to get the ball.
Bowman was 8-for-22 for 89 yards in the first half, causing Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy to turn to Garret Rangel for the second half until Bowman’s return. Bowman finished 16 of 33 for 206 yards and the two TDs, with two interceptions.
“Offensively, we were awful,” Gundy said about the first half after the game. “We couldn’t get any quarterback play, and then all of a sudden, late in the game we start playing better at quarterback. They won the game, but we certainly did a lot of things to help them.”
Now Gundy and the Cowboys (3-1, 0-1) will turn their attention to Kansas State, which allowed three touchdowns off turnovers in a span of about three minutes in a 38-9 loss at BYU on Saturday. The Wildcats led 6-3 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half before BYU scored the final 14 points of the half.
On Kansas State’s opening possession of the second half, quarterback Avery Johnson threw his second interception. Two plays later, BYU was in the end zone again. The game got out of hand quickly, as the Cougars scored 31 unanswered points on route to the drubbing.
That left a bitter taste for the Wildcats (3-1, 0-1).
“There are some hurting guys in there,” Klieman said after the game. “We’re going to find out what we’re made of. We have to block out the outside noise of what the perception of us is now. We just have to focus on us. We have a chance to have a pretty good football team. We’re going to find out what we’re made of because we didn’t play very well.”
Both teams have aspirations of playing in the Big 12 Championship Game and ultimately the 12-team College Football Playoff. While those hopes are still alive, another conference loss would hamper them significantly.
Oklahoma State will need to find its running game again. Last year’s Doak Walker Award winner as the best running back in the nation, Ollie Gordon, was held to 42 yards rushing against Utah.
“When we’ve had equal numbers in the box or a half-man disadvantage, we’ve run the ball effectively,” Gundy said Monday. “When we’ve had one or two extra people in the box, we haven’t been as effective, which is kind of the way it’s going to be.
“There’s not anything we need to change from a scheme standpoint. We need to continue to improve a little bit in fundamentals and technique and things we would work on every year.”
