Three Players to Watch During Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are going to have to find certain players to play through if they want to figure things out offensively. There are a few options, such as Ollie Gordon, right in front of the team's eyes. They're going to have to find more help through ways of short quick plays, making it easier for everyone all around.
The Cowboys take on Iowa State on Saturday in a chance to bring some juice to an otherwise lifeless team so far. They took a bad loss just last week to South Alabama, and things need to look different for the Cowboys just this season.
So what players will make the biggest impact for the Pokes on Saturday?
Ollie Gordon: Gordon has been the best rusher for Oklahoma State this season, yet he isn't receiving the most touches for whatever reason. When he touches the ball, good things happen.
Gordon, Elijah Collins and Jaden Nixon have split touches quite evenly, with Collins leading with 25 carries so far. Gordon has 19 touches to Nixon's 18 touches. Again, Gordon has looked the best so far, racking up the most yards with 5.7 yards per carry.
If the Cowboys want to find rhythm, Gordon needs touches, and a lot of them. He's a big player to watch on Saturday as the amount of touches he gets might just reflect the scoreboard.
Collin Oliver: Oliver is tied for the second-most tackles on the team. He's been incredible so far. He recorded ten tackles last week, forcing a fumble, getting a sack and breaking up one pass.
Oliver's ability to add versatility to the defense is incredibly impressive, and he's bound to make big plays for the Cowboys when taking on a lesser offense in the Cyclones.
In a game that might just be a slugfest, having a playmaker like Oliver holding things down defensively might just set the tone for the Cowboys.
The quarterback position: This is a bit of a cop-out answer, but there clearly hasn't been a quarterback that has set themself apart from the other players. The Cowboys offense has also been stagnant. These two things are likely related.
One of Gunnar Gundy, Garret Rangel or Alan Bowman will need to excel in this game. One of the quarterbacks will need to put together a huge stretch. Not necessarily just to settle the battle, but to get the offense going so the Cowboys can win this game.
More specifically, watching Gundy play will be intriguing. If he can dish the ball to his playmakers and use his running ability, the offense may be able to move the ball the best of the three quarterbacks.
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