Baylor vs Oklahoma State scouting report: Breaking down the Cowboys ahead of Week 5
The Baylor Bears disappointingly dropped their first game of Big 12 play to the Arizona State Sun Devils. Now 0-1 in conference play, Baylor will be looking to get their first Big 12 win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Bears opened as 19.5-point favorites over the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State and long-time head coach Mike Gundy parted ways on Tuesday, with offensive coordinator Doug Meacham taking over as interim head coach. Going against a first-time head coach with a freshman quarterback, the Bears should come out 1-1 in conference play.
Oklahoma State's Offense
At the front of the Cowboys' offense is quarterback Zane Flores. The freshman quarterback has yet to throw for a touchdown this season while averaging just 139 yards through the air. Flores is versatile enough to make plays with his feet, however, as he showed in the team's Week 4 loss. He rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts.
The Oklahoma State offense also houses freshman running back Rodney Fields Jr. The freshman running back has run for 143 yards on the season, averaging 5.3 yards a carry. Outside of Fields' success, however, the Cowboys have struggled to find success in the run game with other ball carriers rushing for 3.6 yards a carry.
The Oklahoma State offense has struggled to start the season, and with the departure of their longtime offensive playcaller, they will likely start slow against Baylor. But the Cowboys will be facing a struggling Bears defense. Baylor's defense is allowing 30 points per game, and despite and strong showing in three quarters against Arizona State, they allowed the Sun Devils' offense to come alive in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma State's Defense
While the Cowboys' defense has allowed opposing offenses to average 31.6 points per game, the bulk of their points allowed this season were in Week 1 against the Oregon Ducks, when they allowed 69 points. Oklahoma State allowed 631 total yards in Week 1, including 312 on the ground. Outside of their terrible Week 1 showing, the Cowboys' defense is allowing just 13 points per game.
The struggling OSU defense will now face the high-powered Bears offense. Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson is averaging 330 yards a game and 3 touchdowns a game, and was in early Heisman talks. Oklahoma State allowed Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes to have his best game of the season, throwing for 219 yards and a touchdown on 63.9 percent completion.
How the Bears can win
Baylor has a favorable matchup on Saturday, going against a weak Cowboys defense, but they're coming off back-to-back sloppy performances. With Oklahoma State only forcing two turnovers and 4 sacks in three games, the Bears' offense can get back on track. Robertson has picked apart every defense he's played this season, and despite throwing 3 interceptions in his last two games, a strong performance could reemerge his name in the Heisman talks.
For the Baylor defense, they'll have to dig into their depth pieces. Linebackers Travion Barnes and Phoenix Jackson are out for the season, calling for Kyland Reed and Jeremy Evans to step up in their place. Going against a struggling offense with a starting freshman quarterback and running back, this is the opportunity for the Bears' defense to have their cleanest game of the season.
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Kyle is a writer for the Baylor Bears on SI. He is a student at the University of New Orleans and studies journalism. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and has previously covered the LSU Tigers football team. Kyle loves all aspects of sports and has used that to pursue a career as a writer.