3 Matchups That Will Decide Oklahoma State’s Week 2 Game Against Oregon
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys hope to stun college football observers with a victory as they prepare to host No. 6 Oregon on Saturday.
The Cowboys (0-1) are coming off a 24-10 loss to Tulsa on Saturday, one that ended all the good vibrations that head coach Eric Morris and his staff had built since he was hired in December. It was a reality check for the Cowboys. Rebuilding from going 4-20 over the last two seasons will not be easy.
The Ducks (1-0) had a tough win over Boise State, winning 34-27. It gave head coach Dan Lanning plenty of tape to coach with this week. The Ducks opted to head to Stillwater on Thursday instead of the traditional Friday to acclimate to the time change and to the heat.
Here are three matchups that will decide the game for the Cowboys on Saturday.
Oklahoma State LT vs. Oregon OLB Matayo Uiagalelei
The Cowboys will start either Desmond Magiya or Shaun Torgeson at left tackle in place of the injured Jacob Sexton, who is out for the season with a lower leg injury. The Cowboys also won't have Braydon Nelson, who played for Morris at North Texas last season.
You can bet Oregon will put Uiagalelei on the right side of the football as much as possible to try and take advantage of the mismatch. The 6-5, 265-pound speedster already has a sack this season and has 19.5 sacks for his career as the outside rushing end in the Ducks’ 3-4 scheme. Even if Sexton were healthy, this would be a tough matchup.
Torgeson was a starting left tackle for Portland State last season, where he logged nearly 800 snaps. Magiya played nearly 200 snaps at left tackle last season at North Texas playing behind Nelson. Whichever one starts it may be the toughest matchup they face on the edge all season.
Oklahoma State RB Caleb Hawkins vs. Oregon DT Bear Alexander
Hawkins was Oklahoma State’s best offensive player last week against Tulsa, as he gained nearly 80 yards on the ground and finished with more than 100 all-purpose yards. This is going to be a much bigger test, not just for Hawkins but for his offensive line. Fairly or not, the line’s success will be measured by how much yardage Hawkins gains. That’s just how it works.
That means finding a way to neutralize Alexander is a big deal. The 6-3, 315-pound defensive tackle patrols the middle of the 3-4 scheme and is going to be entrusted with plugging the inside gaps against the runs and moving linemen around to create tackling lanes for linebackers. It's possible the Cowboys will have to double team Alexander for much of the game to create the space Hawkins needs to run. That puts it on Hawkins to pick the right lane at the right time Saturday to give the Cowboys the run production they need.
Oregon QB Dante Moore vs. Oklahoma State Secondary
This is one week where this scheme could matter for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys run a 4-2-5 scheme with two cornerbacks and three safeties. Moore is one of the best passers in the country and a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. He showed off that arm last week against Boise State as he threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns.
Moore rarely makes mistakes. He already has the maturity to dump passes off when needed and knows when to take chances. He can't be goaded into making mistakes easily.
The Cowboys’ challenge in the secondary is to be disciplined about how they handle coverage. If they're playing man, they need to be physical and maintain inside leverage. If they’re playing zone, they must hand off receivers at the right times and not bus coverage. Given how intricate Oregon’s offense can be, it won’t be easy.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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