Bedlam Pressure Point for Pokes the Offensive Line?
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State offensive line coach Charlie Dickey looks like he’s lost somewhere between 40-50 pounds. Dickey shrugs it off and says he is just trying to get healthier, but Cowboys fans and observers might say, ‘Damn right he’s losing LBs, he’s the offensive line coach at Oklahoma State.’
The truth is Dickey is getting healthier with his diet and exercise. His plan is similar for his offensive line. Every day at practice, Dickey rolls up his sleeves and does what he’s always done, works to make each of his guys better each practice.
“Another good day Robert,” Dickey says passing me in the basement of the West End Zone in Boone Pickens Stadium.
This week Dickey is preparing what has been a patchwork offensive line to face an Oklahoma defensive line and defense that has ramped up momentum and confidence in wins over offensive strugglers TCU, Texas Tech, and Kansas.
The Cowboys (offensive line), to give the “Cliff Notes” version, lost starring offensive tackle Dylan Galloway in June to injury retirement. Starting guard Bryce Bray and promising tackle Jacob Farrell left just before the season started due to team rules violations. Starting right guard Cole Birmingham and right tackle Hunter Anthony went down in the first half of the opener with Tulsa. Finally, after standout and Senior Bowl invitee Teven Jenkins moved to right tackle, sensational walk-on turned scholarship redshirt freshman Jake Springfield went down late in the first half against Texas. One more, at Kansas State after coming in for a gimpy Jenkins, Taylor Miterko was rolled up on severely and may be out a while.
Okay, so who is available for Bedlam?
The match-up of the Oklahoma State offensive line and the Oklahoma defensive line will be critical on Saturday night.
Pat Kinnison - Pokes Report chief photographer
“We're down three offensive linemen, and we're playing two freshman guards,” head coach Mike Gundy said this week when asked about the offensive line and the chance of getting guys back.
To be honest, starting right guard Hunter Woodard is not a freshman, but a redshirt sophomore. He is a first-time starter this season. Starting right guard Preston Wilson is a redshirt freshman and the same, a first-time starter. Left tackle Jake Springfield is a redshirt freshman who started the West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa State, and Texas games before being injured in the first half against the Longhorns.
With Springfield in the lineup, the offense was averaging 481.5-yards a game in total offense. Now, to be fair that includes the game against Kansas with 593 yards of offense.
“When you're playing freshmen guards, you have two things that are going on, and it's no secret they're not as strong as they need to be to play at this level and they're not as experienced," Gundy said. "Offensively, we're trying to play or be compatible with our defense and our special teams. We need to play a well-rounded football game.”
Springfield and the first-game starters of Hunter Anthony and Cole Birmingham are expected back soon, possibly for the Oklahoma. However, game shape and how much work they were able to get would have to factor in.
"Offensively we have to find way to maneuver and get more points than we've been able to get over the last few weeks," Gundy said and that factors in too.
One of senior leaders on the offensive line is center Ry Schneider, who said the line pushed through the open week and is working on getting better with Dickey's coaching each practice.
"There's not a whole lot of challenge, honestly," Schneider said. "We practice every day, everybody practices every position and is expected to know every position that you could possibly play, and know the communication that is involved in that."
Oklahoma State center Ry Schneider lifts up wide receiver Tylan Wallace in celebration after a touchdown against Texas.
Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics
Schneider will be responsible for a very athletic nose guard or one technique in Perrion Winfrey. As Schneider said to me, "It all starts in the middle and I've got to do my job." On the outside are aggressive pass rushers like recently returned Ronnie Perkins and Isaiah Thomas at defensive end and Nik Bonitto at the rush (linebacker) position.
"Watching film on them, like you said, they present a big challenge and everything," Schneider said. "They do a lot of great stuff, do something that not a lot of teams that we've seen do. They're always constantly moving and everything. It'll be a challenge, but it'll be a fun one."
They are about an 80 percent stunt team on the defensive line. With twists, double twists, angles and drops, they do about anything you can think of when it comes to defensive line stunts, meaning communication and familiarity will be a premium for the Pokes offensive line as well.
There is no doubt, this is a challenge for an offensive line that has been unstable, and the Cowboys have to hope the musical chairs up front on offense have stopped for hopefully, the rest of the season.
