Brown was Ignition Switch for Cowboys Limping Engine to Explode Enought to Beat K-State
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The struggles for Oklahoma State against a stout Kansas State team on this past Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas started the previous Saturday with a very physical and emotionally draining overtime loss to Texas. As much as the Cowboys preached to the outside and to each other to get over the game they literally gave away to the Longhorns, the physical reminders were impossible to ignore.
"We limped through practice this week on both sides of the ball," head coach Mike Gundy said after the 20-18 win over the Wildcats. "We didn’t get quality work during the week in practice."
Quarterback Spencer Sanders had several ailments and did not practice on Sunday evening or Monday evening as all Division I teams had to alter practice schedules to account for election day being a mandatory off day. That made for players having to practice that key first physical practice for the next game on Monday night without the valuable off day to heal some physically and relax mentally.
Coming back Wednesday, running backs Chuba Hubbard and LD Brown were limited and did little. Then wide receiver Tylan Wallace suffered an injury in practice that caused him to be held out the rest of the week and all but the "hands team" for the onside kick at the end of the game. Defense had plenty of injuries as well.
"The results usually aren’t very good (when they many players are hurt and don't practice), but they found a way to win the game, and ultimately that’s all that matters. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t pretty, but they found a way to win the football game. I told them it’s got to be them. The coaches can't win the game, players have to do that."
The Oklahoma State defense was playing okay and the scoreboard had Kansas State up 12-0 at the half, but the stats showed Oklahoma State with four first downs, 83-yards of total offense, and nine-yards rushing. The worst of the numbers there was the "goose egg" on the scoreboard and nine-yards rushing.
Honestly, Sanders looked like his arm was limited and without explosive deep, intermediate, and short threat Tylan Wallace it sure seemed like the running game would have to be the ignition switch to turn over the stalled offensive motor.
“We turned it on in the second half,” Brown said. “We made adjustments and it worked out for us in the end.”
Brown pushed hard through several holes that might not have been as big as normal for a beat up Oklahoma State offensive line, but they were creases. Then the Cowboys really began to feel a lot better when Brown went around the right side, next to the Oklahoma State bench on the first play after a short punt and ducked but then popped up and went 50-yards to the Kansas State one.
"I thought 19 was going to hit me and then he didn't and took off," Brown said of the play. "I was really mad that I didn't score."
That was okay because on a third and long freshman slot receiver Brennan Presley went around the same right side on a reverse and he did score.
“It was everything,” OSU offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn said of Brown's big run and Presley's reverse to finish. “We were just waiting for that moment of somebody popping that big one. We’ve won a lot of football games that way, with explosive plays. We were waiting for our opportunity to be explosive and LD provided it at the right moment. Certainly it changed the outcome for us offensively.”
On a day where the Cowboys finished with just 256-yards of total offense and Brown had a huge chuck with 110-yards, 99 in the second half, they needed to back-up running back. It's not the first time and head coach Mike Gundy is confident in case it isn't the last.
“He’s been good all year. He practices hard, he’s got a smile on his face," Gundy said of Brown. "His attitude’s good, he’s unselfish, and I’m very proud of him. He stuck around a long time. He’s backed up a lot of good running backs in our organization, and he’s getting his shot this year. He didn’t practice much all week. In fact, he practiced a little bit Thursday, and that’s about it. Kudos to him for fighting through an injury and coming out and making some plays.”
This week, the bye week before Bedlam will be spent, sure getting some early prep on Oklahoma, but most important, it will be spent on healing as much as can be healed. Brown, Hubbard, Wallace, and Sanders, but also that offensive line that Brown gave his allegiance to after the win over the Wildcats allowing the Cowboys to go to 5-1 and 4-1 in Big 12 play.
“They played through injuries, it was just the next man up, Brown said.
“Teven (Jenkins) went down and we put the backup in and then he went down," added Gundy of the offensive line and that injury happened in the first quarter. "I don’t know who we put in after that. Teven came in eight or ten plays later. We’re down to so many young guys I’m not even sure who’s playing anymore on the offensive line.”
"They played their butts off and we couldn’t have done it without them," continued Brown. "Running behind them, they played tough today and I’m proud of those guys because we had to move some guys around as you all could see, but it worked out for us.”
The general feeling on the bus ride home through Kansas and northern Oklahoma on Saturday night was the same as Brown's
“I’m happy. We got a W and we’re going into a bye week, so my body can rest then," he said wrapping up his day. "Coach Gundy knows and he’s got a plan for us to rest, and we’ll go from there.”
Because in large part to Brown, the Pokes are in the right spot to keep going.
