Special teams provide extra firepower for Oklahoma State

By John Hillman  |   Tuesday, September 02, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Oklahoma State Cowboys
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Oklahoma State doesn’t relegate special teams to an afterthought. The Cowboys’ bevy of returners and kickers supply a potent offensive weapon.

In Saturday’s 39-13 rout of Washington State at Seattle’s Qwest Field, Oklahoma State produced two Dan Bailey field goals off Dez Bryant’s 42-yard punt return and a 68-yarder from Ricky Price. Perrish Cox put the exclamation mark in the return game with a 90-yard kickoff runback for a touchdown, the third of his career.

Cowboy kickers also performed with perfection as Bailey went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, and Matt Fodge averaged over 43 yards per punt. Oklahoma State’s coverage teams contributed to the win by allowing the Cougars zero return yards on punts and just under 24 yards per kickoff return.

“Our motto this year is ‘Set the tone,”’ said special teams coordinator Joe DeForest. “And we did that in the kicking game in every phase.”

The strong special teams play complemented Oklahoma State’s balanced offense that featured head coach Mike Gundy calling the plays for the first time. The Cowboys finished with 367 offensive yards (174 rushing, 193 passing) as quarterback Zac Robinson completed 20-of-27 attempts with one interception. Sophomore running back Kendall Hunter paced the ground attack with 107 yards on 23 carries and scored on runs of 11 and 10 yards.

Oklahoma State’s outstanding special teams kept the heavily partisan Washington State crowd of 50,830 silent most of the contest. They also spoiled the coaching debut of Paul Wulff, the first Washington State graduate to helm the Cougars' sideline since Phil Sarboe left after the 1949 season.

“There are no easy wins out there,” Gundy said. "It was a really good day for the defense, and special teams were really, really big for us. Good special teams play – that’s what made the difference today.”

Baylor, one of Oklahoma State's Big XII foes, learned some costly lessons about poor special teams in its 41-13 season-opening loss to Wake Forest. Ben Parks shanked an extra point and pooched his three kickoffs.

Derek Epperson’s 14-yard punt set up the game’s opening score, a 40-yard Wake Forest field goal. Dwain Crawford allowed a Wake Forest punt to glance off his body at the Baylor 10, leading to the Deacons’ final touchdown.

Oklahoma State’s romp in its Pacific Northwest opener pushes the Cowboys’ 2008 postseason prospects to the forefront. With Texas Tech struggling on defense in its 49-24 win over Eastern Washington, and Texas A&M falling to unheralded Arkansas State 18-14, Oklahoma State appears more like a contender for the top echelon of the Big XII South.

Houston, Missouri State and Troy provide the Cowboys’ special teams with additional opportunities to hone their skills before the Aggies come calling in Stillwater on Oct. 4. That contest should determine if Oklahoma State is a special team in 2008 or just another average one.

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About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today....
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