The Oklahoma State Cowboys have been waiting for a week for a little redemption.
The Cowboys (4-2, 2-1 in Big 12) have had a week to live with the “what-ifs” of last week’s 35-32 loss to Houston, which sent OSU to its first league loss of the season.
To put that behind them, the Cowboys need to win on Saturday against Colorado (2-4, 0-3), Which enters the game on a four-game losing streak.
Here are three matchups that will decide the game for the Cowboys on Saturday.
OSU Secondary vs. Colorado WR Joseph Williams
The Cowboys secondary will get a test from the third-year wide receiver. He should have a career season. He’s matched his career best of 37 receptions, set last season. He has 508 receiving yards and is closing in on his career best of 588 yards in 2024. His five touchdown receptions match his best from a season ago.
He did all this with a quarterback change in the middle of the season as Colorado moved away from Julian Lewis and installed Isaac Wilson as the starter. Colorado has other receivers, but Williams tends to suck the oxygen out of the offense. He's a big-play threat who runs solid routes and Wilson has clearly made him his top target.
That makes it incumbent on Cowboys cornerbacks LaDainian Fields and Mo Horn to lock him down as much as possible on Saturday. They don't need to be perfect — but they need to be better than last week. And they are, there's a good chance Williams won't have the impact the Buffaloes are hoping for.
RB Caleb Hawkins vs. Colorado Front Four
Some of this comes down to how well the Oklahoma State offensive line handles things up front. Caleb Hawkins has proven to be a tough runner all season, even in the face of exceptional run defenses. The Cowboys had to get him out in space in the screen game to help get him moving in the second half against Houston. He still finished with 68 yards rushing But, every yard was hard earned.
This Colorado defensive line has the potential to be trouble. Morris thinks it's one of the better units the Cowboys have played this season and interior lineman Santana Hopper is one of the key tackles to watch. While he's more of a pass rusher, he can stop the run and as he sets the tone for the unit.
If the Cowboys get the right push early and Hawkins can break a couple of runs in that outside zone, then there may be no stopping him. But if Colorado can emulate how Houston bottled Hawkins up, then it could be another long evening for the Cowboys run game.
Cowboys Edge Rushers vs. Colorado QB Isaac Wilson
Isaac Wilson has done a solid job stabilizing the Colorado offense. The Buffaloes wanted to get more out of the quarterback running game and he's delivered. He has a good arm, but accuracy and interceptions can be an issue.
Wilson has thrown five interceptions and four touchdowns this season. It's up to the Cowboys to put as much pressure as possible on him in this game. Oklahoma State would like to do that without blitzing as much as it did against Houston.
The Cowboys defensive line has had some good moments, most notably against Oregon and quarterback Dante Moore. That's the kind of pressure the Cowboys need to put on Wilson on Saturday. With that kind of pressure, Wilson can be induced into making a couple of game changing mistakes that would help the Cowboys win the game.
If the Cowboys win this matchup, it’s because ends like Jaleel Johnson, Malik Charles and James Williams get to the quarterback consistently.
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