Oklahoma State Football: Alamo Bowl Takeaways

The Oklahoma State football team handed the Colorado Buffaloes their fourth loss of the season 38-8, in the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl.

The Oklahoma State 10-3 (8-2 Big 12) football team dominated the Colorado Buffaloes 10-4 (8-2 PAC-12) in a 38-8 victory in the 2016 Alamo Bowl. Buffs fans likely expected a better showing from their squad. Quarterback Sefo Liufau missed a large chunk of the first half due to injury but played in most of the second half. Running back Phillip Lindsay was held in check for most of the game rushing, but he did not get too many touches in the first place.

OK State true freshman running back Justice Hill rushed for more than 100 yards and one touchdown. Senior running back Chris Carson was also effective with 61 yards rushing and one touchdown. Carson also had a 24-yard pass to quarterback Mason Rudolph.

Moreover, wide receiver James Washington had a solid game before leaving the game with a finger injury. Washington caught eight passes for 129 yards and one touchdown.

Rudolph was the most impressive Cowboy. He passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. He also caught a 24-yard pass from Carson. Rudolph played with a confidence that OK State fans did not in Bedlam against the Oklahoma Sooners.

Now let’s take a look at the Alamo Bowl takeaways for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

OK State’s defense dominated

It took the Buffs until the 5:28 mark of the fourth quarter to even get on the board. Liufau scored on a six-yard rushing touchdown. Overall, the Cowboys held Colorado to only 315 total yards of offense. Lindsay only managed 60 rushing yards, but he did have 103 yards receiving so he did make a huge impact. Yet, no other Colorado receiver had more than 38 yards.

The entire Cowboy defensive line played great. Defensive end Jarrell Owens and defensive tackle Vincent Taylor against a strong Buffs’ rushing attack. Cornerback Ashton Lampkin hauled in an interception in the final game of his college career.

OK State fans are hoping to see more of the same from their defense in 2017.

The offensive line massively improved

One of the biggest question marks for OK State entering the season was their offensive line. However, the line got better in every game this season and only allowed one sack against Colorado. Rudolph had much more time to survey the field and pick apart the Buffs’ secondary. Furthermore, the strong play from the offensive line opened up a ton of running room for Hill and Carson.

Head coach Mike Gundy might have finally found the solution for the Cowboys’ offensive line woes.

Rudolph and Washington lead a team that should compete for the Playoff

It’s hard not to be excited for the 2017 season if you’re a Pokes fan. The team did not look this dominant in any game during the regular season. The fact that both Rudolph and Washington return for their senior seasons puts OK State in a position to be a top 10 team to start 2017.

Talent returns elsewhere with wide receivers Jalen McCleskey, Chris Lacy, and Marcell Ateman. Hill returns for his sophomore campaign. And the Cowboys are looking to haul in a top 25 recruiting class loaded with talent and ranked second in the Big 12, according to 247Sports. We’ll see how the final set of rankings in the 2016-17 college football season pan out before knowing the full scope of how the Pokes could be ranked entering 2017.