Oklahoma State Smashes Savannah State

Oklahoma State dominates season opener with 84-0 drubbing of Savannah State.

Saturday, September 1st 2012, 11:26 pm

By: News 9


The game wasn't supposed to be close but few, if any, could have predicted just how out of hand things got in Stillwater on Saturday night.

Oklahoma State obliterated Savannah State 84-0 in its season opener at Boone Pickens Stadium in a fitting victory lap in its first home game since locking up the school's first Big 12 championship last December.

The No. 19 Cowboys (1-0) were efficient and methodical against the wildly overmatched Tigers, scoring on their first five possessions of the game to take a 35-0 first-quarter lead. 

The Cowboys were especially on point in the first quarter when they actually still had starters on the field, headlined by a perfect debut performance by freshman quarterback Wes Lunt. Lunt completed all 11 of his passes for 129 yards and exited the game for good with the Pokes holding a 28-0 lead late in the opening quarter.

All four of Lunt's possessions directing the Cowboy offense resulted in rushing touchdowns, highlighted by a 40-yard sprint up the right sideline by Joseph Randle to take a 14-0 lead.

OSU finished with 682 yards of total offense and allowed just 139 but perhaps the most impressive number on the night was the 94 different players to see the field for the defending Big 12 champions.

OSU kept up its break-neck scoring pace from a season ago with its first 10 scoring drives on Saturday lasting 1:30, 0:15, 1:06, 0:55, 1:15, 1:29, 0:44, 0:55, 0:10 and 1:43. The final two drives lasted 5:56 and 6:13.

The Cowboy running game was perhaps the most dominating facet of the game. Randle carried the ball six times for 107 yards and two touchdowns in limited duty, while change-of-pace running back Jeremy Smith scored three times on just five carries for 37 yards. Sophomore Desmond Roland, OSU's third option, carried the ball nine times for 105 yards and three more scores.

Even walkon Corey Bennett got in the action with 12 carries for 94 yards and a score, as the Pokes finished with 395 yards rushing and nine touchdowns on 9.4 yards per carry.

True freshman Austin Hays led the Cowboys with eight receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Pokes were without returning receiving leader Tracy Moore, who was suspended for Saturday's contest.

Reserve linebacker Nico Ornelas led OSU with five tackles as 22 Cowboys recorded at least one tackle. True freshman corner Ashton Lampkin and sophomore linebacker Lyndell Johnson each had an interception in a smothering defensive showing.

The Cowboys controlled the contest from start to finish and, despite the lopsided final, it could have been far more deflating for the Tigers had OSU not called off the dogs midway through the first half, drawing praise from SSU coach Steve Davenport.

"Tremendously classy act by coach Gundy and his staff, this thing could have gotten even worse," Davenport said.

The dominating performance wasn't a surprise but the Cowboys were even more authoritative than expected against one of the worst Football Championship Subdivision teams in the country. SSU went 1-10 in 2011 and OSU was the first FBS school it has ever faced.

Savannah State is tasked with facing No. 7 Florida State next week while the Cowboys travel to take on the Arizona Wildcats.

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