Takeaways From Oklahoma State's 35-24 Loss To Baylor

Here are some takeaways from Oklahoma State's 35-24 loss to No. 16 Baylor on Saturday night. 

-It felt like a game that Oklahoma State should’ve won, seeing the Cowboys won the time battle for time of possession 41:27-to-18:33. Twice in the fourth quarter OSU was inside the Baylor five-yard line trailing by only four points, but both times OSU turned the ball over. The first turnover came when the Cowboys opted to go for it on fourth-and-two from the four-yard line but failed to convert, and the second came when Justice Hill fumbled at the one-yard line when all the momentum seemed to be shifting the Cowboys’ way. Both drives were crucial for Oklahoma State, and they stick out like a sore thumb in the loss. 

-Despite Justice Hill’s costly late-game fumble, the Booker T. Washington product had a very good game, rushing for 122 yards and a score. In fact, Hill was actually the main reason OSU was even in position to score before his turnover. Hill had runs of 13, 38, 12 and seven on the drive, and the way he was running was most impressive. The freshman showcased his speed on a run down the sideline, while also showing he isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and attempt to make a play. Along with Hill, Rennie Childs had another solid game, finishing with two touchdowns as the Pokes seem to have found a rushing attack.

-One thing’s for sure: The Cowboys had some trouble slowing down Baylor receiver Ishmael Zamora, who made his season debut against the Pokes after he was suspended for the Bears’ first three games of the season for brutally abusing his dog in a viral video. That being said, Zamora made the most of his first game action of the 2016 season. Zamora opened the floodgates in the second quarter when he scored two separate touchdowns from 38-yards out. Zamora got somewhat lucky on the first score, seeing a tipped pass fell right into his hands, but his second touchdown was sensational. The sophomore went up for the ball in traffic, and wouldn’t be denied as his rumbled into the endzone to put the Bears up 21-7 right before halftime. OSU was able to keep him quiet in the third quarter, but Zamora had two huge catches during Baylor’s fourth quarter drive that put the Bears’ up 35-24.

-Despite not throwing any touchdowns, OSU quarterback Mason Rudolph still had a pretty good game. He threw for 279 yards and one touchdown, but Rudolph consistently orchestrated long OSU drives as the Cowboys converted 12-of-20 third down scenarios. The junior also made some plays with some feet, most notably converted a third-and-23 by rushing for 26 yards on the fourth quarter drive that eventually ended with an OSU turnover on downs. One problem on the night was the lack of plays from receiver James Washington. The junior finished with only six receptions for 89 yards and failed to carry over the magic from his phenomenal performance in the OSU win over Pittsburgh.

-It was a tough road loss for the Pokes, but they’ll need to turn the page quickly seeing they host No. 21 Texas in Stillwater on Saturday. With plenty of season still ahead of them, the Cowboys still have a lot to play for.