Oklahoma STATEment: Cowboys Crush TCU

TCU entered Saturday’s game with the fourth-best offense in the FBS. Quarterback Trevone Boykin was nation’s fifth-leading passer and receiver Josh Doctson was No. 1 in receiving yards. The Horned Frogs rolled into Stillwater with the No. 2 scoring offense, behind only Baylor. TCU, essentially, looked unstoppable.

Funny how things can change.

Oklahoma State dominated TCU from start to finish, forcing four turnovers in a 49-29 win. The Cowboys are now one of just two unbeaten at the top of the Big 12.

Related Story: 11/7/15 Instant Analysis: Cowboys Squash Frogs, Stay Perfect

OSU’s defense was sensational from the get-go. The Cowboys forced a three-and-out on TCU’s first possession and then Kolby Listenbee picked off Boykin on the Frogs’ second trip. OSU turned that into seven when Mason Rudolph found “Big Game” James Washington for a 48-yard touchdown.

The Frogs answered back with an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, but as a precursor of what kind of night it was gonna be, missed the extra point.  It was all downhill from there.

Rudolph found Washington again on the Cowboys’ ensuing drive, this time from 50, and OSU took a 14-6 lead. Later in the quarter, up 14-9, Rudolph found running back Jeff Carr for a 12-yard touchdown. After forcing TCU to turn it over on downs, the Cowboys threw the knockout blow.

Rudolph bombed one to Marcell Ateman for 82 yards and a 28-9 lead. Boone Pickens Stadium was out of control as the Cowboys began to seize control of the Big 12 race.

TCU came out of the locker room looking for a 180, but it was more of the same. OSU linebacker Chad Whitener picked off Boykin and returned it 23 yards to the TCU 1. J.W. Walsh ran it in on the next play and things began to get ugly at 35-9.

In the end, OSU held the Frogs to 20 points below their season average. It was the first true four-quarter performance from the Cowboys’ talented defense.  It was also the first time we’ve seen Rudolph, an NFL talent, put it together and play a perfect game.

Rudolph finished 16 of 24 for 352 yards and a whopping five touchdowns. Rudolph, perhaps most importantly, played a turnover-free game at the most opportune time.

Boykin, thought by some to be a Heisman frontrunner, threw four interceptions.

OSU (9-0, 6-0) heads to Iowa State next Saturday. As many will recall, the Cowboys were 10-0 in 2011 when they got their championship season derailed in Ames. TCU (8-1. 5-1) gets to bounce back against Kansas next Saturday in Fort Worth.

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