Instant Analysis: Rudolph, Grogan Lift Pokes Past Cats

OSU took down Kansas State, 36-34, to improve to 5-0 and 2-0 in the Big 12. KSU fell to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference. Here's some instant analysis, stick around for the full story.

What went well

1. Mason Rudolph bounced back nicely from his rough outing at Texas. Rudolph threw for 437 yards and three touchdowns  to lead OSU’s one-dimensional offense to another good performance.

2. Kicker Ben Grogan followed up his clutch kicks last week in Austin with a game-winner from 37 yards with less than a minute to play.

3. It’s nice to have a good coach. Whatever OSU defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer did at halftime worked. OSU couldn’t stop the Wildcats one single bit in that first half, but swarmed them like hornets in the second. Credit the defensive unit for stepping up and making adjustments.  

What didn’t

Even though Kansas State’s offense ended up looking a lot different than the Pokes had game-planned for, there’s no excuse for allowing so many points to an average offensive team playing without a quarterback (more on this below). As stated previously, Spencer and the defense deserve credit for making the necessary adjustments, but they got gutted for an entire half.

Wildcats' wildcat

Kansas State was already down to its third-string QB entering Saturday’s game, but thanks to an injury, ended up playing most of the day with a wide receiver running the offense. Kody Cook, a former JUCO quarterback and wide receiver on the Cats’ roster, balled out in his opportunity to shine. Cook completed 10 of 16 passes for 122 yards and two scores. He also ran for 87 yards and another score. Credit KSU coach Bill Snyder and Cook for piecing together a very impressive performance under difficult circumstances.

Game ball

Rudolph. He kept the Cowboys close while the defense figured out how to make stops, and made the crucial throws down the stretch to set up Grogan’s game-winner.

What’s next

OSU heads to Morgantown to face what should be a very frustrated West Virginia bunch. The Mountaineers (3-1, 0-1) suffered a sloppy loss to Oklahoma on Saturday and will be looking forward to their Big 12 opener.