When I rate the Cowboys, I usually count a win as a passing score. So, yes, Oklahoma State passed the test Arkansas gave it from the celebrated SEC, but it was a course of failure with what seemed like a heavily weighted finale.

OSU edged Arkansas with a 39-31 double-overtime win in Stillwater on Saturday, but if they hadn’t turned a corner like that and their classmates around them had also failed to do their jobs — the referees included — the Cowboys would have blown Week 2.

Here are my grades from a bizarre Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Defense: C-

Since Bryan Nardo took over last year, it’s been a tale of two halves for this defense. The defense kept OSU in the game at times and stepped up at the end, but you could also argue that the defense was just filling the hole it dug the Cowboys into.

The story of last week, and last season, was that Nardo’s defense allowed big plays. Big plays are defined by StatBroadcast as passes of 15 yards or runs of 10 yards. The Cowboys allowed Arkansas 25 of those plays, helping to push the Razorbacks’ total yardage to 648.

Those numbers are truly abysmal, and it’s a miracle they resulted in a win. However, the defense also contributed to this victory, stopping Arkansas on a 4th-and-1 in double overtime and forcing three turnovers, including a pick-six that were OSU’s only points in the first half.

Nardo’s defense did just enough to avoid failure.

Kasey Dunn: D+

Kasey Dunn controls an offense that features the best running back in college football, a quarterback with seven years of experience, the most experienced offensive line in the country and a wide receiver room that is as crowded as can be. Yet the Cowboys’ offense was not responsible for a single point in the first half. OSU’s offense did not reach the end zone until 9:37 left in the fourth quarter.

A striking statistic for plays and passing to playmakers was Ollie Gordon’s 17 carries for 49 yards. OSU played from behind for most of the game, but that was still the case early on, as Gordon only got six carries in the first half. Even Mike Gundy let slip after the game, “We got our asses kicked in the running game.”

I jokingly said I hope Dunn never looks for his name on X. He constantly has fans trying to take his head off, and while I usually keep my pitchfork away and don’t join the mob, OSU’s offensive woes on Saturday seem to be the fault of the man controlling them. However, that also means he gets credit for hanging in there in the end and making enough of a difference for the Cowboys to win.

Alan Bowman: C

I gave Bowman his flowers last week, and rightfully so, but Saturday was a struggle for the seventh-year quarterback, especially in the first half. With the running game not there and the Cowboys playing from behind, the game was on Bowman’s shoulders and he got it done, but he made it harder at times than it needed to be.

Bowman completed 27 of 48 passes for 326 yards, one touchdown and one interception. With a pass completion rate of 56%, Bowman was not good enough, especially compared to last week, and often under-threw his throws.

Still, Bowman did enough to pass (literally) and help his team win. Compared to the issues mentioned previously, I actually have the most confidence in Bowman to pick himself up and get things under control. This will be one of the worst performances we will see from Bowman.

Official: D

There was free football at Boone Pickens Stadium, but it shouldn’t have been there.

Logan Ward made a 38-yard field goal to put OSU ahead 31-28 with 55 seconds left. Arkansas had enough time to come back and tie the game as time expired, but it seems like the Hogs should never have had that chance.

Before Ward’s attempt, OSU was penalized for a false start, causing the attempt to go five yards further. However, an Arkansas defender had gone first, causing the twitch to be a false start. The five extra yards weren’t the worst part, though, as the penalty stopped the clock while OSU tried to get as much out of it as possible. Obviously, Gundy was angry.

That refereeing error apparently caused the game to go into overtime, giving Arkansas three more chances to beat the Cowboys. The picture is even worse when the referees came from the SEC, the Hogs’ conference.

Puppies. pic.twitter.com/kWTG1jg9Jw

— Mr. Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) 7 September 2024