The Oklahoma State Cowboys have momentum going into their Top 25 showdown with the Houston Cougars on Saturday.
The No. 18 Cowboys (4-1, 2-0 in Big 12) will face the No. 20 Cougars (5-1, 2-1) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Houston, a game the Cougars are hoping to sell out. The Cowboys should be able to help in that regard, especially if their fans make the trip.
After the UCF game, several players really helped themselves in the eyes of the coaching staff, while a few took a step back.
Reflecting on the game, here are four players that boosted their stock and three players that lost some ground based on how they played and how they were used against the Knights.
Stock Rising
DT Luke Webb
Webb only took 14 snaps against UCF. But he made the most of them. He made two terrific plays on a pair of fourth-down plays, and both showed his ability to get quick penetration at the line of scrimmage.
The first place didn’t yield the change of possession that he hoped. But the second one did and it came in the fourth quarter as the Knights were trying to mount a comeback. Webb properly recognized a run play disguised as a pass look. He went with his gut and his gut was right.
Plays like that boost his stock with the coaching staff. He got more playing time with Landon Dean out of the lineup. But a game like that will get him more reps anyway.
S Evan Jackson
Jackson was a starter to begin the season but lost the job a couple of games ago to Mose Phillips III. After Phillips left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder issue, Jackson was back on the field full-time.
Jackson came in and shined. It wasn’t just the scoop and score that led to the touchdown that gave Oklahoma State a 14-point lead. It was the way he played the entire contest. He didn’t have a tackle, but he didn’t lose coverage and he gave the Cowboys stability on the back line. Depending on Phillips’ availability this week, Jackson could be in the starting lineup against Houston.
CB Christian Bodnar
The last two games Bodnar had made big plays. Against West Virginia it was his tackle of quarterback Michael Hawkins on a play near the goal line in the second half that shut the door on a potential Mountaineers comeback. Against UCF, he was the one that blew up the play that led to Jackson’s touchdown return. His blend of coverage skill and run stopping has given the Cowboys a real boost on the edge.
Bodnar has played both corner and safety in his college career. Being able to use him at nickel back has not only bolstered that position but allowed the Cowboys to move Quinton Hammonds to boundary safety, where he’s a great fit.
OG Desmond Magiya
Left guard Johnny Dickson III was a game-time decision, and the Cowboys opted to sit their normal starter and go with Desmond Magiya, who has been the offensive line’s best depth piece this season. He’s logged time at three different positions and then rock solid at each.
He spent time at left tackle after Jacob Sexton was injured against Tulsa. He backed up Shaun Torgeson at left tackle, Dixon at left guard and Joseph Hansen at right guard. When Hansen left the Oregon game, the Cowboys moved Dickson to right guard and Magiya to left guard. He’s become one of the most invaluable transfers Morris lured from North Texas.
Stock Falling
WR Chris Barnes
Ever since his shoulder injury against Oregon something’s been off about Barnes. He only has three catches in his last two games and while one of his receptions against West Virginia was a key opportunity offensively, he didn’t start against the Knights on Saturday. Terrence Lewis took his starting spot.
This could simply be nothing more than Oklahoma State managing his exposure to contact, but Barnes has not yet approached the production he showed against Tulsa when he caught five passes for 36 yards.
OT Braydon Nelson
The expectation from outsiders was that Nelson would play more than five snaps on Saturday. So, his stock may not be down so much as Oklahoma State may simply be easing him into the lineup. The play of Shaun Torgeson at left tackle and Johnny Dickson III at left guard means the Cowboys don’t have to rush Nelson back to the field. They can give him time to get used to playing football after rehabbing his offseason knee surgery.
But, based on the one possession he did play, it’s not clear how much additional playing time Nelson will get against Houston. Offensive line chemistry is something that Oklahoma State doesn’t want to disrupt.
CB Mo Horn
This season Horn has been an “OR” on the depth chart but normally starts. This weekend Kollin Lewis had his start in the lineup. Lewis played more than double the snaps of Horn and put up far better ratings at Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which may explain the flip. Horn was one of the Cowboys’ better tacklers on the perimeter against Murray State. But something has changed since then. He’s still getting playing time, just not nearly as much as he was the first three games of the season.
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