 "Photo: The Daily Toreador")
STILLWATER, OKLA. — Texas Tech had sacked Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson three times already. He had only been sacked four times coming into the game.
The Cowboys had 36 rushing yards on 21 carries in the first half — 158 less than their per game average.
But all that happened in the first half.
The rest was a different story.
The No. 17 Cowboys ran for 205 yards in the second half, holding on to the ball for more than 22 minutes in a 24-17 win against the Red Raiders Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Tech (6-4, 3-3 in Big 12 Conference play) had the ball for only 7:52 in the second half and could not find enough of a rhythm to tie the game.
“It’s real tough, we were just on the sideline,” receiver Detron Lewis said. “I was talking to the players. I was getting cold the whole time. I was just trying to jump around and just keep my body warm.”
Tech coach Mike Leach wasn’t hearing any excuses as he broke down solutions for a tired defense and a bored offense.
“(The defense) shouldn’t have been (tired),” he said. “Offensively we had the ball for 45 plays the first half. Then you want to get off the field? Stop them. That’s a simple solution. I don’t buy any of this business, and I don’t care what defense where and I don’t care what level, ‘Oh we’re so tired. We’re drained.’ Oh ok, ‘Well you’ve got a choice: Stop them or let them score.’
“Same thing with offense, you want to have a lot of plays? Keep drives going, convert third downs.”
Tech was 4-of-13 on third downs as quarterbacks Steven Sheffield and Taylor Potts subbed in and out for each other in hopes of finding a rhythm.
It wasn’t very successful. The two combined to throw three interceptions and two touchdowns despite only getting sacked once.
Robinson on the other hand had his team in sync in the second half. For the game, he finished with 99 yards rushing and went 9-of-21, throwing for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Kendall Hunter added 68 yards and Keith Toston had another 76 yards with a touchdown.
Oklahoma State (8-2, 5-1 in Big 12 play) had the longest drive of its season to open the third quarter, a 19-play, 8:08 drive that ended in a field goal.
They had another long drive after Tech’s offense continued to sputter. This time it went more than six minutes and was capped off by Toston’s touchdown.
“We just had a little more mistakes second half,” said defensive tackle Colby Whitlock. “We weren’t filling the holes and everything like we did the first half.
Because of an injury to his left foot, it was Sheffield’s first action since playing in a 31-10 win against Nebraska on Oct. 17, and with his constant limping it was obvious the injury still lingers.
“He’s tough,” Tech running back Baron Batch said. “He’s a tough guy and that’s why I like him. I wish we could go back and make some of the plays that we just messed up on. We made a lot of mistakes tonight.”
Leading 24-17, Oklahoma State nearly put together a drive to seal the win late in the fourth quarter.
However, with the Cowboys positioned on the 14-yard line on second down, Robinson scrambled to the five-yard line before getting walloped by cornerback Jamar Wall and losing the football, which Tech recovered.
Wall and Robinson were down for several minutes during a scary moment for both teams. Robinson stood up shortly after Wall and both walked off the field with the help of trainers.
But with 1:38 remaining, Tech still had the ball and one more chance to tie the game and force overtime.
Potts and the Red Raiders couldn’t get past their own 45-yard line and the Cowboys ended up taking a knee and running the clock out.
Sheffield’s return didn’t start off well when he replaced Potts in the second quarter.
He drove the Red Raiders down to OSU’s 24-yard line, but on 3rd and 8 he lofted a deep ball to receiver Adam James at the goal line and Perrish Cox snatched his second interception of the game.
Oklahoma State punted three plays later and Austin Zouzalik returned a 56-yard boot to the Cowboys’ 32-yard line.
This time Sheffield got the ball in the end zone when he hit Alex Torres with a 12-yard strike on a slant route with 3:05 remaining. Tech led 10-7 heading into halftime.
Potts was a main reason for the slow start offensively. He had the protection, too. Tech did not allow one sack in the first half.
On his first drive, he threw an interception to Cox when he lobbed a lame-duck pass to no one in particular.
Tech’s defense was doing a good enough job that Tech’s offense had plenty time to get on track.
But Leach said there was just too much inconsistency at quarterback to not try and see if the other could spark the team, which is what Sheffield did on the touchdown drive before halftime.
“They’re both inconsistent and at some point we’ve gotta just be consistent and consistent at other positions,” he said. “We dropped too many balls. We missed some holes at running back and up front I thought we had great protection at times and then there’d be key times where we weren’t so great.”
Costly penalties plagued the Red Raiders in the first half.
A roughing the passer call handed the Cowboys a first down and 16 free yards on a third and 12.
Then a pass interference call on fourth down gave Oklahoma State another crucial first down, this time on the 25-yard line, and Robinson made the most of it.
He hit receiver Hubert Anyiam for a 25-yard touchdown on a vertical down the right sideline.
But when it was all said and done, with quarterbacks shuffling in and a tired defense struggling to slow down a powerful run game, Leach said it was inconsistency in every facet of the game.
“Just basically had too many flat spots, “ Leach said. “I’m just tired of flat spots, and that’s not just quarterback play. That’s line and receivers and all that other business. Any of those worried about who’s playing quarterback need to do their job. Their job is the most important one. If we wanted anyone playing quarterback other than the quarterback then we’d ask someone to.”
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