STILLWATER - Mike Gundy figures his Oklahoma State Cowboys are seven points better on offense and seven points better on defense than his woeful 2005 squadron.
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That might not be enough. Give OSU a 14-point swing in every game last season, and the win column only rises two.
But State might improve even more than that, if the scrimmage Saturday in the shadows of Gallagher-Iba Arena is any indication. OSU appears to have multiplied its big-playmakers three or four fold.
Think back to last September, when the Cowboys dueled sans swords.
OSU scored 15 points on Montana State, 23 on Florida Atlantic, 20 on Arkansas State and 0 on Colorado. State's offense emitted a foul and unpleasant odor.
But now OSU has added speedy tailback Dantrell Savage, transfer split end Adarius Bowman, emerging flanker Ricky Price and, at quarterback, new and improved Bobby Reid. Big difference. Big, big difference.
"We know we've got to make explosive plays," said OSU offensive coordinator Larry Fedora.
Few college teams can play grind-it-out football these days. Defenses are too big, fast and smart to allow it. Offenses have to land a roundhouse blow, have to get their yardage in big chunks. Especially these Cowboys.
OSU's offensive line will not be overpowering. Center David Washington and tackles Corey Hilliard and David Koenig are solid, but the guards are unproven. No way will the Pokes methodically drive to touchdowns. They can't play station-to-station football. They've got to hit home runs.
"College football is getting the ball in space to guys that can make you miss 'em," Gundy said. "If you have three or four of those guys, you're going to be a lot better."
A year ago, OSU's big-play offense consisted of flanker D'Juan Woods. Defenses shifted a safety to suffocate D'Juan, and the Cowboys were hard-pressed to find points.
But now, they've added some punch. Savage is a darting tailback who can break a big play, witness his 61-yard kickoff return Saturday night. Price caught a 45-yard TD pass over the middle from Reid, and Tommy Devereaux got behind the Cowboy secondary for a 43-yard scoring pass from Reid. Bowman missed the scrimmage because of a sore hamstring but is expected to be quite the sidekick to D'Juan.
Still, the No. 1 playmaker for the Pokes must be Reid, and not necessarily with his arm.
Gundy says there are two kinds of quality quarterbacks. Game operators, quality control agents who manage a game, and playmakers. Reid, a sophomore, remains too green to be a pristine field general. OSU needs him to produce big plays.
"Bobby has to run better," Gundy said. "When he jumps around in there, it takes a small part of our offense away."
Funny to hear talk like that about a quarterback. Sounds more like a tailback who dances too much instead of hitting the hole, but that's the mission for Reid.
"That's something we're working on," Fedora said. "Drop back there, it's cloudy, go make a play. He's doing better."
Reid is no Vince Young, primarily because who is? But he can run like a tornado and has a strong arm, which means he makes coaches dream crazy about his potential. Last year was a disaster, with injuries and inconsistency, but that was his maiden voyage.
"Last year, I wasn't really relaxed out there," Reid said.
He seemed much more poised Saturday night, though Gundy still wants more decisive thinking. Tuck the ball, Gundy says, and make defenders think holy smokes, here comes a freight train.
"If things break down, he needs to run and run fast and score," Gundy said.
Gundy and Fedora both said big plays can be found in small packages. For instance, near the goal line Saturday night, Reid rolled out, found no open receivers or running lanes and threw the ball into the parking lot. Last year, Gundy said, Reid would have tap-danced until disaster struck.
Instead, the Cowboys got another shot and eventually scored.
Seven points better on offense? No doubt. But this OSU team needs even more improvement, and it might just have it.
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