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During the weekly Big 12 Coaches Teleconference, Coach Gundy addressed the conservative play-calling late in the game against Texas. The comment may or may not come as a surprise to most...
Gundy said he went conservative offensively because he "wanted to give the defense a chance to win the game. It’s OK to win on defense."
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 28, 2015
Although the defense was playing exceptionally well all game, it is questionable that the vintage Bob Simmons offense OSU decided to roll out late was indeed intentional for the reason Gundy expressed. Here are the two sides.
BUY
The 2015 Glenn Spencer-led defense has been outstanding this season, and Saturday was no different. The Pokes held a very dangerous Jerrod Heard to just 9/17 passing for 117 yards and an interception, but more importantly 48 yards rushing. The Longhorns were an abysmal 4/16 on 3rd downs, and were limited to just 11 first downs all game. With all of this in mind, Coach Gundy decided to put the game in the hands of his defense, who ultimately came through in the 4th quarter.
SELL
Mason Rudolph was surprisingly off throwing the ball after a fast start in the first quarter. All three of Oklahoma State's turnovers came at the hands of Rudolph (one mind-blowing gift of a fumble for a score and two interceptions). With the freshman clearly flustered (and apparently injured), and the rushing offense virtually non-existent, Coach Gundy decided to go conservative solely because he knew his team could not afford another costly mistake. He tried to mix things up with Walsh, but that proved to be ineffective. Ultimately, the play-calling had more to do with the state of the offense rather than the reliable defense.