Lessons learned in Oklahoma State's homecoming loss

Oklahoma weather delayed the inevitable as the Cowboys dropped their sixth straight game.

On Saturday, Oklahoma State lost 42-21 to Arizona State, falling to 3-6 overall and still looking for a Big 12 victory. OSU’s loss was delayed nearly three hours between halves due to lightning.

Although the Cowboys have struggled to find success all season, they seemed to turn a corner after their bye week. However, their effort against Arizona State looked much more like the lifeless team that ravaged Stillwater.

Answers to burning questions for OSU’s homecoming game:

At this point, it seems unlikely that OSU will emerge victorious against a conference opponent. That statement can only be made based on their play over the past two months.

However, the Cowboys’ remaining schedule makes it seem like a good bet. OSU closes the season with games at TCU, at home against Texas Tech and at Colorado.

With TCU looking to secure bowl eligibility next week and Texas Tech and Colorado still fighting to make the Big 12 Championship, it could be a long November in Stillwater.

After another disappointing performance by the Cowboys, it would be a disservice to the OSU fan base to leave the current staff untouched. While Mike Gundy will almost certainly be back next season, his coordinators should be different.

Bryan Nardo’s defense is among the worst in the country, and after another embarrassing performance, his time in Stillwater is almost over. Meanwhile, Kasey Dunn is a longtime assistant for the Cowboys, and it would be difficult for Gundy to let go. However, his performance as offensive coordinator has been mediocre over five years, and if he stays, he will likely have to fill a different role next season.

It took nine games, but Mike Gundy finally unleashed Maealiuaki Smith in the closing stages of Saturday’s loss. Smith looked solid, but it’s hard to take much away from that performance given his limited playing time. He completed one of his two pass attempts for 11 yards and added another 5 yards on his lone carry.

Bowman finished the day with 175 yards, one touchdown and one interception while completing 57% of his passes. The seventh-year prospect is below average for the Cowboys, and Smith could be a legitimate starting option now that the Band-Aid has been ripped off.

If the true freshman doesn’t get the nod at TCU, he could be in line to start against Texas Tech after the Cowboys’ second bye week.

Unfortunately for the Pokes, coming home was a wash…literally. America’s Largest got off to a solid start through the first half, but as the rain continued, many fans were driven away as well.

During the lengthy delay, most fans left the stadium, leaving little energy for the second half. When the teams took the field again, Boone Pickens Stadium was fairly empty. With no home field advantage to speak of, OSU came out close, and the Sun Devils had no problem pulling away.

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