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The UTSA Roadrunners travel up the interstate this Saturday to the confines of Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma to take on the OSU Cowboys in a battle of 1-1 teams. BetDSI has the Cowboys as a 13.5-point favorite for the game that kicks off at 7 pm ET.
The Season So Far
UTSA has begun the season with two impressive showings, yielding two different results. The Roadrunners opened with a solid 27-7 victory at Houston, a team they lost to handily last season. They followed that with a close 26-23 loss at home to Arizona, a team they lost to substantially last season as well. The Roadrunners held Arizona’s offense to 6 second half points, but could only muster up one touchdown themselves, falling just short in their upset bid. A relatively new and unknown program, UTSA has a coach that has won a national championship at the helm; former Miami coach Larry Coker. His team has the luxury of returning 21 starters from last season, and leads the FBS with 37 seniors on the roster. It’s safe to say that this Roadrunner team is looking a lot better than the 2013 version, and has the experience to back it up.
Oklahoma State comes into Saturday with an impressive showing of their own, a tough 37-31 season opening loss to defending national champions Florida State. The Cowboys followed that loss with an uninspired victory over lowly Missouri State, 40-27. That game was hardly uneventful however, as the Cowboys lost starting quarterback J.W. Walsh to a leg injury during the end of the 1st quarter. Junior backup quarterback Daxx Garman had a solid showing in his first ever collegiate game, highlighted by an 87 yard touchdown strike to Brandon Sheperd on a 3rd-and-19 play. Garman, while not the runner like Walsh, was able to complete several throws down field that Walsh rarely attempts, the latter being more known for his running skills rather than as a pocket passer. OSU, despite having the 2nd youngest team in all of FBS, has had to grow up fast in their first two contests.
Inexperience At Quarterback
Being that UTSA is a rather young program, this is only the 2nd meeting in this series. Oklahoma State won the first ever matchup last season in San Antonio, dominating the Roadrunners in a 56-35 thrashing, opening the game with a 35-7 lead before eventually sending in the reserves. Walsh was a key player in that matchup, going 24-27 for 326 yards, 4 touchdowns, and zero picks. Although the Cowboys won’t have Walsh for this round, count on Garman to do more than just an adequate job in his place. Garman’s stronger arm allows for him to fully utilize the team’s depth at wide receiver, thus opening up the field for speedy tailback and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year favorite Tyreek Hill.
UTSA senior quarterback Tucker Carter will surely look to do his part against a young but speedy Cowboy defense. After spending 2013 as a backup to Eric Soza, Carter has had a decent showing thus far in 2014, throwing for 349 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He’ll look to get the ball to experienced receivers David Morgan II and Kam Jones, while looking out for OSU corners Kevin Peterson and Ashton Lampkin, who together have accounted for 8 tackles, 1 interception, and 2 passes defended this season.
Crucial Numbers
It’s worth noting that OSU fares very well at home against Conference USA teams, going 14-1. Dating back to the 2012 season, the Cowboys are 12-2 SU and 10-4 ATS. The Roadrunners on the other hand, are 9-4 SU and 10-2 ATS since 2012. They are also 6-0 as the Under in their last 6 games.
Prediction
Despite strong showings in their first two games, UTSA simply won’t be able to hang with a Cowboy offense that will look to stretch the field with Garman behind center. Though young and inexperienced, the Cowboys defense has proven to be solid thus far. Their defensive line has consistently put pressure on the quarterback, forcing hurried throws that have led to turnovers from both the linebackers and backfield. Tucker Carter simply hasn’t had to deal with a defense with this speed as of yet. The Roadrunners defense will put up a solid showing to the Cowboys, but it will not be enough to slow down their skill position players, where they have a decided edge. Expect a similar result to last year’s contest, with plenty of points scored.
We’ll take Oklahoma State (-13.5) and the over of 54.
