Sun Belt Sports Fans

Oklahoma State 54, Louisiana-Lafayette 28

Coming in, expecting a somewhat easy victory on the road against a Sun Belt opponent, the Oklahoma State Cowboys could not have been happy to find themselves trailing the Rajin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette, 21-17, at halftime. The Cowboys committed back to back turnovers in the second quarter that allowed the Cajuns to take control of the game. The Cowboys regrouped at halftime behind quarterback Brandon Weeden and emerging superstar receiver Justin Blackmon, outscoring Louisiana-Lafayette 37-7 in the second half to pull away for a 26-point victory. With the win, Oklahoma State improved to 5-0 on the year and will now try to make a run at the last Big 12 South Division title.

No one has benefited more from the transition to new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen’s wide- open, pass-friendly scheme at Oklahoma State than quarterback Brandon Weeden. OSU’s signal caller and the Cowboys’ passing attack entered this contest as one of the foremost aerial attacks in the United States. The Cowboys were second in passing yards per game due to their ability to torch opposing secondaries. Their efficiency through the air showed on Friday, as Weeden lit up the Cajuns’ secondary for much of the second half. Weeden finished the game with 351 yards passing and five touchdowns. He spread the ball around nicely, throwing touchdowns to four different receivers.

When the Cowboys weren’t airing it out down on the Bayou against coach Rickey Bustle’s Cajuns, the sons of Stillwater, Oklahoma, turned to reliable running back Kendall Hunter. OSU’s veteran running back has provided much-needed balance to the Pokes’ improved passing attack, and on this day, Hunter added 126 yards on 28 carries including a one-yard touchdown run to start the scoring in the third quarter. The Cowboys are now 5-0 and are off to their best start since they started 8-0 in 2008. However, in that particularly season, OSU proceeded to fade down the stretch. The second half schedule in 2010 promises to be much more challenging for Gundy and the Cowboys; games against Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma loom as imposing obstacles to a big season on the South Central Plains.

The Cajuns put up a valiant effort in the first half, but with the loss, they dropped to 2-3 with Sun Belt play about to kick into high gear. The biggest challenge for the Cajuns is developing a consistent running game. Part of the trick is staying close enough in games to make running the ball an option. Trailing by somewhat large margins in three of five games has made it difficult for ULL to run the ball.

Yet, even when games have been competitive, the Cajuns haven’t been able to run the ball particularly well, and after Friday’s game, they are 111th in the nation (out of 120 FBS teams, remember) in rushing. With the struggles on the offensive side of the ball, it doesn’t help that the defense has struggled against both the run and the pass. While the team’s defensive statistics reflect the caliber of opponents they’ve faced to this point, the Cajuns won’t post a winning season if the defense doesn’t improve.

Friday’s loss to Oklahoma State showed why.

Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer