While the offensive numbers were eye-catching, Oklahoma State’s special teams played a key role in Saturday's win.
Special team units are often overlooked unless they mess up. But OSU may not have beaten Kansas 39-32 without their efforts.
Special teams played their most significant role after Kansas touchdowns. On typically routine extra point tries, Kansas had issues on each of its first three attempts.
The Cowboys blocked the first two; however, the first was called back due to an offside penalty. On the Jayhawks’ third attempt, they had problems with the snap and failed again.
Those unsuccessful tries gave Kansas only 19 points after scoring three touchdowns. Those plays also led Kansas to go for two on its next touchdown.
The Jayhawks did not get the conversion, bringing their points lost from special teams to three.
For OSU, the kicking game was mostly successful, with Alex Hale nailing four of his five field goals and was perfect on extra points. But Hale’s lone miss was nearly costly for the Cowboys.
After kicking field goals from inside the Jayhawks’ 10-yard line on the first two possessions of the second half, the Cowboys looked to capitalize after intercepting Jason Bean. But the Cowboys offense went three-and-out to give Hale a 43-yard attempt that would have taken the lead.
Hale missed and forced the OSU defense to step up again. The defense made plays and eventually allowed Hale a chance at redemption.
With the Cowboys leading by four late, Hale made a 42-yard field goal. The defense made a final stop and sealed the win.
Other times when the Cowboys made stops defensively, they showed a new look on fourth down. On punt returns for the Cowboys, they put two players back to potentially return the punt.
Each time the Jayhawks punted, Brennan Presley and Jaden Nixon stood ready to return. Although they never got an opportunity to make something happen.
Nixon attempted a return once but was tackled immediately on what probably should have been a fair catch. This will be something to watch if OSU continues to show this look next week at West Virginia.
Although it will not happen every game, good special teams play can determine the outcome of a game. If OSU has some more tricks up its sleeve, that area can continue to be an advantage.
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