Oklahoma State 38, Texas 35: Longhorns can't claw back as Cornelius dominates

By Will Leverett

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For weeks, Texas had allowed underdog opponents to stay close late into games. It finally caught up to the Longhorns, as Oklahoma State took an early lead and never looked back, winning 38-35 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Here are three takeaways from Texas’s first loss since Sept. 1.

Suspensions cost early points

It was announced before Saturday night’s game that defensive backs Kris Boyd and Davante Davis, along with wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, would miss the beginning of the game due to being late to team meetings.

The defense struggled mightily without Boyd and Davis, the two best corners on the Texas roster. The pair watched on from the sidelines as quarterback Taylor Cornelius and the Oklahoma State offense torched the Longhorns for 17 points and over 200 yards in just the first quarter. Freshman Anthony Cook and Kobe Boyce got the start in the defensive backfield, and they were unable to keep up with the Oklahoma State receivers or make an impact in the run game.

While Humphrey returned after the first offensive series, the damage on the defense was snowballing quickly. The Cowboys took a 24-7 lead in the second quarter. The 17-point first quarter outburst just proved to be too much and the suspensions proved to be costly.

Secondary falls flat

A week ago, Taylor Cornelius threw for 194 with two interceptions against Kansas State. The Texas secondary did a lot to change that.

In that first quarter, Cornelius picked on freshman Kobe Boyce with receiver Tylan Wallace. But even after Boyd and Davis returned, they simply did not play well enough to slow down the Cowboys. Wallace made plays all over the field against Davis, easily winning the battle in man-to-man coverage. Safety Brandon Jones just looked lost throughout the game, taking bad angles to receivers, missing tackles and then catching a punt late in the game that pinned Texas inside it’s own 2 yard-line.

For a defensive backfield that has been heralded as one of the best in the conference, it did not put up much of a fight against an offense that has seen plentiful struggles as of late.

Johnson, Humphrey on lock down

Oklahoma State clearly came in with a plan to bring as much pressure as possible on quarterback Sam Ehlinger. This should have left playmaking receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Collin Johnson in man-to-man coverage where they thrive.

They just could not get the ball in their hands out in space for most of the game, particularly in the first half stretch in which Oklahoma State built its lead. The Cowboys played outstanding one-on-one defense on the perimeter. In the first half, the pair combined for four catches. Nonetheless, the Longhorns needed to find a way to get the ball in the hands of these two playmakers, and they just couldn’t until it was too little, too late.

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