Colorado Buffaloes (3-7) at No. 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-2)
Date: Thursday, November 19th
Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Line: Oklahoma State -17.5 -110
Total: 47 ½
Colorado ATS Record: 5-4
Oklahoma State ATS Record: 5-3-1
The Oklahoma State Cowboys will conclude the home portion of the 2009 football season Thursday night when they host the Colorado Buffaloes in a Big 12 battle. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and ESPN’s on hand to televise the game to a national audience.
The 12th-ranked Cowboys have enjoyed a terrific campaign up to this point and they are coming off another solid win, capturing a 24-17 victory over Texas Tech this past weekend. The Cowboys (8-2 SU, 5-3-1 ATS) opened as 14-point favorites on their home turf at Boone Pickens Stadium, and the line has shot up with wiseguys and squares both pounding the FAVORITE.
The Colorado Buffalo’s miserable campaign continued last weekend, when the team suffered a 17-10 loss at Iowa State. The loss was Colorado's 10th straight in true road games and its 12th in a row outside the state of Colorado, as the team was eliminated from postseason contention at just (3-7 SU, 5-4-1 ATS) overall.
Colorado does lead the head-to-head series with the Cowboys, 26-18-1, but OSU won last season's meeting by a 30-17 score.
Oklahoma State Offense: The Cowboys Offense is third nationally in time of possession (33:16 minutes per game). QB Zach Robinson had to be helped off the field in Oklahoma State's last game after a collision with a Texas Tech Red Raider in the final two minutes lead to concussion type symptoms. After quickly sitting up, he lay back down and stayed that way for several minutes before being helped to the bench by the team's trainers. Head Coach Mike Gundy feels Robinson will be fine and able to play this week. If Robinson is unable to go, junior Alex Cate would replace him. Robinson is trying to improve his numbers. He has thrown 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions this year after throwing for 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2007 and 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2008.
Oklahoma State has been playing without All-American wide receiver Dez Bryant, a top pro prospect that is suspended for the season due to a meeting with Deion Sanders in which he lied about to NCAA investigators. Kendall Hunter will return to the Cowboys backfield. He’s averaged 57.5 yards rushing during the past two weeks after missing five games earlier this season with an ankle injury. Hunter led the Big 12 in rushing with 1,555 yards last year. RB Keith Toston is one of OSU’s all-time leading rushers. The OSU offensive line is third nationally with seven sacks allowed through 10 games and fifth in tackles for loss allowed at 3.5 per game.
Oklahoma State Defense: The OSU defense is just one of eight in the country yet to allow a 100-yard rusher in 2009. OSU did the most basic thing in the Texas Tech game, when OSU had chances to make tackles, it did. Then, with the game on the line, the Cowboys pushed around the Red Raiders up front. The Defense is fundamentally very strong at OSU. OSU's defense has been criticized heavily at times, but the unit was outstanding last weekend, limiting Texas Tech to just 357. Texas Tech, which is averaging nearly 400 yards per game through the air, was only able to pass for 307 yards against the Cowboys, who also had three interceptions. Patrick Lavine returned a pick for a score to add to OSU’s 14 interceptions on the year. The run defense has also been especially good for OSU, holding foes to just 89.6 ypg on the season. Donald Booker paces the defense with 71 tackles and four sacks, while Lavine comes in with 59 stops, to go with a team-best five picks. Lavine had eight stops and a pick last weekend, and Booker even finished with eight tackles. Thorpe Award candidate Perrish Cox is coming off a two-interception, three breakup game vs. Texas Tech. Oklahoma State was out gained 357-333, but it forced three turnovers for the second consecutive game.
Colorado Offense: Quarterback Tyler Hanson, who led Colorado to an upset of then 17th-ranked Kansas last month, went 18 of 38 for 258 yards, one touchdown and one interception in last Saturday's loss. He's thrown four interceptions and three touchdowns since taking over as starter in place of Cody Hawkins. The Buffaloes have moved the ball well in their past two games, piling up a combined 827 yards in a 35-34 victory against Texas A&M two weeks ago and in the loss to Iowa State. Tyler Hansen threw the ball well against Iowa State with Scotty McKnight catching eight passes for 107 yards. Rodney Stewart added 85 yards rushing for the Buffaloes, matching his season average. But penalties and failed third-down plays hurt the Buffaloes again. Colorado entered the matchup as the fourth-most penalized team in the nation and was whistled for 11 infractions totaling 110 yards. Colorado has lost 11 straight on the road and has been outscored by an average of 14.4 points in the five losses away from home this season. In the last three road games, the Buffaloes have been held to a combined 30 points. The Buffaloes were just 2-of-14 on third-down conversions and had three turnovers.
Colorado Defense: Colorado is among the national leaders in forcing “three-and-outs,” when the opponent is held to three plays then punting The Buffs have forced 44 through 10 games, 14th best in the nation. Colorado continues to stifle the opponent on third down, as the enemy is converting at just 34.5 percent on the year. Colorado is 24th in the nation in third down defense; ahead of the Buffs include five of the six remaining Colorado's defense did a good job slowing down ISU last weekend, holding the Cyclones to just 310 total yards, including only 116 through the air. The unit came away with a pair of takeaways and two sacks, but didn't get much help from the team's offense. For the season, Colorado has been up and down and is giving up 373.9 total ypg, including 155.8 ypg on the ground. The unit has compensated for some of those yards by recording 24 sacks and forcing 20 turnovers.
Colorado Special Teams: CU’s kickoff teams are dominant. After 59 opponent kickoffs, CU’s been pinned inside-the-25 just 13 times and inside-the-20 only seven times. By contrast, CU has kicked off 43 times, with the enemy starting 32 times inside their 25, including 10 times inside-the-20, and just five times at the 30 or better.
Oklahoma State Special Teams: Cowboy Kicker Dan Bailey is perfect in his career on extra points with a school-record 126 in a row. Bailey has now joined OSU’s career top 10 with 213 points. The Cowboys' Perrish Cox is among the best in the nation in the kick return game. OSU likes to put either running back Kendall Hunter or Cox on kickoffs to force teams to choose how to get beat.
Fast Facts:
-- Oklahoma State is 18-6 in its last 24 football games with four losses to teams ranked in the top three of the AP poll.
-- Colorado is 4-13 ATS the past 17 times it has been a road underdog. This is Colorado's first visit to Stillwater since a 34-0 win in 2005. Colorado has won just three times in the last 24 road games.
Colorado Injuries: Ray Polk S Questionable Foot, B.J. Beatty Ques. Concussion, Anthony Wright Out Knee, Nick Kasa DE OUT Illness, Darrell Scott WR Out Knee, Jerry Slota QB Out Suspension, Maxwell Tuiotu-Mariner OL Out Knee.
Oklahoma State Injuries: QB Zach Robinson Probable Head, Brady Bond OL Questionable Undisclosed, Dez Bryant OUT Suspension, Victor Johnson S Questionable Knee, Jeremy Smith RB Out Shoulder, Kye Stanley RB Out Knee, Orie Lemon LB Out Knee.
Betting Trends:
Colorado is 6-15 ATS in their last 21 road games
Colorado is 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games as a road underdog
OSU is 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games versus a team with a losing record
OSU is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games
The UNDER is 4-1 in OSU’s last 5 games
