<
>

Second-half surge, defense spark Oklahoma State over Central Arkansas

Despite an inconsistent offense, Chris Carson and the Cowboys are 2-0. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

The Oklahoma State Cowboys knocked off the Central Arkansas Bears, 32-8, at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday.

Let's take a closer look at how it happened:

What the win means for Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy’s team starts off 2-0 but knows it has plenty to work on. The defense has been solid but the offense has been up and down, shooting itself in the foot at times against Central Arkansas. The running game -- which averaged 4.7 yards per carry but saw lead back Chris Carson finish with 15 carries for 42 yards -- still needs work, and the offensive line must improve if OSU plans to compete for the Big 12. Nonetheless, the Cowboys enter Week 3 undefeated.

What the loss means for Central Arkansas: The Bears get off to a 0-2 start but stayed in the game until the fourth quarter when the Cowboys began to really cement the win with a pair of touchdowns. Central Arkansas has a week off before they face Northwestern (La.) State on Sept. 26.

The game was won when ... the second half started. After ending the first half with three punts and an interception on its final four possessions, Oklahoma State opened the second half with three touchdowns and a field goal on its first four possessions to pull away. Senior receiver David Glidden played a major part in the second-half surge, finishing with four receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He had touchdown catches for 67 yards and 31 yards on the night.

Stat of the game: Central Arkansas managed just 3.4 yards per play against the Cowboys defense, finishing with 220 total yards on 64 plays. Oklahoma State’s defensive line was extremely disruptive for the second straight week with 10 tackles-for-loss, and its defensive end duo of Emmanuel Ogbah and Jimmy Bean adding one sack each.