No one had headaches last weekend like Zac Robinson did. On Saturday, he hopes to be the one dishing them out.
The Oklahoma State University quarterback's status for this weekend's game at Nebraska was doubtful last Saturday after suffering a slight concussion against Texas A&M. But OSU Coach Mike Gundy said this week that Robinson would likely be the starter over recently demoted backup Bobby Reid.
Gundy also made the point that both Reid and Robinson are very similar quarterbacks, and regardless of who was in the game, the offense wouldn't have to adjust.
That's a big advantage for OSU (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big 12 Conference), whose offense has a favorable match-up on the field. The Cowboys have a balanced spread attack, averaging 234.5 rushing yards and 238.7 passing yards per game. Their total yards per game is ranked fifth in the Big 12, but road woes and mental mistakes have kept OSU from breaking through.
Against Texas A&M last weekend, the Cowboys were set to return a punt in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. OSU trailed by one, but a roughing the punter penalty gave the Aggies a first down and hurt OSU severely.
"Obviously, what happened is not what we wanted to happen," Gundy said. "We have punt blocks on each week, and whether we're going after a punt or not, we never leave our feet. Ever. And in that situation we did. It was just an unfortunate situation, and we just have to move on from that play.
"That's the way it is. Our team continued to play, momentum changed, the crowd got into it, we got right down the field and got back in it and had a mistake on the goal line. So there were some things that came out of the game that were positive."
The Cowboys are looking to this weekend's game at Nebraska (4-2, 1-1 Big 12) as an opportunity to change the momentum of their program. All three of OSU's losses have come on the road, and they have not won at Memorial Stadium since 1960.
But the Cornhuskers fell 41-29 in Stillwater, Okla. last year after a defensive breakdown, and those problems are yet to be remedied in 2007. After being picked apart against Missouri last week, Nebraska is in crisis mode and looking to right its ship. OSU poses several of the same challenges that Missouri used to plague the Huskers in a 41-6 defeat.
"It would be a great win for us," OSU offensive lineman Andrew Lewis said. "It would be very important and a key success on the road. We haven't been playing too well on the road for a while now, so it would be great to win that game."
OSU's greatest factor in their favor may be the timing of the game. Nebraska is slowly eroding on defense and struggling to maintain morale, while the Cowboys continue to improve and move the ball on their opponents.
"I felt a lot better, once I got finished puking and crying and all that stuff [from the A&M game], than I did when I came home from [a 41-23 loss at] Troy," Gundy said. "I felt a lot better about our football team. I felt better about the way our defense is playing."
JONATHANCROWL@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
