Iowa State Football: Scouting Oklahoma State’s Offense

After suffering a knee injury against Louisiana-Lafayette, quarterback Wes Lunt has watched the Oklahoma State transition from passing to a team that focuses more on the rushing attack with the new quarterback. J.W. Walsh isn’t as flashy with his arm as Lunt was against Arizona earlier this year, but he hasn’t cost the team a game yet. Junior running back Joseph Randle is already just a little under 400 rushing yards from reaching is second 1,000-yard season.

J.W. Walsh will likely make the start against the Cyclones. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Without question, this classic Big 12 offense, along with general disdain for the Cyclones from a season ago, will test how good this Iowa State defense is.

Offensive Breakdown

• Passing: 4th in conference, 7th overall
• Rushing: 1st in conference, 9th overall
• Scoring: 1st in conference, 3rd overall

What offense does Oklahoma State run?

They run a diamond formation, having three offensive players around the quarterback – one on each side, and then one behind them. There are plenty of benefits to having an offensive formation like this, such as adding a blocker and creating a gap for a running back, or running a play in either direction without shifting or motioning any players.

Are there any other players to watch in the running attack outside of Randle?

Walsh. He won’t do a lot of damage with his legs, but the defense will need to watch him on 3rd-and-short situations and not giving him a lot of room to run with the ball.

Will Lunt play at quarterback against the Cyclones?

It’s hard to say at this point, but signs aren’t positive. The latest news comes from NewsOK, saying that offensive coordinator Todd Monken is “encouraged” but he hasn’t been passing the ball just yet. Right now, he’s listed as probable to be active, but will not appear to start. Both quarterbacks are freshmen, but since Walsh is a redshirt and has started for a month now, he will likely make the start unless Lunt shows the ability to throw the ball consistently and accurately in practice.

Other notes:

• Both leading receivers, senior Tracy Moore and sophomore Josh Stewart, have a combined 49 receptions for 624 yards and seven touchdowns.
• Junior tight end, Blake Jackson, has as many yards as the second-highest receiver (Stewart) with 259 yards on 13 catches.
• The Cowboys have only failed to score once in 27 trips to the end zone.
• In contrast, Iowa State has gained 950 less yards of offense this season than Oklahoma State.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Clones Confidential. Keep up with the latest sports fails and disdain toward the Big Ten by following him on Twitter.

Read his other work on the Oregon Ducks blog, Autzen Zoo, and Lacrosse the Web.