Cowboys' defense finally finishes a foe
STILLWATER, Okla. — When the football bounced his way, Nathan Peterson knew full well what his coaches wanted him to do.
“I thought maybe I should lay on it,”the OSU defensive end said.
A more primal yearning took precedence.
“I saw the end zone right there,” he said, “and D linemen can’t really turn that down.”
And there was a higher calling, as well: Finishing.
Peterson’s 19-yard fumble return clinched OSU’s 41-29 win against Nebraska, and served as emphatic punctuation for an aggressive defense that finally slammed the door on an opponent. The much-maligned unit had faltered in losses to Kansas State and Texas A&M.
Not Saturday.
“We’ve had some tough losses because we haven’t been able to finish,” senior linebacker Victor DeGrate said. “We just reversed it. We finally finished.”
Nebraska totaled 452 yards and 29 first downs. But that doesn’t tell the story.
In the first half, OSU forced the Huskers into just one three-and-out. With 159 rushing yards, Nebraska punched its way to a 16-0 lead that could have been more.
OSU made halftime adjustments. The defensive front, which had used twists and stunts in the first half, went to more basic schemes. The secondary went from zone to man-to-man pass coverage — 70 percent of the time, defensive coordinator Vance Bedford estimated.
That enabled OSU to employ linebackers to stop the run, as well as to help pressure quarterback Zac Taylor. OSU gave up 184 yards — and just 52 rushing yards — and sacked Taylor four times in the second half.
“We made a few plays, and we got us a big win because of it,” Bedford said.
And yet, that doesn’t tell the story, either. Not with this defense. It’s a mental thing, too.
Twenty-six seconds into the fourth quarter, OSU grabbed the lead for the first time. The Cowboys had overcome the 16-0 deficit, and momentum had turned orange.
But no one had forgotten the comebacks by Kansas State or Texas A&M.
“That was obviously in the back of our head,” Peterson said. “But everyone just had that look in their eyes: ‘This isn’t getting away from us. It’s happened twice. It’s not happening again.’”
Nebraska’s next two possessions? The Huskers managed 2 yards in six plays, and punted. Then, after OSU rolled for a touchdown, Nebraska managed 23 yards in seven plays, and punted. Both defensive stands were keyed by sacks.
The third possession ended when freshman linebacker Patrick Lavine poked the ball free from Taylor, and Peterson scooped it up, then scored. With 3:16 left, it was over.
Yeah, the Cowboys gave up a meaningless touchdown with 7 seconds left. But trailing by three scores, Nebraska needed more than three minutes to pick its way downfield.
“That was a big step for us as a defense,” senior defensive end Victor DeGrate said.
“I thought maybe I should lay on it,”the OSU defensive end said.
A more primal yearning took precedence.
“I saw the end zone right there,” he said, “and D linemen can’t really turn that down.”
And there was a higher calling, as well: Finishing.
Peterson’s 19-yard fumble return clinched OSU’s 41-29 win against Nebraska, and served as emphatic punctuation for an aggressive defense that finally slammed the door on an opponent. The much-maligned unit had faltered in losses to Kansas State and Texas A&M.
Not Saturday.
“We’ve had some tough losses because we haven’t been able to finish,” senior linebacker Victor DeGrate said. “We just reversed it. We finally finished.”
Nebraska totaled 452 yards and 29 first downs. But that doesn’t tell the story.
In the first half, OSU forced the Huskers into just one three-and-out. With 159 rushing yards, Nebraska punched its way to a 16-0 lead that could have been more.
OSU made halftime adjustments. The defensive front, which had used twists and stunts in the first half, went to more basic schemes. The secondary went from zone to man-to-man pass coverage — 70 percent of the time, defensive coordinator Vance Bedford estimated.
That enabled OSU to employ linebackers to stop the run, as well as to help pressure quarterback Zac Taylor. OSU gave up 184 yards — and just 52 rushing yards — and sacked Taylor four times in the second half.
“We made a few plays, and we got us a big win because of it,” Bedford said.
And yet, that doesn’t tell the story, either. Not with this defense. It’s a mental thing, too.
Twenty-six seconds into the fourth quarter, OSU grabbed the lead for the first time. The Cowboys had overcome the 16-0 deficit, and momentum had turned orange.
But no one had forgotten the comebacks by Kansas State or Texas A&M.
“That was obviously in the back of our head,” Peterson said. “But everyone just had that look in their eyes: ‘This isn’t getting away from us. It’s happened twice. It’s not happening again.’”
Nebraska’s next two possessions? The Huskers managed 2 yards in six plays, and punted. Then, after OSU rolled for a touchdown, Nebraska managed 23 yards in seven plays, and punted. Both defensive stands were keyed by sacks.
The third possession ended when freshman linebacker Patrick Lavine poked the ball free from Taylor, and Peterson scooped it up, then scored. With 3:16 left, it was over.
Yeah, the Cowboys gave up a meaningless touchdown with 7 seconds left. But trailing by three scores, Nebraska needed more than three minutes to pick its way downfield.
“That was a big step for us as a defense,” senior defensive end Victor DeGrate said.
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