SPEED KILLS: Tyreke Hill’s 4th Quarter Kickoff Return Smites Jayhawks

  “Speed Kills.” The motto started in Eugene with the Oregon Ducks, but was borrowed from them after the Oklahoma State Cowboys escaped with a win against the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday.

  On a day where OSU looked sub-par at best, the Jayhawks took advantage of being at home (even though the crowd was at about 15,000) and of having a new interim coach at their helm.

OSU running back, Tyreke Hill, explodes down the field
as he returns a 99-yard kickoff for a touchdown to give the
Pokes a 27-20 lead in the final minutes of the 4th quarter.

  In the 1^st half, it was all OSU as they took a commanding 20-7 lead into the locker room, but the 2^nd half of the game didn’t go as the Pokes had planned. Daxx Garman became the inaccurate gunslinger that took too many chances, and Kansas’ new quarterback, Michael Cummings, played better than the initial starter for the Jayhawks, Montell Cozart, had ever played for Kansas. In fact, Cummings played so well, that he packed better stats than Garman did! As the OSU offense was halted several times in the 2^nd half, Kansas took full advantage, and tacked on a field goal and a touchdown, to narrow the Cowboy lead to 3, 20-17, early in the 4^th quarter. Then, after forcing another 3 and out, the Jayhawks had the ball on the Oklahoma State 18 yard line and were faced with a 4^th and inches. The Jayhawks had 2 options: They could go for it, and most likely take the lead with a touchdown, or they could kick a field goal and tie the game.

  Kansas opted for the field goal, and tied the game at 20. But the tie only last 13 seconds because…Speed kills. The Jayhawks had been kicking away from the Olympic track star turned football player, Tyreke Hill, for the whole game, but their kicker just couldn’t get the ball into the endzone 1 final time. Kansas paid the price for their mistake, and Hill returned the kickoff 99 yards for a score that gave the lead back to the Pokes, 27-20. But Kansas had a final chance to tie the game and send it into overtime with their quarterback, Michael Cummings. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, he made his single mistake of the game with 53 seconds left, and OSU defensive stud, Josh Furman, picked off the first-time starter to seal the victory for the Cowboys.

  Initial analysis of this game is quite simple: Oklahoma State hasn’t played anyone good since the season started, and the true test comes this weekend when they face TCU. Further analysis would lead you to be impressed by the fact that the Cowboys haven’t lost a game in the Big 12 so far. The only reason that is impressive is because now it’s just them, Baylor, and Kansas State at the top of the conference. Kansas State could drop from that list if the Sooners of Oklahoma best them in Norman this weekend, so it really comes down to OSU and Baylor at the top of the Big 12 if the Pokes can beat the Horned Frogs of TCU. Honestly, TCU will come into this game with a chip on their shoulder from the 61-58 loss they suffered at the hands of Baylor this past weekend, so Oklahoma State maybe in for a beat down. But never count out OSU when it comes to facing big opponents. They beat Baylor off their high horse last year when nobody thought they would, and they haven’t lost to TCU since the Frogs joined the Big 12. Although those facts are true, the Cowboys are playing TCU in Fort Worth and won’t have their rowdy home crown behind them to spur them on. In fact, OSU plays very poorly away from home, even though they have won 5 straight road games over Big 12 opponents. Who were those opponents though? Kansas twice, Texas, Iowa State, and Texas Tech. Not very impressive. But that’s just something to think about as the Cowboys travel down to Aman G. Carter Stadium at 3 PM CT to face TCU.