Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Column OSU should embrace the team it is, not what it wants or should be
Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor When the Texas Longhorns ran out onto the field of Boone Pickens Stadium, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders led the posse carrying the lone star flag of Texas. A cascade of jeers erupted from the north side of OSU fans, before Sanders looked straight to the stands and waved the flag, proclaiming the state of Texas to a group of Oklahomans during Homecoming. Forty-nine players on OSU’s roster hail from Texas. Only three (Langston Anderson, Tyler Lacy and Ollie Gordon) received a scholarship offer to play for the Longhorns. Over the years, many on OSU’s roster, even Lacy, expressed their past hopes to play for Texas after high school. But now they’re at OSU, and play OSU’s way.
In OSU’s 41-34 win over Texas on Saturday, the Cowboys didn’t play like Texas. And they didn’t play like the team OSU wants to become, either. But it should be the way for the remainder of the season. Following OSU’s loss to TCU last week, OSU coach Mike Gundy expressed the importance, and difficulty, of establishing the run this season. Starting running back Dominic Richardson entered this game without a run of 20 yards or more, and averaged 3.3 yards per carry in Big 12 play. It didn’t get better today. Richardson carried the ball 13 times for just 24 yards, culminating in an abysmal 1.8 yards per carry, with a long of five yards. From the second quarter onward, OSU mixed in freshmen backs Jaden Nixon and Ollie Gordon. “We were trying to mix it up,” Gundy said. “We’re trying not to be predictable.” See Column on page 2
Chase Davis OSU held Texas to three points in the second half of the Cowboys’ 41-34 win.
Performance, not play calls, made for defensive improvement Ben Hutchens Assistant Sports Editor
Notebook Derek Mason made sure everyone in the media scrum was clear. He didn’t make any new calls in the second half.
Mason, OSU’s defensive coordinator, called OSU’s 41-34 win against Texas as entertaining a chess match as he has ever had against Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. Except in this version of chess, played on turf, his knights, rooks and bishops simply played better in the first half than they did in the second, something impossible in a game played on a checkered wood board. “We told our guys going into halftime, ‘Look, it’s nothing different than what you’ve seen, and we’re going to play well,’” Mason said. “And that’s what happened. So, kudos to our guys,
there were no new calls. Not one new call.” OSU surrendered 31 points in the first half and three in the second half. The Longhorns rushed for 9.5 yards a carry in the first half and 2.9 in the second half. Nobody in the Cowboy locker room at halftime panicked. Mason said the defense had seen all the plays from the scout team in practice that week, it was just a matter of getting adjusted to the ramped-up game speed. “Some of the looks that you see during the week aren’t as fast, See Notebook on page 3
Album review: Swift at her best in ‘Midnights’ Jaden Besteda Staff Reporter
Mackenzie Janish Photo description
You can argue that “Anti-Hero” is the big radio song of the album, even that had its share of good writing and cohesiveness that I think Taylor Swift has Swift singles usually don’t. mastered the art of songwriting. “Midnights” is an album Those were my first about just that and it’s executed thoughts of her new album ‘Mid- perfectly. Every song perfectly nights” about halfway through. portrays a different midnight It’s easy to recognize that Swift’s thought or action that any overlatest effort isn’t something that thinker depraved, shunned, or you can fully digest within the desperate for love would do. The first listen. Most of her projects tonal shifts are almost as drastic are like that. Given the relatively as a midnight thought can be and short 44 minute runtime to say the almost laughable lyrics work something like that must mean because of her commitment to the that she uses almost every line theme. to her best ability. That’s exactly Furthermore, the more what happened. serious lines can be felt even The thing about “Midmore because the sincerity in nights” is that in my opinion them seem to be there. “I hosted there are no radio hits. Not in the parties and starved my body, like way “1989” had “Shake it off” or I’d be saved from a perfect kiss,” “Reputation” had “Look What comes from my favorite song You Made Me Do.” That’s exactly on the album, “You’re On Your what makes this album so interOwn, Kid.” The song describes esting and a great body of work. the chase for affection and how
putting yourself in the limelight can bring the best and worst. The great thing about this song is that it builds slowly and tells a complete story. The beginning, middle, and end go together perfectly. The music picks up around the 1:44 timestamp and transports us to a now grown up Swift. She describes how the heartbreaks have helped her become independent and even though losing friends and lovers is a tough thing, everything that takes courage is a step forward in the right direction. To top it all off, she adds in a little “Yeah, you can face this” with the chorus at the end. Making it not just maybe the most emotional song of the album but the most uplifting track too. Other standout tracks include, “Maroon,” “Question…?,” “Sweet Nothing,” and “Snow on the Beach.” See Swift on page 6