Oklahoma State was blown out by rival Oklahoma on Saturday in a game many expected to be close. The only thing more surprising than the outcome of the game may have been Mike Gundy’s decision to punt down three scores in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys were trailing 34-13 with roughly 12 minutes remaining in the game when Gundy decided to punt on 4th-and-8 from the Oklahoma 39-yard line. Most who were watching came away with the impression Gundy was waving the white flag. The coach was asked about that on Monday, and he tried to explain his rationale.
#OKState coach Mike Gundy said he elected to punt in fourth quarter against #Sooners because of young OL struggles, OU's pass rush, OU's coverage and it was a "game flow" decision.
— Jacob Unruh (@jacobunruh) November 23, 2020
Those excuses probably won’t cut it for Oklahoma State fans. The Cowboys’ defense actually played well in spurts throughout the game, but punting in your opponent’s territory while trailing by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter is almost never the right move. It’s hard for Gundy to argue that he was not quitting in that situation.
Oklahoma State came into the game ranked 14th in the country, but they did not live up to it. Following a somewhat tumultuous offseason for Gundy, a win over the rival Sooners would have gone a long way.
