Saturday’s Oklahoma State-Texas Tech matchup has all the ingredients for a shootout, with the Big 12’s two highest-scoring teams set to collide and both defenses coming off uneven seasons. The stakes are just as clear: the Cowboys, at 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play, need a win to keep their slim championship game hopes alive, while the Red Raiders, sitting at 8-1 and 5-1, need one to stay in control of their own path to the Big 12 Championship game.
The game features plenty of obvious headliners on offense, but the most important battle may be one most people won’t notice until it starts swinging drives. The key matchup is Oklahoma State center Tyler Mercer against Texas Tech defensive tackle A.J. Holmes Jr.
That’s an unusual place to focus in a game built around the Air Raid, but the numbers and the roles make it matter. Mercer has been one of Oklahoma State’s steadiest linemen all season.
Among the Cowboys’ full-time starting offensive linemen, his overall Pro Football Focus blocking grade is 68.0, second on the team behind right guard Joseph Hanson’s 78.4. In pass protection, Mercer has been the best on the roster, posting an 81.5 grade, better than Hanson’s 78.3.
That matters because Holmes brings a rare kind of disruption from the interior. The 300-pound defensive tackle leads Texas Tech with 7.5 sacks, and his 43 quarterback pressures are tied for third among all FBS players. His 90.2 overall grade is tied for 15th among power conference players, and his 90.7 pass rush grade shows just how dangerous he’s been getting after quarterbacks.
Holmes is not the usual defensive tackle whose job is simply to occupy blockers and let others clean up. He’s trying to collapse the pocket himself, and that changes everything for Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
Inside pressure is the kind that forces a quarterback to move off his spot, lose sight of the middle of the field and scramble into trouble. For a pocket passer, it can be the worst kind of pressure there is.
That’s especially true when the defender can win quickly, which is part of what makes Holmes so dangerous. Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris will have to account for that burst, and Mestemaker will have to adjust to it.
Last week at Kansas State, Mestemaker didn’t deal with much interior pressure. Texas Tech is a different challenge entirely.
Mercer won’t be alone in the fight. He should get help from Hanson and left guard Johnny Dickson III, and nose tackle Mateen Ibirogba will also be in the mix as Texas Tech works to stop the run. But there will still be snaps where Mercer is isolated on Holmes, and those are the moments that could decide how comfortable Mestemaker is all night.
If Mercer holds up in those one-on-one battles, Oklahoma State can keep its quarterback upright and give itself a real chance. If Holmes wins that matchup, the Red Raiders can make Mestemaker’s night a long one.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Heads Into Texas Tech With Another Defensive Concern
Oklahoma States trip to Texas Tech comes with another defensive wrinkle, as linebacker Tate Romney will miss a second straight week because of injury. He is one of five Cowboys listed out for the matchup, adding to a short-handed situation the staff has had to manage as the conference slate keeps moving.
The absence leaves Oklahoma State looking for answers at linebacker while the Big 12 also keeps an eye on travel complications tied to a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop. Texas Tech enters with three players listed as probable, but the bigger concern for the Cowboys is how they patch together the defense if the game plan has to be adjusted on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Added To The Buzz Around Oklahoma State's QB
With Oklahoma State gearing up for a Top 25 College Football Playoff matchup against Texas Tech on Saturday night, Drew Mestemaker found himself in the national spotlight again during ESPNs College GameDay preview. Nick Saban, never one to hand out praise lightly, singled out the Cowboys quarterback for the way he has handled the season, pointing to the traits that have helped fuel one of the most productive passing runs in the country.
Mestemaker has already rewritten parts of the Oklahoma State and FBS record book this year, and his rise has made him one of the more intriguing players in the playoff conversation. He has also earned recognition as a Maxwell Award semifinalist, which only adds to the attention heading into an 8:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN, where the Cowboys will have a chance to show whether the buzz around their quarterback matches the stage. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Can Wreck Texas Techs Big 12 Push Today
Texas Techs late-season climb in the Big 12 has put the Red Raiders in a spot where every remaining game carries real weight, and Saturdays trip to Stillwater is no exception. With the conference race tightening around the playoff picture, Oklahoma State suddenly finds itself in the middle of a game that could shape how the league standings look when the dust settles.
The Cowboys have plenty of incentive to play spoiler, especially with a passing game that can stress defenses and force a team like Texas Tech to stay sharp for four quarters. For the Red Raiders, this is the kind of road test that can either reinforce their place near the top of the league or leave them looking over their shoulder as the Big 12 race keeps shifting around them. [Read more 🡒]