Stillwater, OK (Sports Network) - Backup quarterback J.W. Walsh threw for 347
yards and four touchdowns, as the Oklahoma State Cowboys cruised to a 65-24
rout over the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Walsh entered the game midway through the first quarter when starter Wes Lunt
went down with a left knee injury and exited the field on crutches. Walsh also
made plays with his legs, running for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Oklahoma State (2-1) dropped out of the national rankings with last week's
loss at Arizona, but the Cowboys responded with big play after big play in
this contest. Josh Stewart had nine catches for 104 yards and two TDs, while
Blake Jackson finished with 112 yards and a TD on five catches. Joseph Randle
led the ground attack with 21 carries for 105 yards and a pair of scores.
Blaine Gautier threw for 236 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort for the
Ragin' Cajuns (2-1).
The Cowboys erased any doubt early as they led 44-0 at halftime. Walsh, a
redshirt freshman, rose to the occasion and led his team to points on all
eight series in the first two quarters after taking over for Lunt.
Randle accounted for two first-half touchdowns with runs of eight and two
yards. Walsh threw for three TDs in the half, each to a different receiver and
each from 20 yards or longer. Kicker Quinn Sharp also booted three field goals
in the opening half, including one from 51 yards out and another from 44 yards
as time expired in the second quarter.
Louisiana finally got on the scoreboard at the 12:00 mark of the third
quarter, as Gautier found Darryl Surgent for a 73-yard scoring strike.
However, Walsh tacked on a four-yard touchdown run midway through the third
quarter and found Stewart for a 17-yard touchdown pass later in the frame, the
second TD connection between those two on the day. Louisiana's only other
score in the frame came on a 41-yard field goal by Brett Baer, as OSU took a
58-10 lead into the final quarter.
With the game well out of reach, the Ragin' Cajuns scored twice in the fourth
quarter. Marcus Jackson scored on a one-yard run at the 11:18 mark, and
Gautier later scored on a 10-yard run with just over four minutes to play.
OSU's final points came on a three-yard run by Desmond Roland with 8:50 to
play in regulation.
The Cowboys offense simply put on a clinic. By game's end, they had racked up
39 first downs and 742 yards of total offense.
GAME NOTES:
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