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Four Downs: Spencer Sanders' OSU football record chase, Nathan Latu's growing role

scott wright, oklahoman
·3 min read
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STILLWATER — The regular season finale has arrived for Oklahoma State, looking for its eighth victory of the season when it hosts West Virginia at 11 a.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, televised by ESPN2.

The Cowboys have won 14 straight games at home, a school record, dating back to October of 2020.

Here’s a quick look at some key factors for the game in this week’s edition of Four Downs:

More:Tramel: Gradual slide of Oklahoma State football's offense is root of disappointing season

First Down: Cowboy in the crosshairs

Oklahoma State defensive end Nathan Latu has become a regular player on the defensive line in recent games.
Oklahoma State defensive end Nathan Latu has become a regular player on the defensive line in recent games.

Defensive end Nathan Latu: A redshirt senior who has become a regular player in recent weeks following the injury to Tyler Lacy, Latu has a sack in each of the past two games. In addition to coming off the edge, he has also taken on Lacy’s role of moving to the interior in pass rush situations.

OSU will recognize all 26 of its seniors, and Latu is among the 18 in that group who are eligible for an additional season.

More:OSU 3-2-1 kickoff: How will Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders respond vs. West Virginia?

Second Down: Number to know

Nov 19, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State's Spencer Sanders (3) warms up before the Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State's Spencer Sanders (3) warms up before the Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports

30: Career victories for Spencer Sanders as OSU’s starting quarterback. That means he needs two to tie Mason Rudolph for the school’s career wins record of 32. Sanders has two more chances this season to add to his total.

Here’s a look at a few other categories where Sanders could climb the OSU all-time lists on Saturday:

Pass completions: Sanders is third with 765, two behind Brandon Weeden. Rudolph leads with 915.

Touchdowns responsible for: Sanders is third with 85, three behind Zac Robinson. Rudolph is first with 109.

Completion percentage: Sanders is fifth at 61.05%. Robinson is fourth at 61.06%. Weeden leads at 69.5%.

More:How should OSU quarterback Spencer Sanders be remembered? His coach says as 'a gladiator'

Third Down: Bold bowl prediction

Sitting at fourth place in the Big 12 standings, OSU could end up in a variety of places. But here’s the best guess, depending on how Saturday goes:

With a win: Alamo Bowl. The Cowboys should be an attractive team at 8-4, and there’s a good chance the Alamo will be choosing between OSU and Texas in this scenario. Considering the Horns have been in two of the last three Alamo Bowls, OSU might be the fresh choice.

With a loss: Texas Bowl. Another loss, thus their fifth in the last seven games, would take some shine off the Cowboys, and put them in a logjam in the middle of the Big 12 standings. So the Cheez-It, Texas and Liberty bowls come heavily into play, each of which will have a variety of teams to choose from.

More:Oklahoma State football rewind: Top players, bowl odds & redshirt tracker

Fourth Down: Uni-guess

White-Orange-White: Probably the most traditional home uniform combo has yet to be worn this year. Seems like time for this look, and to stick with the traditional feeling, add on an OSU brand logo helmet.

More:Avoiding another 'timid' start a point of emphasis for Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State football

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSU football: Spencer Sanders record chase, Nathan Latu's growing role