Oklahoma State football's first-half woes & more key stats from bowl loss to Wisconsin
PHOENIX — Oklahoma State’s late comeback was not enough.
And the miserable finish to the season was complete.
OSU fell 24-17 to Wisconsin late Tuesday night in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field, ending the season with a third straight loss.
Here is a look at the loss through the numbers:
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Oklahoma State offense mostly non-existent in first half
84: Yards on a touchdown reception by true freshman Stephon Johnson Jr. in the first quarter, the longest play for the Cowboys this season. It was also the second-longest play in Guaranteed Rate Bowl history, 3 yards shy of Phillip Bobo’s touchdown for Washington State against Utah in 1992. Johnson’s catch was also the longest ever in a bowl game for the Cowboys.
37: Yards by OSU’s offense outside of Johnson’s catch in the first half. Those yards came on 22 plays.
7: Points in the first quarter for the Cowboys, their first points in an opening period since their Oct. 22 win over Texas.
6:50: The time of possession for the Cowboys in the first half, while Wisconsin held the ball for 23 minutes, 10 seconds to take a 17-7 lead at halftime.
22: Offensive plays for the Cowboys in the opening half for 121 yards. Wisconsin ran 42 plays.
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Cowboys defense adjusts in second half
251: Total yards by the Badgers in the opening half, an average of 6 yards per play.
123: Total yards by Wisconsin in the second half, an average of 4 yards per play.
6.2: Yards per carry by Wisconsin in the opening half, which was cut significantly in the second half. The Cowboys allowed just 3.4 yards per carry in the half until Wisconsin receiver Skyler Bell gained 44 yards on a reverse with less than 3 minutes remaining.
0-6: Third-down conversions for the Badgers in the second half. They converted 4 of 8 in the opening half.
12: Tackles for OSU safety Jason Taylor II in what could be his final game. The total led the Cowboys.
3: Tackles for safety Trey Rucker, who had not played this season. He will redshirt. He also had an interception and a pass breakup.
More:Oklahoma State football's first-half woes & more key stats from bowl loss to Wisconsin
Garret Rangel mostly struggles but has dazzling moments
1: Yard on a wild touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Rangel appeared to be stopped on fourth-and-goal during a designed carry but as he was going to the ground he flipped the football to Ollie Gordon for the score.
2: Interceptions thrown by Rangel, including one that was stripped out of the hands of Rashod Owens by Wisconsin’s Jay Shaw.
9-17: Rangel’s completions in the second half, after starting 5 of 14. He totaled 229 passing yards on the day, the second-highest total in three starts this season.
13: Fourth-quarter points for the Cowboys, who got within a touchdown but were unable to close the gap following Rangel’s second interception. Rangel, though, had a strong finish despite the pick.
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Guaranteed Rate Bowl loss stings
2019: The last season OSU lost a bowl game. That season, OSU lost to Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl.
11-6: Mike Gundy’s record as a coach in bowl games.
5: Losses in the final six games of the season for OSU, which finished the year 7-6.
—Jacob Unruh, Staff writer
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football: Stats from Cowboys' loss to Wisconsin Badgers
