OSU spring update

[Eric the Red]

Donovan Woods had a solid practice Saturday

 

STILLWATER — The midway stage of Oklahoma State’s spring practices offers no clarity on the Cowboys’ spotlight competition — quarterback. That should change. And soon.

 

OSU scrimmaged Saturday morning at Boone Pickens Stadium, but a scripted format prevented any of the quarterbacks from making a major statement.

 

Donovan Woods, sharing first-team snaps with Bobby Reid, produced the better statistics. But Reid worked almost exclusively with the second group of receivers, somewhat skewing his results. And neither quarterback took more than four consecutive snaps.

 

So for now, the pecking order remains status quo, although Cowboys offensive coordinator Larry Fedora is nowhere near ready to declare a starter.

 

“I couldn’t make a decision right now,” said Fedora. “Obviously, if I had to make a decision right now, Donovan Woods would be the starting quarterback because he’s got 12 games under his belt and he can run the show better right now, just because of his experience.

 

“Bobby is No. 2 and he’s coming on and doing well. He has all the talent. And Al Pena is working No. 3. And Al’s doing a nice job.”

 

Through seven spring practices, Woods has been solid, with Saturday no exception.

 

He completed 11 of 17 passes for 153 yards without an interception against the Cowboys’ first-team defense. Woods struck for two big plays at the scrimmage’s outset, romping 24 yards on an option keeper, then finding tight end Paschal Smith down the middle for a 34-yard pass play.

 

“Things are getting better,” Woods said. “I’m just trying to pick up things, move the ball and score points.”

 

There were no touchdown drives, or touchdowns for that matter, during a 115-play scrimmage that was hardly fan-friendly, due to the format, temperatures in the low 40s and intermittent rain.

 

The ball was spotted — at the 20, 25, 30 and 35 — and returned to the starting spot after each play, except for a brief red- zone drill late in the workout.

 

Both Woods and Reid said it was difficult getting into a rhythm. “The wind’s blowing, it’s kind of cold out there and you’re standing to the side waiting your turn,” Reid said.

 

Reid is also trying to get back into rhythm after a fall spent on the sideline in redshirt after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery. Saturday, he completed but five of 12 passes, though several were dropped, for 44 yards. Pena, working with the second-team offense against the second defense, hit six of 11 passes for 47 yards.

 

Reid, OSU’s most highly touted quarterback recruit, said he’s resisting applying any internal pressure to impress from the No. 2 spot. “I’m not really putting any pressure on myself,” Reid said. “I’m just doing what I have to do to learn the offense. And when it’s my turn, when my number’s called, I have to take care of my business.

 

“I feel pretty confident. Things were a lot slower today than they were Wednesday when we last scrimmaged. But I still have a lot to learn.” The first seven spring practices were heavy on learning for the offense, especially the quarterbacks who bear the brunt of digesting Fedora’s no-huddle spread attack.

 

“It’s been real taxing,” said Reid. “I’ve been up countless nights, late at night, trying to get ready for the next day’s installation. And I’m still trying to go back over the previous day’s mistakes.

 

“But that’s just the way it is when you’re learning a new offense.”

 

While the learning will continue, the installation of the offense is now complete.

 

The focus of OSU’s final eight practices should heat up the competition.

 

“We will try to give them more of a series,” said Cowboys coach Mike Gundy, “because from the middle of next week through the end of spring, we’ll put the ball down and play it.

 

“We’ll give each quarterback a number of plays or a series. That gives them an opportunity to be a leader and for us to see what kind of field-general ability they have and if they can get the other players to rally around them.”