STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -Zac Robinson went into his last game against Texas Tech with his job in question and the Oklahoma State program at a crossroads.
As the teams prepare to meet again Saturday with the Big 12 South race and a possible BCS bowl hanging in the balance, it’s clear he’s led them down the right path.
Robinson was a little-known, unproven commodity when he replaced Bobby Reid last year after the second impressive relief performance of his career.
But what followed in his first career start was a mistake-filled performance in an embarrassing road loss at Troy that started out with Oklahoma State trailing 41-10 before a couple of late touchdowns.
Still, Robinson got a vote of confidence from coach Mike Gundy before the Red Raiders came to town for the Big 12 opener.
t and perform.”
Robinson followed his three-turnover debut with an impressive display of his dual-threat abilities, running 13 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns and passing for 211 yards and the winning 54-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew in the final 2 minutes.
“I know that we told him that it was his job and he had an opportunity to go out and play, and if he continued to play well that he would keep it,” Gundy said. “I don’t know how guaranteeing that is, but I think that’s kind of the way we handled it at that particular time.”
What might have happened had Robinson struggled in a second straight start will never be known, but his solid performance started the Cowboys (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) in the direction that now has them ranked No. 8 heading into a much more important showdown with second-ranked Texas Tech (9-0, 5-0).
Oklahoma State’s 49-45 win against the Red Raiders last season, when both teams were unranked, is probably best remembered around the country as the preface to Gundy’s postgame rant that overshadowed the game itself.
Looking back, the victory was also a turning point for a program that has since made it into the top 10 for the first time in 20 years.
“That was a big win for us. They played their butts off, and fortunately we made enough plays at the end,” Robinson said. “It definitely gave us some confidence that we could finish off some games that we hadn’t in the past.”
Since then, Robinson has earned his place in the Big 12’s impressive stable of quarterbacks. His sheer numbers aren’t as impressive as Tech’s Graham Harrell, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, Texas’ Colt McCoy or Missouri’s Chase Daniel but none of those players also has the nation’s fifth-best rushing offense at his disposal.
Robinson’s strength, as compared to the other star quarterbacks, has been his efficiency – he’s second in the nation in quarterback rating – but he can also provide the big game. Last week, he threw a career-best five touchdown passes in Oklahoma State’s 59-17 win against Iowa State.
“I just think he’s a pretty complete player. He throws it pretty well, he can run it a little bit and he’s kind of a physical guy,” Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said. “I’ve always thought the fact that he’s fairly tough and physical, I don’t know if that’s understated but it’s something that I don’t hear but I believe it is a fact.”
Robinson doesn’t get the attention that the league’s other quarterbacks have received, even after outperforming Daniel in the Cowboys’ win at Missouri and keeping Oklahoma State in it until the very end in a loss at Texas. And Harrell has become even more prominent after his closing-seconds touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree sealed a 39-33 win against the top-ranked Longhorns on Saturday.
Robinson could get his turn in the spotlight if the Cowboys can pull out a win against the Red Raiders, but the 6-foot-3 junior from Colorado said he’s not concerned with being overlooked in a league of extraordinary quarterbacks.
“I’m comfortable with where I’m at,” Robinson said. “Obviously with our team’s success, we’re getting a lot more recognition.”
Add A Comment