The Oklahoma State Cowboys entertain Central Arkansas looking for a 2-0 start. We take a look at the teams below in the Oklahoma State vs. Central Arkansas prediction and game preview.

Oklahoma State vs. Central Arkansas Prediction & Preview

Broadcast

Date: Saturday, September 12
Game Time: 7:30 ET
Network: FSN

Follow and/or Contact @Rich Cirminiello

Why You Need To Care

Central Arkansas and Oklahoma State meet for the first time. The Cowboys want to use this matchup to fine-tune a team that struggled in the opener with Central Michigan. OSU rallied from a third-quarter deficit, but having to battle back at home versus an average MAC team could be a sign of looming trouble in Stillwater. The Bears are staring at an 0-2 start after being crushed last Thursday by Samford.

Why Central Arkansas Will Win

The Bears will look to DE Jonathan Woodard to set the tone this weekend. The 6-6, 280-pound senior, with the NFL future, is the reigning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year. And he and his teammates will be facing an Oklahoma State offense that had problems moving the ball consistently on Central Michigan.

Why Oklahoma State Will Win

At least for another week, the Cowboys are going to win with defense. They did a solid job versus QB Cooper Rush and the Chippewas, while Central Arkansas sputtered in the Samford game. Oklahoma State opened the year with four sacks, and the bookend of Emmanuel Ogbah and Jimmy Bean will harass Bear QB Taylor Reed into forced errors.

Player Who Matters

Cowboy coach Mike Gundy will be looking for improvement out of second-year QB Mason Rudolph. The sky is the limit for Rudolph, but he was just 22-of-32 for 266 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. A player he’d like to get more involved is big-play WR Brandon Sheperd, who caught just a single pass on Thursday.

What’s Going To Happen?

A visit from Central Arkansas comes at an opportune time for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are far from a finished product, especially on offense. The defense will put the Bears in a choke hold, while Rudolph will connect on a few of the passes he missed in the opener. OSU will roll, though there’s plenty of heavy lifting left before the Big 12 opener at Texas.

Oklahoma State vs. Central Arkansas Score Prediction

It’s that time, folks. The Oklahoma State vs. Central Arkansas prediction is …

Final Score: Oklahoma State 48, Central Arkansas 13

Must See Rating: 5: Ferrell Takes the Field 1 – 1: A Walk in The Woods … 1.5

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