What does Bryan Nardo bring to OSU?

Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor

OSU football and Mike Gundy chose a younger coach to fill in as defensive coordinator.

Bryan Nardo, OSU’s new defensive coordinator, was a part of the American Football Coaches Association’s 35 under 35 list in 2019, meaning he isn’t yet in his 40s.

“He’s a young energetic, bright football coach who brings 10 years of coordinating experience with him,” said Gundy in a statement. “He’s been successful and his innovative system has helped win games everywhere he’s been.”

That system, a 3-3-5 base, has seen success in recent years in the passheavy Big 12. TCU went to the national championship game, Kansas State won the conference and Iowa State is consistently a top-ranked defense in the country with the scheme.

With three down lineman and five defensive backs, the defense emphasizes stopping the pass, and if done effectively, can also stop the run, albeit it is easier for offenses to run against a

3-3-5. It requires a lot of speed and athleticism to rush the passer and make open field tackles, but this defense is flexible and rising in popularity across football.

Nardo’s defense emulates Iowa State’s under Jon Heacock, the No. 2 ranked defense in yards per game in the country last season, and No. 8 in 2021.

Entering next season, OSU brought in five defenders from the transfer portal, and retained five starters from last season. The Cowboys defense next season will be a new look in many ways: scheme, personnel and the play caller.

Projected defensive starters:

DE: Collin Oliver

DT: Anthony Goodlow (transfer)

DE: Kody Walterscheid or Ben Kopenski

LB: Justin Wright (transfer)

LB: Xavier Benson

LB: Nickolas Martin or Donovan Stephens

CB: Korie Black

CB: Cam Smith

CB: LarDarius Webb Jr. (transfer)

S: Kendal Daniels

S: Sean Michael Flanagan or Lyrick Rawls sports.ed@ocolly.com from page 1

John-Michael Wright led OSU with 18 points and made four 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to make up for defensive lapses.

“Yeah, we just kept trading baskets, man,” Wright said. “We were getting good looks, we were scoring, but we just didn’t get it done on the defensive end. And you know, you can’t win like that, especially on the road in the Big 12.”

Texas only out-rebounded OSU 14-11, but the Longhorns took advantage of their second chances, outscoring the Cowboys 16-4 on those opportunities. Forwards Dylan Disu and Dillion Mitchell combined for nine of those offensive rebounds.

“Got hit in the mouth and just didn’t respond all game,” Wright said.

“They beat us pretty bad on the offensive rebounding. They got a lot of second chance-points off that... That’s the game right there. We just weren’t tough.”

Guard Avery Anderson was part of the offensive surge that kept the Cowboys in the game during the Texas scoring runs, dishing out seven firsthalf assists and finishing with nine. But he picked up his fourth foul with 11:26 left in the game, then, after subbing back in with five minutes remaining, fouled out 17 seconds later.

The Cowboys committed 26 fouls – the most this season – and Texas made them pay. The Longhorns made 19 of 20 second-half free throws, which flattened comeback attempts.

What has been a strength all year was suddenly a weak point. Most nights, 75 points would be enough to earn the Cowboys a win. But that wasn’t the case Tuesday.

“We knew that there were things that we had to do to get the job done – namely, on the defensive end and holding them to one-shot possessions,” coach Mike Boynton said. “... and we didn’t. That’s what really really hurts right now.”