STILLWATER, Okla.—One big hit has complicated a short week of preparation for No. 12 Oklahoma State.
With less than 2 minutes left in a 24-17 victory against Texas Tech on Saturday night, quarterback Zac Robinson ran into a nasty collision with safety Jamar Wall that left both players sprawled out on the turf at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Robinson had to be helped off the field, leaving his status for Thursday night’s game against Colorado (3-7, 2-4 Big 12) in doubt.
“He’s had some tests done and I think he is fine. When you are involved in an incident like that, they are going to continue to test you everyday,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said Sunday night. “Up to this point, his tests have gone very well.”
If Robinson can’t play, Gundy said Oklahoma State (8-2, 5-1) would turn to junior Alex Cate, who has never started a college game. Cate replaced Robinson in a blowout against Grambling State earlier this season, only to be knocked out of the game on his second play.
“We want to do what is best for Zac,” Gundy said. “We are not in a position to just sit anybody of Zac’s caliber. He is very important to this football team but we will do what is best for him and his future.”
Robinson had only 90 yards passing against Texas Tech but made up for it with a season-high 99 yards rushing, including several key scrambles in the second half. He was hurt while keeping the ball on an option play that could have sealed the game for the Cowboys.
Instead, he fumbled when he was hit by Wall, and the defense had to make one last stand.
“That’s what happens when you run your quarterback. You’ve got that issue, so you’ve just got to be ready to send another guy in because that can happen,” offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer said.
Oklahoma State hasn’t played a Thursday night game since the second week of the 2005 season, and it’s the first one at home since 1995. The shortened schedule provides less time for Robinson to recover, and also less time for Cate to prepare.
“We have to run our offense, and I think when you get to this point in the season, there’s not a lot of change going on,” Gundy said.
Instead, Gundy said the challenge would be keeping his players fresh with a quick turnaround this late in the season.
“When you get to this point, there’s fatigue setting in, so we feel like you have to be really careful with preparation on a short week,” Gundy said. “There’s been some thought put into it, and we hope that our plan is effective.”
Gundy said his staff has already cut back practice time “more so now than we ever have” because of a number of injuries, the latest coming last week when backup safety Victor Johnson was lost for the season, and the number of young players still making the adjustment to a longer season than high school.
“It’s going to be a little different,” tailback Keith Toston said. “We have to make sure we get a lot of rest because anytime you take days off your week it can hurt a player’s body, especially physical players like myself.”
