Skyler Cassity: Oklahoma State Returners ‘Know What OSU Football Is Supposed to Look Like’

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Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity didn't need to look far to see what Saturday's 39-31 upset of No. 6 Oregon meant to his defense. He saw it in the Cowboys who had been through the difficult seasons that came before it.

While Oklahoma State's roster was almost completely rebuilt this offseason under Eric Morris, a small group of returners remained in Stillwater after experiencing the program's recent struggles firsthand. For them, finally celebrating a victory again at Boone Pickens Stadium carried a little extra weight.

“A lot of the returners are guys who have seen what OSU football is supposed to look like,” Cassity said. “A lot of them have been in championship situations and will continue to be. They were ecstatic. It's been a long two years for them.”

Saturday offered the first glimpse that Oklahoma State could be working its way back toward that standard.

Returners Help Change the Approach

Oklahoma State's turnaround against Oregon became even more remarkable considering what happened just eight days earlier.

The Cowboys opened the season with a disappointing 24-10 loss at Tulsa, extending their overall losing streak to 11 games and raising immediate questions about how quickly Morris and his new staff could turn things around.

Cassity said Oklahoma State's returning players didn't allow one poor performance to change their belief in what the Cowboys could become. Instead, he credited them for changing their habits.

“They've put in the work and changed the dynamic of how they work, thought process and how they approach the game,” Cassity said. “All those things you have to preach and be disciplined in in order to have success.”

Tulsa wasn't the performance Oklahoma State wanted. The response was.

“They put in the work and knew the first one wasn't how we wanted it to be,” Cassity said. “They knew we were just as good if we went out there and executed our job at a high level, and did that on Saturday.”

Oklahoma State's defense backed up that confidence against one of the nation's highest-profile programs. The Cowboys held Oregon to 281 total yards and repeatedly pressured quarterback Dante Moore, coming up with critical stops throughout the second half.

But Cassity's favorite play wasn't necessarily about the player who made it.

Seven Defensive Ends, One Celebration

With Oregon threatening during the third quarter, the Ducks faced fourth down near midfield. Defensive end Jaleel Johnson got to Moore for a sack, ending the possession and giving Oklahoma State's offense the football in Oregon territory.

It was one of the biggest defensive plays of the afternoon. What happened afterward stood out even more to Cassity.

“The fourth-down stop where Jaleel ended up sacking the quarterback,” Cassity said when asked about his favorite play. “One of the best parts of that play was actually when the guys were coming to the sideline, all seven defensive ends are hugging each other.”

For Cassity, that reaction represented what Oklahoma State's defensive staff has been trying to build.

“Didn't even matter who made the sack at the time,” Cassity said. “It was about competing with your brothers. Just going out there and executing.”

Oklahoma State has leaned heavily on its defensive-line rotation through the opening weeks of the season, and playing time hasn't been distributed equally.

Cassity said some defensive ends played approximately 25 snaps against Oregon while others received only eight. The celebration was the same.

“Some of them played 25 plays. Some of them played eight plays, but they earned everything they got,” Cassity said. “Earned the right to wear the uniform and play with pride.”

Restoring the Standard

One victory doesn't erase Oklahoma State's struggles over the past two seasons. It also doesn't erase what happened at Tulsa. But Saturday gave the Cowboys something tangible to point toward.

For the newcomers, it provided their first major victory wearing orange and black. For the returners, it provided a reminder of what winning football in Stillwater feels like. And for Cassity, the formula for experiencing it again isn't complicated.

“Play fast,” Cassity said. “Play hard and play our brand of football at a high level.”

Against No. 6 Oregon, that's exactly what Oklahoma State's defense did.

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