Big 12 Football: Spencer Sanders returns from injury in weird 4th-down try
For the second straight game, one of the top Big 12 football quarterbacks was out due to injury. The Oklahoma State Cowboys and head coach Mike Gundy were without the injured senior quarterback Spencer Sanders for the second game in a row this weekend.
In place of the absent Sanders, Oklahoma State started the son of the head coach and redshirt sophomore quarterback Gunnar Gundy. It looks like Oklahoma State went with Gundy for the start to preserve the redshirt of fellow backup quarterback and true freshman former blue-chip recruit Garret Rangel.
Last weekend against the Kansas Jayhawks on the road, Oklahoma State started Rangel at quarterback in place of the injured Sanders.
But we did see Sanders take an offensive snap for the first time in a couple of weeks in the matchup between Oklahoma State and the Iowa State Cyclones in Stillwater on Nov. 12. After Gundy had his helmet knocked off on a play in the first quarter, Sanders came in the game on what amounted to a failed fourth-down conversion attempt.
Standout Big 12 football QB Spencer Sanders returns from injury for Oklahoma State for one snap on a fourth down play
Spencer Sanders into the game?!
— Sam Hutchens (@Sam_Hutchens_) November 12, 2022
(It didn’t go well for OSU. But it does seem Sanders is at least making progress with his injury)#okstate pic.twitter.com/P2uEsCN1O0
According to the radio broadcast, Garrett Rangel and Spencer Sanders are suited up for emergencies only, like what happened when Gunnar Gundy's helmet came off. Not in the plan to play either today.
— Kelly Hines (@kellyintulsa) November 12, 2022
The thought process for the Oklahoma State coaches there was likely that Sanders would at least be able to get a clean hand-off on that fourth down play. That makes sense given the fact that Rangel fumbled a snap under center on a critical play on the plus side of the field for the Pokes last week against Kansas.
Since Sanders and Rangel are reportedly the emergency quarterbacks for Oklahoma State in this game, it’s actually not all that surprising that Spencer took a snap in this situation
It just so happened that it was his first offensive snap in the last couple of games, and it didn’t go well for Oklahoma State.
Next. 3 key injured Texas players vs. TCU. dark
Oklahoma State already locked up bowl eligibility this season, which is good considering that the team is currently riding a two-game losing streak and has fallen short in three of the last four contests. Meanwhile, Iowa State is trying to get back to .500 after it snapped a five-game losing streak last week with a win over the West Virginia Mountaineers.