Preview: Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns at Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State generated plenty of yards and points against Arizona, but turnovers doomed the Cowboys to a rare September loss. Can the Cowboys bounce back against a Sun Belt foe?

By Patrick Southern

Sep 12, 2012 at 5:10 pm ET • 2 min read

Wes Lunt hopes to bounce back after throwing three interceptions in last week's loss at Arizona. (AP Images)

Louisiana-Lafayette (2-0) at Oklahoma State (1-1)

Kickoff: Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (Fox Sports Network)

Spread: Oklahoma State by 22.5

Watchability: Do you want to see what Todd Monken's offense looks like when the players and coaches are angry? If so, this would be the game to watch with the Cowboys -- fresh off the disappointment of last week's 59-38 loss at Arizona -- looking to right the ship this week.

Shining stars: Louisiana-Lafayette: WR Javone Lawson. Ranked in the top 10 in school history for catches (100) and receiving yards (1,542), Lawson will be the strongest test the Cowboys' defense will face one week after yielding 320 yards passing in the loss to Arizona. Oklahoma State: QB Wes Lunt. In this case, the shine of the spotlight isn't necessarily a good thing. Lunt certainly showed what he is capable of -- the true freshman rarely looked rattled in throwing for 436 yards and four touchdowns in his first-ever college road game. On the other hand, he did throw three picks -- including one that was returned for a back-breaking touchdown. But the blame wasn't solely his.

Who could steal the show: Louisiana-Lafayette: Rushing defense. Games against Lamar and Troy aren't exactly stern tests, but the Cajuns were stout against the run in the wins. They are ranked sixth in the FBS, allowing 49.0 rushing yards per game. Sure, the Cowboys like to pass (60 attempts at Arizona), but can Louisiana-Lafayette make them one-dimensional? Oklahoma State: WR Blake Jackson. Almost a forgotten man in the Cowboys' offense, Jackson showed what he can do last week at Arizona, finishing with 105 receiving yards. If opponents key too much on stopping RB Joseph Randle or WR Tracy Moore, Jackson could team with Lunt for another big day.

You going? Ranking the road trip: Boone Pickens Stadium should be a bit sleepy for an 11 a.m. kickoff (local time) -- the first OSU home game to start at that hour since the 2004 Bedlam game against rival Oklahoma. Still, if you like offense, there are few better destinations on a college football Saturday than Stillwater. Just set your alarm extra early to tailgate.

Magic number for Louisiana-Lafayette: 1988. That's the last time the Ragin' Cajuns started a season 3-0. That year, the streak went to 4-0 with wins over Cal State Fullerton, Sam Houston State, Rice and East Carolina. Obviously, a win over the defending Fiesta Bowl and Big 12 champions would rank a bit higher.

Magic number for Oklahoma State: +3/-2. Those are the average turnover margins for Louisiana-Lafayette and Oklahoma State, respectively, through two weeks of the season. The Cajuns are tied for second in the FBS in that statistic, and the Cowboys are tied for 108th. If there is one stat that should give OSU pause (and the Ragin' Cajuns some hope), it's this one.

The game comes down to: Whether Oklahoma State can avoid the turnovers that doomed it against Arizona. The Cowboys committed 15 penalties for 167 yards and committed four turnovers in the loss. A similar performance might not doom OSU in this one, but it could make the game a lot closer than expected.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 45, Louisiana-Lafayette 20

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big 12 bloggers C.J. Moore and Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsBig12 on Twitter. You can also follow C.J. (@cjmoore4) and Patrick (@patricksouthern).