'A really good adjuster': Why Jim Knowles and the Oklahoma State defense can adapt to anything

STILLWATER — When you’ve got a stout defense like Oklahoma State’s, you have to prepare for everything.

Opponents are going to bring their best, most creative offensive ideas, looking for a way to break you.

And lately, the Cowboys are facing teams with virtually new quarterbacks, too, only adding to the unexpected nature of what an offense can present.

Last week, with quarterback Chandler Morris making his second start, TCU hit OSU early for a couple big plays.

Texas Tech, with quarterback Donovan Smith having taken over two games ago, will try to do the same.

Ninth-ranked OSU faces Texas Tech at 7 p.m. Saturday at Jones Stadium in Lubbock.

Smith took over as Tech’s primary quarterback on Oct. 30 against Oklahoma and had success, throwing for 192 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-22 passing. Last week, he made his first career start, and completed 25 of 32 passes for 322 yards and three TDs.

'It helps to keep our heads level': OSU keeps beating hot teams. Can it do it again at Texas Tech?

Tramel: Will this Oklahoma State football team follow the Cowboys of 2011 or 2013?

Of course, the week before facing OSU, Morris threw for 461 yards and rushed for 70 with three total touchdowns. Then OSU held him to 103 passing and sacked him seven times.

“They presented a lot of different formations early on, and they did a good job of mixing it up early,” OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said of TCU. “I think it took us a second to catch our breath. But we have a lot of great veterans and we can adjust.”

And that’s where Oklahoma State brings the juice. With a defense full of veterans, Knowles can make in-game adjustments on the fly, and the players can adapt to them on the field.

“I think it’s the fact that they can respond to my calls so quickly,” Knowles said. “Every game, you go into with a gameplan, but the other team has a gameplan, so they’re gonna start out with some things that you may not have seen before. There’s no lag time with our guys. If I make a different call, try to make an adjustment to what they’re doing, they respond.”

Smith, like Morris, presents a tricky test, because there isn’t much game tape to learn from in terms of picking up his habits and his strengths.

But this far into the season, a team can’t fully overhaul its offense, so OSU’s players have to blend what they see from Smith on video with the trends Tech has established throughout the season.

'A lot of high expectations': How Oklahoma State's Logan Carter is making most of return from back surgery

She Said, He Said: As College Football Playoff race comes into focus, where is OSU, OU in the picture?

“(Smith is) very athletic,” OSU senior cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse said. “That’s what stood out the most. And he’s able to make plays when he has the chance.

“As a team, they do the same things, so that’s basically what you go off when you watch film, because it’s always gonna be the same — or similar, at least. It’s gonna be another challenge. We gotta come in locked in, ready for anything.”

Ready for anything and ready for the unexpected.

A creative offensive mind like that of Tech interim head coach Sonny Cumbie will present looks and schemes that the Cowboys didn’t prepare for.

“The one tricky thing is, we don’t know how their coach is gonna prepare for our defense,” OSU senior safety Tanner McCalister said. “We have a pretty aggressive defense. Each week when we watch film, some things that they do against us are sometimes a little different.

“That’s where Knowles comes in. Knowles is a really good adjuster. Last week, we had to do a lot of adjusting. Early on their first drive, they hit us on one or two shots, so we had to make some adjustments and we did that, and ended up leaving the half with only three points.

“I think adjustments will have to come into play in this game as well. You gotta make those on the sideline and get back on the field and stop them.”

OSU head coach Mike Gundy has praised Knowles’ gameday abilities in play-calling and adjusting to the opposition. And the defense continues to come through in tough situations.

“We’re producing, and that gives everybody faith that things are gonna turn out alright when you have a defense that steps up,” Knowles said “I tell the defense all the time, we have everything we need to win the game. You don’t need to worry about anything else. We have all the tools necessary to play great defense.”

OSU at Texas Tech

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas (Fox)

'We all love the game': Oklahoma State football's level of fun no longer worries Mike Gundy

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSU football: Why Jim Knowles, Cowboys' defense can adapt to anything