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OSU football: Surprise! Jim Knowles' defense is carrying the Cowboys

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Cowboys arrive on the banks of the Monongahela River without their quarterback, thumb surgery having ended Spencer Sanders’ season.

But never fear. OSU’s defense made the trip for the Saturday game against West Virginia.

If you’re waiting for the punch line, you haven’t been paying attention. The 21st-ranked Cowboys have changed their calling card. The high-flying offenses that have defined OSU football for more than a decade? Not so soaring in 2019.

But the Cowboys are 7-3 because Jim Knowles’ defense has turned stingy in his second season as the OSU defensive coordinator.