COLLEGE GAME PREVIEW

Walsh to start for Okie St. vs. FSU

The Sports Xchange

August 28, 2014 at 9:03 am.

Walsh completed 113 of 190 passes for 1,333 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions last season while adding another 294 yards on 58 carries. Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy confirmed quarterback J.W. Walsh will start the Cowboys’ season opener against No. 1 Florida State on Saturday.

Walsh has taken the majority of the first-team reps during for practice for the unranked Cowboys, but Gundy had yet to name a starter with Daxx Garman and Mason Rudolph in the mix. However, Walsh has the clear edge in experience as the Big 12’s Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2012. He started five of the eight games he appeared in last season.

Garman, a redshirt junior, has not thrown a pass for the Cowboys and Rudolph is a highly-touted true freshman.

“J.W. is a coach’s son. He’s got a great work ethic, he’s got great leadership skills,” Gundy said during a radio interview with ESPN on Wednesday. “J.W. has taken the majority of the reps and will be the guy who goes out there and starts for us (against FSU).”

However, Garman has been pushing Walsh during camp, and it sounds as though Gundy is prepared to use both quarterbacks.

“Daxx Garman brings a little bit of a twist to our offense,” Gundy said. “He’s more of a pocket style, throwing quarterback. With these guys, there will be a little bit of a different style of offense depending upon who’s in there. But it has never affected J.W. He has always seen it as competition, and it has helped him work hard.”

Walsh, 6-feet-2, 205 pounds, is the No. 19-rated junior quarterback in the country by NFLDraftScout.com. He completed 113 of 190 passes for 1,333 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions last season while adding another 294 yards on 58 carries.

Rudolph, 6-4, 218, is the No. 25-rated quarterback prospect in the 2018 class.