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STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) Rennie Childs ran for 83 yards and a touchdown to help the White team beat the Orange 31-13 in Oklahoma State's spring game on Saturday.
The Cowboys are looking to replace their top two rushers from last season. Desmond Roland was a senior last year and Tyreek Hill was kicked off the team, so the spring offered an opportunity for Childs to establish himself before highly touted Chris Carson and Jeff Carr arrive for fall practice.
Childs busted loose for a 60-yard run early in the second quarter, and tight end Zac Veatch caught a touchdown pass from Mason Rudolph on the next play to put the White up 14-6. Childs' 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter extended the White's lead to 28-6.
''Rennie has played better this spring,'' Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. ''He's accepted the challenge. He wasn't as physical over his first few years here as he needed to be. We pushed him hard through the spring. He got hit more than what we would have wanted him to, but we felt like we needed him to be in that role. We felt that he needed to get tired, he needed to get tackled. He needed to find a way to make some plays.''
Other notable things from the game:
QB PLAY: Rudolph was declared the starter after leading Oklahoma State to wins over Oklahoma to close the regular season and Washington in the TicketCity Cactus Bowl. He was solid on Saturday, connecting on 12 of 17 passes for 178 yards, with the touchdown and an interception.
J.W. Walsh, who was the starter last season before going down with a right foot injury, has drawn raves from Gundy during the spring. He struggled throwing the ball on Saturday, completing just 10 of 23 passes for 170 yards and two interceptions. Best known for his mobility, he ran for 59 yards on 17 carries, including a 5-yard touchdown run late in the first half.
''It was good to see J.W. get back out there and function in his world with the style of offense we use with him,'' Gundy said.
DEFENSIVE STARS: Ramon Richards made a leaping interception of a Rudolph pass for the Orange in the first quarter, but Kevin Peterson one-upped him a few plays later. He picked off Walsh and returned it for a touchdown to put the White up 7-0. Darius Curry also intercepted Walsh for the White.
BACKUP KICKER: Matt Hockett, a redshirt freshman, hit a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter and made a 25-yarder in the first quarter. He was the primary kicker because Ben Grogan was held out with a minor hip injury.
STANDOUT RECEIVERS: Chris Lacy, who caught four passes all last season as a freshman, had three catches for 105 yards. James Washington had three catches for 101 yards. Brandon Shepard (hand) and David Glidden (shoulder), the team's top two receivers last year, sat out with minor dings.
HAVING A SPRING GAME: Oklahoma State was so low on numbers last year that it didn't even have a traditional spring game, opting instead for a scrimmage. This year, 11 offensive starters and eight defensive starters returned.
Gundy said he opted to cut out the third quarter Saturday because the first half included 84 plays.
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