John Smith exhaled and rubbed his hands across his face for a few seconds.

He tried to think of what to say after Oklahoma State’s 18-12 loss to Minnesota on Sunday.

Smith said it was OSU’s inability to finish takedowns in scrambles that doomed the Cowboys. A few more takedowns would’ve resulted in bonus points and possibly an Oklahoma State win.

The Cowboys went without bonus points on Sunday, something that was needed from Dustin Plott and Daton Fix, two All-Americans who were in a position to do so. It’s not all their responsibility, either. The Cowboys collected seven bonus-point wins after four duals. Plott and Fix combine for four.

It’s a drastic difference from the Cowboys’ 16 bonus-point wins after four duals last season.

The lineup changed and the schedule is different. But Smith requests development. 

Takedowns contributed to the Cowboys’ issues Sunday. The Cowboys won that battle, 10-6. But takedowns didn’t come when needed or when expected for bonus-point wins.

Too many times, Smith said, were Cowboys in on a leg in a scramble situation but couldn’t finish. 

“We just gotta kinda recognize that we gotta outwrestle the scrambles,” he said. “When we get in deep and we’re sucking their legs in, historically you score points. Now there’s another set of defense that people are applying. We struggled with finishing shots with guys that are scrambling.”

There’s an evolution that occurs from early parts of the season to end based on training. It’s natural. 

Smith added that finishing scrambles have been emphasized in practice. The lineup will likely remain the same for Sunday’s Bedlam against Oklahoma. 

“Hopefully you get that ironed out and you work toward scoring those points. I think the good thing is we got some guys that I believe continue to develop,” he said.

Here are some other notes ahead of #14 OSU’s Bedlam dual at #24 on Sunday:

Gfeller’s Win Over Lee Builds Confidence

Kaden Gfeller charged from the whistle and used heavy handfighting to his advantage.

Gfeller, a scrappy fifth-year 157-pounder, kept # 5 Brayton Lee of Minnesota defensive.

The bout, the last of the dual, served as a meaningless match for the team scores. But meaningful for Gfeller. He proved his veteran experience with a clean, strategic match that led to a 2-0 win.

“That guy (Lee), I know that he is a good handfighter,” Gfeller said. “He’s real strong, so that the emphasis going into that match. Right after the first whistle, go after him and let him know that I’m here. That’s what I did. I stayed intense and it worked out for me.”

Now, Gfeller stays focused on Sunday’s Bedlam dual. He’ll likely meet Jacob Butler, who’s just outside the top 25. 

“When you see someone step out there in an orange singlet, you know that they’re gonna be a bad mofo,” Gfeller said. “We don’t lose to them. It’s not acceptable. We don’t lose to Sooners.”

Fix Set At 133

Each year, Daton Fix noticed his teammates practice with new partners. 

That’s the product of changing weights. 

Four Cowboy starters compete at different weights from last year. Kaden Gfeller to 157. Wyatt Sheets up at 165. Travis Wittlake bulked to 184 and Luke Surber dropped to 197.

But Fix isn’t going anywhere. He’s at 133. He hasn’t grown out of his weight some of his teammates have. 

Three NCAA finals losses at the weight and the return of Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young didn’t change that.

“Not for me,” he said. “I think I’ve performed pretty well at this weight in my career…. If I want to win against anybody, that’s who I want to beat in the national finals.”

So far, second-ranked Fix is 4-0 with two bonus-point wins. He’s still undefeated in the Big 12 and will likely battle Oklahoma’s Wyatt Henson in Sunday’s Bedlam dual.

“Bedlam, they say it means more and it does for everybody, especially us competing in it,” he said.