Tag: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Nov 11, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman (7) hands off to running back Ollie Gordon II (0) during the first quarter against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

No. 23 Oklahoma State faces Houston after rough defeat

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 23 Oklahoma State and Houston will meet for the first time as Big 12 Conference members on Saturday in Houston as both try to rebound from disappointing defeats.

Oklahoma State (7-3, 5-2) saw its five-game winning streak come to an end in a humbling 45-3 defeat at UCF last week. The Cowboys remain in the mix for the Big 12 title game but are in search of the proper mindset moving forward.

“We’re still together as family,” Oklahoma State linebacker Zavier Benson said. “We realize there’s not much to be said. It wasn’t acceptable. We have to own up to that, be men and take accountability of actions.

“I like how everyone’s responding in more of a positive manner, realizing we got to start from ground zero again because we got to earn what we lost. It starts with the simple things.”

Houston (4-6, 2-5) must win its remaining two games in order to become bowl eligible following a 24-14 home loss to Cincinnati last week. The Cougars have reached a bowl game in each of the last three seasons under coach Dana Holgorsen.

“It was a disappointing loss,” Holgorsen said. “Kept it a close game. … Offensively (it was) just not good enough.”

Saturday will mark the first meeting between the programs since 2009 when Houston earned a 45-35 victory. It is not the first conference matchup between the programs, though, as both were members of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1951-56.

For Oklahoma State, it’s about getting back on track in its race for the Big 12 title game. The Cowboys were riding high after knocking off rival Oklahoma 27-24 on Nov. 4 before the collapse at UCF.

The Knights held Oklahoma State standout running back Ollie Gordon II to just 25 yards on 12 carries. Gordon is still the nation’s leading rusher with 1,250 yards on the ground, including 17 carries of 20-plus yards.

Quarterback Alan Bowman also had a forgettable game against UCF with three interceptions but played well in previous games against ranked teams such as Oklahoma and Kansas.

“It’s not like that we’re still not a good football team, we just have to rally and understand the mistakes we made,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said.

That’s the mindset Houston has going into the game, too, with Holgorsen dismissing the UCF game.

“This is going to be a heckuva challenge for us,” he said. “Throw that game away last week.”

Cincinnati held the Cougars to 241 yards of total offense with three turnovers.

Houston has been inconsistent on offense for much of the season, averaging the third-fewest points per game (24.1) in the Big 12.

Over his last three games, Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith has thrown more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (four). But Smith is a dual-threat quarterback who can cause problems for defenses.

On the injury front, the Cougars lost receiver Matthew Golden to a season-ending foot injury. Golden has been a dynamic playmaker, scoring two touchdowns on kickoff returns and six more on TD receptions.

On Saturday, Houston will honor the passing of former players D.J. Hayden, Zachary McMillian and Ralph Oragwu, who died in a car accident in the early-morning hours on Nov. 11. The team will wear a commemorative decal for the remainder of the season.

–Field Level Media

Oct 21, 2023; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II (0) runs for a touchdown during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Ollie Gordon (4 TDs), Oklahoma State sink West Virginia

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Ollie Gordon ran for 282 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries to lead Oklahoma State to a 48-34 win at West Virginia on Saturday in a Big 12 contest.

Alan Bowman went 24-of-36 passing for 210 yards and two touchdowns as well for Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1), which has won three straight.

Garrett Green completed 15 of 29 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for West Virginia (4-3, 2-2), which has lost two straight. Greene also rushed for a team-high 111 yards on 16 carries.

With the game tied 27-27 in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma State took a 34-27 lead with 7:00 remaining on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Bowman to Brennan Presley.

After stopping West Virginia on downs, Oklahoma State took a 41-27 lead with 4:15 remaining on a 46-yard touchdown run by Gordon.

West Virginia then drove down the field quickly, going 75 yards in just 1:38 and cutting its deficit to 41-34 with 2:37 remaining on C.J. Donaldson’s 3-yard touchdown run.

But the Cowboys regained a two-touchdown lead on a 53-yard scoring run by Gordon with 1:40 remaining that made it 48-34.

West Virginia drove down to the Oklahoma State 12-yard line with 47 seconds remaining, but the drive stalled on downs.

The Mountaineers held a 24-20 lead in the fourth until the Cowboys went ahead 27-24 with 13:16 remaining on a 16-yard touchdown run by Gordon.

West Virginia drove down the field on its next possession and tied it 27-27 on a 39-yard field goal by Michael Hayes with 9:39 left.

Trailing 17-13 at halftime, the Cowboys took a 20-17 lead with 4:52 left in the third on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Bowman to Jaden Bray.

The Mountaineers answered, driving 75 yards in seven plays and taking a 24-20 lead on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Green to E.J. Horton with 1:30 remaining in the third.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) runs the ball in for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

WVU, smarting from Hail Mary loss, aims to rebound vs. Oklahoma St.

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Oklahoma State and West Virginia have found success in a different way this season.

The programs historically have relied on their offenses, but the Cowboys and Mountaineers are in the bottom half of the Big 12 in points per game in 2023.

Despite their offensive inconsistency, both teams are 4-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play thanks to improved defenses. Points might be at more of a premium than usual when the programs meet Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va.

Oklahoma State, which is coming off back-to-back wins at home against Kansas State and then-No. 23 Kansas, is 12th in the league in points per game at 26.0.

However, the Cowboys are seventh in the league in fewest points allowed at 24.7.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said the key against West Virginia’s offense will be not letting Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene make plays with his legs.

“The quarterback runs way better than what people think he does,” Gundy said. “He’s not a burner. Like, you worried about the guy we played last week just taking off and blowing everybody’s doors off. This guy’s not that, but he’s more effective than you think.”

The Mountaineers are sixth in the league at 22.7 points allowed per game, but they are ninth in points per game at 28.5.

West Virginia is coming off a heartbreaking 41-39 loss at Houston during which it gave up a Hail Mary pass on the last play of the game. The dramatic ending diminished a strong effort by Greene, who threw for 391 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yard TD toss to Hudson Clement with 12 seconds left that was nearly the game-winner.

Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said his side had plenty of opportunities to secure the victory before the last second and didn’t do so, and that the team would learn from the loss.

“You can’t control what happens all the time, but you can control your response,” Brown said. “So our response is we better fight and we better put better stuff on tape or it’s going to be a long year.”

Brown is impressed with how Oklahoma State has responded after a 33-7 home loss to South Alabama earlier in the year.

“You can tell they are playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Brown said. “I think offensively when you look at them, they’ve focused on running the football, and that’s something they didn’t do earlier. And they’ve settled on a quarterback (Alan Bowman).”

Bowman threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 39-32 win over the Jayhawks last week.

“We need him to sit in (the pocket),” Gundy said of Bowman. “Protection’s been really good the last three games. We need him to sit and keep his weight distributed properly. That’ll help him become a more effective quarterback for our team.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Will Howard (18) runs away from several UCF Knights defenders to score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas State pays Friday visit to struggling Oklahoma State

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Oklahoma State has historically handled Kansas State at home in football. That history will be put to the test Friday night as the Wildcats visit the Cowboys in Stillwater, Okla.

The Cowboys have won seven of the past eight home meetings since 2003, when they broke a nine-game overall losing streak to the Wildcats.

Oklahoma State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) is on a two-game skid, losing 33-7 at home to South Alabama on Sept. 16 and 34-27 at Iowa State in its most recent game on Sept. 23.

They are struggling on both sides of the ball, ranked 13th in the 14-team conference in scoring and 12th in total offense. The Cowboys are also ninth in scoring defense and 11th in total defense.

Against Iowa State, OSU allowed Rocco Becht to pass for 348 yards and three touchdowns. The Cyclones entered that contest averaging just 16.7 points per game, the worst among Power 5 schools.

Now the Cowboys face a K-State team that is in the top 5 in offensive and defensive scoring, total offense and defense, rushing offense and defense, and passing offense.

“We had good practices,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said of the week off. “Hopefully, the guys got rested up a little bit. (Kansas State) is the best team that we’ve played overall, so we’ll really need to step up and compete in all three phases. But the players are excited about practicing and their attitudes have been great, so that’s been encouraging as a coach.”

Kansas State (3-1, 1-0) also had last weekend off in preparation for a rare Friday game. The only area the Wildcats have seriously struggled is in pass defense, where they’re last in the conference — partly because of too many big plays.

K-State coach Chris Klieman won’t let OSU’s early-season struggles affect his team’s preparation.

“We know we have a big task ahead playing in Stillwater,” he said. “We’ve got to have another really good day.

“In the bye week, we tried to focus on the younger guys. That’s the group we focus on every bye week. Whether or not their future is now or in another year, we have to continue to evaluate.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Gunnar Gundy (12) tries to get past South Alabama Jaguars linebacker James Miller (4) during an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and South Alabama at Boone Pickens Stadium. South Alabama won 33-7. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma State, Iowa State limp into start of Big 12 play

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Oklahoma State and Iowa State head into Saturday’s Big 12 opener for both teams at Ames, Iowa, coming off humbling nonconference losses last week.

Oklahoma State (2-1) lost to South Alabama 33-7 in Stillwater, Okla., and Iowa State (1-2) was upended 10-7 at Ohio.

Iowa State totaled 38 yards rushing on 23 attempts in its loss, with quarterback Rocco Becht accounting for 31 of those rushing yards. Cartevious Norton’s 15 yards were the most of any of the running backs, needing nine attempts to get to that mark.

“They were the more physical football team and deserved to win the football game,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said of Ohio, which is 3-1 after winning its last three games.

Becht completed 17 of 24 pass attempts for 233 yards but he had two interceptions to go with one touchdown.

“We thought we could go out there and do what we wanted,” Becht said. “I think it’s just a lack of preparation. The urgency, we’ve just got to have that throughout the whole week.”

Oklahoma State’s loss to South Alabama is its first nonconference defeat since falling at home against Central Michigan in 2016.

It was the third nonconference home loss under coach Mike Gundy, who took over as head coach at his alma mater in 2005. The 26-point margin was the worst loss against a nonconference opponent in the Gundy era.

“We got outcoached and outexecuted,” Gundy said. “Everybody has to own it. We’ve got to get through it. It’s extremely difficult when you don’t play well.”

The Cowboys’ three-quarterback system, that was efficient in wins over Central Arkansas and Arizona State, was ineffective this time.

Alan Bowman, Gunnar Gundy and Garret Rangel combined to complete 16 of 35 passes for 114 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.

“We’re 0-0 in conference, so let’s go in with a level head this week, put the loss behind us, learn from it, and ultimately go fix our mistakes,” senior offensive lineman Preston Wilson said.

– Field Level Media

Oklahoma Sate football coach Mike Gundy waits to sing the alma mater following the college football game between Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and Baylor University Bears at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. OSU won 24-17. gundy cover cutout

Oklahoma State to launch position battle vs. Central Arkansas

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Oklahoma State will kick off its season against visiting Central Arkansas on Saturday evening in Stillwater, Okla.

The Cowboys are eager to move on from a disappointing finish a season ago in the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma State won six of its first seven games but stumbled down the stretch with five losses in its last six games.

A new season brings a fresh approach for Mike Gundy and his Cowboys. Gundy is 156-75 as he enters his 19th year at the helm for Oklahoma State.

Gundy said he planned to rely upon multiple players at multiple positions, including quarterback, heading into the season opener and beyond.

“We will play multiple quarterbacks — maybe quite a while,” Gundy said this week. “Today I went in and looked at the roster and kind of where we’re at. We will have more players competing on game day for multiple games than ever before.

“The reason is we have so many new players, we don’t know a lot about them. We watch them in practice, but some guys play different in games than they do in practice. I think the fair thing is to let them play, put guys in games, see what they do.”

That means Alan Bowman and Garret Rangel each can expect playing time at quarterback. The Cowboys are moving on from former quarterback Spencer Sanders, who left for Ole Miss.

Central Arkansas is coming off a 5-6 record last season. The Bears hope to play the role of spoiler against Oklahoma State’s new-look roster.

One reason for optimism at Central Arkansas is the arrival of running back ShunDerrick Powell, a transfer from North Alabama. Powell rushed for 1,508 yards and 18 touchdowns last season and earned FCS All-American status.

Bears quarterback Will McElvain is entering his second year as the leader of the offense.

“He understands what (offensive coordinator Ken) Collums wants in his room, he understands what I want out of a quarterback as the head coach,” Bears head coach Nathan Brown said. “I think Will is poised to have a huge fall.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2022; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown, left, and Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy talk before a college football game between Oklahoma State and West Virginia at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia runs to 24-19 win at Oklahoma State

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Jaylen Anderson rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries to lead West Virginia to a 24-19 win over Oklahoma State in Saturday’s Big 12 regular season finale in Stillwater, Okla.

The Mountaineers (5-7, 3-6) rushed for 250 yards as a team, with Garrett Greene adding a rushing touchdown.

Ollie Gordon ran for 136 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries for the Cowboys (7-5, 4-5), who lost for the fourth time in five games.

Oklahoma State played without starting quarterback Spencer Sanders due to a shoulder injury.

West Virginia took a 24-19 lead with 5:59 remaining on a 34-yard field goal by Casey Legg.

The Cowboys then drove to the West Virginia 28 but couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-3 and the Mountaineers took over on downs.

Oklahoma State forced a punt and had one more shot starting at its own 46-yard line. Four straight incompletions by Garret Rangel gave the ball back to West Virginia to end the game.

Trailing 10-7 at halftime, West Virginia went 80 yards in six plays on the first drive of the second half and took a 14-10 lead on a 54-yard run by Anderson with 12:45 left in the third quarter.

Anderson then scored from 57 yards out with 9:53 left in the third to give the Mountaineers a 21-10 lead.

OK State made it 21-13 on a 38-yard field goal by Tanner Brown with 5:59 left in the third, and then cut the WVU lead to 21-19 with 24 seconds left in the third on a 23-yard touchdown run by Gordon.

West Virginia opened the scoring, taking a 7-0 lead with 7:11 remaining in the first quarter on Greene’s 36-yard touchdown run.

Oklahoma State answered, tying the game on the first play of the second quarter on a 4-yard touchdown run by Brennan Presley before taking a 10-7 lead with 14 seconds left until halftime on a 22-yard field goal by Brown.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Jovantae Barnes (2) runs the ball against Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Jason Taylor II (25) in the second quarter at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports

Fast start propels Oklahoma to win over No. 22 Oklahoma State

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Dillon Gabriel threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns to lead host Oklahoma to a 28-13 win over No. 22 Oklahoma State on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

The Sooners jumped out to a big lead early, with four first-quarter touchdowns, to reach bowl eligibility for the 24th consecutive season.

Oklahoma’s active bowl streak is the second longest in college football, behind only Georgia.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Sooners (6-5, 3-5 Big 12).

The Cowboys (7-4, 4-4) have dropped three of their last four games.

Oklahoma needed less than 90 seconds to get on the board, with a quick 75-yard touchdown drive to start the game.

After a quick three-and-out by Oklahoma State, the Sooners once again quickly drove down the field, with Gabriel hitting Jalil Farooq for a 30-yard touchdown.

The Sooners’ defense also came up big in the fast start, intercepting Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders three times in the game’s first 20 minutes.

But only one of those interceptions — Jonah Laulu’s 26-yard return to the Oklahoma State 4 — turned into points.

The Sooners outgained the Cowboys 299-61 in the first quarter. It was the second-most yards in a quarter in Oklahoma history.

After that, things slowed considerably for the Sooners’ offense, as they had just 135 yards of offense in the final three quarters.

Gabriel didn’t complete a pass in the second half until less than nine minutes remained in the game.

Eric Gray narrowly missed what would’ve been his fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 20 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown.

Drake Stoops had six catches for 89 yards and a score.

Sanders finished 36 of 67 for 381 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions for the Cowboys. Brennan Presley had nine catches for 118 yards and Braydon Johnson notched seven catches for 109 yards.

Oklahoma State outgained the Sooners 484-434.

Oklahoma finished just 1 of 14 on third down.

–Field Level Media

Nov 12, 2022; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State's Gunnar Gundy (12) warms up before the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the Iowa State Cyclones at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman-USA TODAY NETWORK

Oklahoma St. takes over 4th quarter to topple Iowa St.

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Quarterback Spencer Sanders came on late in the third after Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy benched his son and helped the host Cowboys beat visiting Iowa State 20-14 on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.

The Cowboys (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) used an eight-play drive early in the fourth quarter to take the lead for good. Sanders passed 14 yards to Jaden Nixon for the go-ahead touchdown with 9:18 remaining.

Sanders, who had been dealing with an injury, might have missed his second consecutive game, but he was summoned after Gunnar Gundy, who made his first career start, was removed.

Sanders finished 9-for-13 for 84 yards as the Cowboys won for just the second time in their last five games. Gundy went 5-for-12 for 103 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Quarterback Hunter Dekkers was 28-for-42 for 274 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions for Iowa State (4-6, 1-6), which was trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since a 3-0 start to the season.

After a fourth-down stop in Iowa State territory in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys tacked on Tanner Brown’s 40-yard field goal with 4:19 to play.

After both teams punted, the Cyclones reached the Oklahoma State 23 before a fourth-down sack sealed the outcome with less than 30 seconds to play.

Neither team had much of a ground attack; Iowa State finished with 59 rushing yards and Oklahoma State with 57.

Iowa State opened the second half with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, scoring on Jirehl Brock’s 1-yard run.

Oklahoma State opened the scoring on Brown’s 37-yard field goal in the second quarter.

A special teams play turned momentum when Iowa State’s Darien Porter blocked a punt. The Cyclones needed to go only 9 yards for a touchdown, with Dekkers hooking up with Sean Shaw Jr. on a 4-yard scoring play for a 7-3 lead.

The Cowboys had a quick response. Gundy’s pass to John Paul Richardson turned into an 83-yard touchdown on their second snap of the next possession.

Oklahoma State led 10-7 at halftime, with Iowa State limited to 116 yards of total offense. Jace Gilbert of the Cyclones missed on a 41-yard field-goal attempt in the last minute of the first half.

Oklahoma State had just six first downs in the opening half.

–Field Level Media