Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Travel To Texas For Big 12 Opener
September 25, 2000 | Cowboy Football
Sept. 25, 2000
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Depth Chart in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader
Oklahoma State opens Big 12 Conference play this weekend as the Cowboys travel to Austin, Texas, to face the Longhorns. It will be the league opener for both teams as the Cowboys travel after a two-game home stand and the Longhorns host their second of two-straight home contests. The Cowboys travel to Texas with an overall record of 2-1 and trying to get back on the winning track after dropping a 28-6 decision to 21st-ranked Southern Miss last week. Texas has an identical 2-1 record after blanking Houston 48-0 Saturday night in Austin.
Last Week
Oklahoma State had chances against nationally-ranked Southern Miss, but couldn't convert. The Golden Eagles scored one touchdown in each quarter and turned OSU back several times in the second half when momentum seemed to be searching for the OSU sideline. Oklahoma State held Southern Miss to minus-seven yards rushing, but Eagles' quarterback Jeff Kelly passed for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns. OSU's attack was balanced with 157 yards on the ground and 146 through the air. The Pokes could manage only a pair of Seth Condley field goals.
Rankings
For the second straight week, Oklahoma State will line up against a nationally-ranked opponent. Texas is ranked 13th this week in both the ESPN/Coaches' and Associated Press Polls. Oklahoma State received votes in two of the last three AP polls, but lost those votes after Saturday's loss to Southern Miss. Playing a ranked Texas team is nothing new for the Cowboys. Since the OSU-Texas series resumed in 1996, UT has been ranked no lower than 23rd when it faced the Cowboys. Texas was 13th in 1996, 23rd in 1997, 20th in 1998 and 11th a year ago. Texas is one of two future OSU opponents ranked in this week's polls, and both Texas A&M and Texas Tech received votes.
OSU on the Road
Oklahoma State will depart for Austin via air charter early Friday afternoon. The Cowboys will stage a light workout (closed) at Texas Memorial Stadium Friday afternoon. In Austin, the Cowboys will headquarter at the Renaissance Austin Hotel and return to Stillwater immediately following the game. Oklahoma State's Friday practice at Texas is closed to the media and players are not available. Head Coach Bob Simmons is available prior to that workout. Please contact the Athletic Media Relations Office to make arrangements.
Conference Openers
Since the Big 12 Conference began competition in football in 1996, Oklahoma State has a 2-2 record in league openers. The Cowboys lost their first Big 12 game in 1996 to Texas Tech in Texas Stadium in Irving. OSU then won back-to-back league openers against Iowa State and Kansas, both on the road. Last year, the Cowboys opened Big 12 play against Nebraska in Lincoln and suffered a 38-14 loss. Saturday will mark the fifth-straight year Oklahoma State has opened Big 12 Conference play away from home.
Big 12 Openers
| Year | Opponent | Site | Result |
| 1996 | Texas Tech | Texas Stadium | L, 31-3 |
| 1997 | Iowa State | Ames | W, 21-14 |
| 1998 | Kansas | Lawrence | W, 38-28 |
| 1999 | Nebraska | Lincoln | L, 38-14 |
On the Air
Saturday's Big 12 opener will be televised regionally by ABC with kickoff scheduled for just after 11 a.m. (CDT). Chip Tarkenton and Reggie Rivers will describe the action for ABC. Saturday will be Oklahoma State's fifth appearance on ABC since 1997. OSU is 2-2 on the network over the past three years with victories over Baylor (1997) and Kansas (1998) and losses to Kansas State (1998) and Texas (1998).
Breakfast in Texas
Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff is certainly one of the earliest in OSU football history. The Cowboys have made numerous appearances on the Big 12 Conference's syndicated television package which features an 11:30 a.m. kickoff. Oklahoma State and Texas will kick off in the first of three 11 a.m. windows ABC has for Big 12 games in 2000.
And, on Radio
Saturday game, and every game on the 2000 football schedule, will be broadcast live on the Cowboy Radio Network. Learfield Sports is in the first year of a multimedia agreement with OSU, and the Cowboy Network is just one facet of that relationship. Bill Teegins, multiple year recipient of the Oklahoma Sportscaster-of-the-Year award, returns for his 10th season as the radio voice of OSU football. Tom Dirato returns for his 20th season providing expert analysis. The Cowboy Network features 26 stations that cover Oklahoma from border to border. Those network stations are listed elsewhere in this release.
Where Was Bryan?
Oklahoma State offensive lineman Bryan Phillips was in on just two plays Saturday night after suffering an ankle injury during pregame warmups. Phillips did start the game in his usual spot, but was forced to the sideline during the first offensive series.
Woods Gets Start
Redshirt freshman Rashaun Woods was one of two wide receivers to start the game Saturday night against Southern Miss. It was the first career start for Woods, who finished the game with three receptions for 16 yards. Woods has played in all three OSU games in 2000, but the receptions against Southern Miss were the first of his Cowboy career.
Speaking of Receivers
Oklahoma State completed 16 passes against Southern Miss Saturday, and the load was evenly shared. Nine Cowboys were on the receiving end of either Tony Lindsay or Aso Pogi passes, including Jamaal Fobbs, who hauled in four passes for 60 yards. For the season, 10 different players have at least one reception, led by Gabe Lindsay with seven.
Rookies on the Field
Through three games of the 2000 season, three true freshmen have logged playing time. Tailback Tatum Bell, linebacker Fath' Carter and deep snapper Derek LaFargue have all seen action this season. LaFargue and Carter were the only two first-year rookies to hit the field against Southern Mississippi last week.
Another Stingy Day for the D
Oklahoma State's defense allowed Southern Miss minus-seven yards rushing Saturday night, the lowest opponent rushing total of the season. It's the third-straight week Oklahoma State has held its opponent to fewer than 100 rushing yards and the 19th time in the last 36 games OSU's opponent has been held to less than 100 yards on the ground. Saturday night's performance ranks among the all-time best in OSU football history. Southern Miss' minus-seven yards equals the sixth-lowest ever allowed by a Cowboy defense. Iowa State had the same rushing total against Oklahoma State in 1981. Southern Miss becomes the 10th OSU opponent to be held to minus-rushing yards. Three of Oklahoma State's top-10 all-time efforts against the rush have come during the Bob Simmons' era of Cowboy football.
Juqua Keeping Pace
Senior defensive end Juqua Thomas has started the 2000 season just like he ended the 1999 season ... with All-America type numbers. Through three games of 2000, Thomas has 16 total tackles, fourth-best on the OSU defense. Eight of his tackles have been behind the line of scrimmage and he has 3-1/2 sacks. Through three games, Thomas is more than halfway to his season-long total of 13 tackles for losses in 1999.
Charting Juqua
Below are game-by-game statistics for OSU's All-American candidate:
| Opp. | UT | AT | Total | For Loss | Sacks |
| at Tulsa | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3-13 | 1-8 |
| SW TEXAS | 6 | 1 | 7 | 3-13 | 2-11 |
| SO. MISS | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2-14 | 1-13 |
Craig Off to Quick Start
Redshirt freshman Elbert Craig has won a job in the OSU secondary, and the early returns have been favorable. Through three games, he is Oklahoma State's leading tackler. His total of 17 solo tackles is No. 2 to Marcus Jones (19), but his seven assists equals the team's best and his total of 24 is three more than Jones. In addition, Craig has been credited with one tackle for minus-four yards and has forced one fumble.
Linebackers Make their Mark
OSU's linebacking corps of Dwayne Levels, Chris Carter, Terrence Robinson and Ron Able have put up impressive numbers over the first three games of the 2000 season. Levels leads all linebackers with 20 total tackles and four of his 20 tackles have resulted in minus-eight yards. He also has one sack, a pass deflection, a quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery. Chris Carter, in his first season starting at linebacker, has 16 total tackles with four tackles coming behind the line of scrimmage. Robinson, a sophomore from Tyler, Texas, has 11 tackles through three games with three of those resulting in minus-12 yards.
Coach Bob Simmons
Saturday's game against Texas will mark the fourth game of Bob Simmons' sixth year as Oklahoma State's Head Football Coach. The 52-year old Simmons has guided the Cowboys into the first season of the new millennium after spending the last five-plus seasons strengthening the overall foundation of the O-State program. There's little doubt the foundation is stronger now than when he became head coach in December of 1994. Simmons will carry a career record of 29-31 into this week's game against Texas
More than Ready
When Bob Simmons arrived at Oklahoma State late in 1994, he was more than ready to be a Division IA head coach. His coaching resume included seven years with Bill McCartney at Colorado, including two seasons as assistant head coach. He was an integral part in the process of building Colorado into a national power. His seven years in Boulder included seven bowl appearances, including two Orange Bowls and a national championship. Prior to arriving at CU, Simmons spent eight seasons at West Virginia with Don Nehlen. At West Virginia, he helped guide the Mountaineers to four bowl games, including the 1987 Sun Bowl opposite Oklahoma State.
Tough Schedule
In the five seasons of the Bob Simmons era, the Cowboys have faced some of the most demanding schedules in school history. Over the past five seasons, OSU has faced 20 teams that were nationally ranked, including non-conference opponents Tennessee (#12) in 1995 and Mississippi State (#25) in 1998 and Southern Miss (25) in 2000.
Serving Notice
It didn't take long for Bob Simmons to put his mark on OSU football and serve notice that football fortunes were improving. In his very first season (1995), the Cowboys snapped a lengthy road losing streak in conference games by claiming a 30-26 win at Missouri. The same season, OSU lost to No. 8 Kansas State by just six and to No. 15 Kansas by five. Simmons' first OSU squad blanked Oklahoma at Norman and finished the season with a 24-20 win at Hawaii.
Bowl Bound
Success came in a big way in 1997. The Cowboys started fast, winning their first six. It was an overtime loss to Missouri that kept the Pokes from winning the first seven. The '97 Cowboys upended 23rd-ranked Texas and 24th-ranked Colorado and also claimed a 30-7 win over Oklahoma at Norman. The 1997 success was rewarded with a trip to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.
Game of Inches
The last two seasons saw the Cowboys on the brink of even more success. The '98 Pokes finished 5-6, but included a seven-point loss to second-ranked Nebraska and a three-point loss at 20th-ranked Texas on a last-second field goal. The '99 Cowboys duplicated the 5-6 record, but spent the first half of the season without QB Tony Lindsay, who suffered an injury in the season opener.
Tough D
The Bob Simmons era at OSU has been marked by outstanding defensive squads. The '97 defense was ranked 14th nationally in total defense while the '99 unit was ranked 10th, allowing just 297.5 yards per game. The '97 defense was 20th in the country in scoring defense and was sixth in turnover margin. Both 1997 and '98 defenses were ranked 20th nationally in defending the rush.
Note-ing the Cowboys
For Starters
Several Cowboys on both sides of the football should extend streaks of consecutive starts this week against Texas. Senior offensive lineman Josh Lind tops the list. Lind will make his 25th straight start and the 27th of his OSU career. The preseason all-conference selection started all 11 games in 1999, 10 games in '98 and two in 1997. Senior defensive tackle Zac Akin will be making his 15th-straight start and the 18th start of his OSU career this week. Like Lind, Akin started all 11 regular-season games last season. Quarterback Tony Lindsay has more total starts than any other player on this year's roster, and he will add to that number this week. Lindsay's start against Texas will be the 30th of his Cowboy career. He started six games in '99, 11 in '98 and nine in 1997.
Defense Is Sack Happy
While Oklahoma State is limiting opponents to 30.3 rushing yards per game, the Cowboys have also been applying pressure in passing situations as well with 15 sacks this season in three games. Against Southern Miss, OSU sacked quarterback Jeff Kelly six times with six different Cowboys dropping the passer. Defensive end Juqua Thomas leads the team with three and a half sacks, while cornerback Marcus Jones is right behind him with three.
Lindsay One of Three
Oklahoma State entered the 2000 season with a luxury few teams can boast ... a senior quarterback who is a four-year starter and been in the program five years. The Denver, Colo., product proved the last two weeks he is up to the challenge. Tony Lindsay is now one of three OSU quarterbacks who have started four seasons. Mike Gundy was a four-year starter from 1986 to 1989 and Tone Jones started from 1993 to 1996.
Lindsay's Career Passing
OSU's senior quarterback remains No. 3 on the Cowboys' career passing chart. His 66 yards against Southern Miss gives him 3,806 for his career. He moved past Rusty Hilger into third a week ago and will go into the Texas game trailing No. 2 Tone Jones by 1,024 yards. Mike Gundy is OSU's all-time leading passer with 7,997 yards.
Lindsay's Career Total Offense
Lindsay could move up on another career list this week. He is currently third on the career total offense chart and might be second by the end of his work day on Saturday. His 138 yards of total offense against Southern Miss Saturday night boosted his career total to 5,173 yards. He is just the third player in OSU history to have 5,000 or more yards of career total offense and, barring injury, is likely to finish his Cowboy career with the second-most in this category. He will go into this week's game against Texas trailing No. 2 Tone Jones by 130 yards.
Lindsay's Top Five
Lindsay's 193 yards against Southwest Texas two weeks ago represented the fifth-best single-game performance of his OSU career. Below are Tony Lindsay's top-five individual game performances in both passing and rushing.
Passing
1. 236 yards and two touchdowns at Texas on Nov. 7, 1998
2. 217 yards and one touchdown at Baylor on Nov. 20, 1999
3. 210 yards and four touchdowns vs. Missouri on Oct. 25, 1997
4. 201 yards and 0 touchdowns vs. Mississippi State on Sept. 19, 1998
5. 193 yards and 0 touchdowns vs. SW Texas on Sept. 16, 2000
Rushing
1. 158 yards and one touchdown vs. Baylor on Nov. 21, 1998
2. 126 yards and three touchdowns vs. Texas on Oct. 4, 1997
3. 126 yards and one touchdown vs. Colorado on Oct. 11, 1997
4. 99 yards and two touchdowns vs. Oklahoma on Oct. 24, 1998
5. 73 yards and 0 touchdowns at Baylor on Nov. 22, 1997
The Other Lindsay
Gabe Lindsay, the younger brother of OSU's starting quarterback, is making a name for himself in 2000 as a wide receiver. Through three games, the younger Lindsay is OSU's leading pass catcher with seven receptions for 139 yards. he is averaging 46.3 yards per game and 19.9 yards per catch. Gabe had a career-best four catches and 79 yards against Southwest Texas.
Additional Player Notes
Reggie White, TB
Held to a season-low 65 yards rushing by Southern Miss last week. White is OSU's leading rusher with 382 yards on 71 carries. He is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 127.3 yards per game. Should he hang on to that average he would rush for just over 1,400 yards in 2000. White had 130 yards vs. Southwest Texas after a season-opening performance of 187 yards against Tulsa. He has two touchdowns.
Jamaal Fobbs, TB/WR
Has played in all three games. He is number three on the receiving chart with six catches for 78 yards. He is averaging 13 yards per catch. He has returned three kickoffs for 58 yards, an average of 19.3 yards per return and has a long of 37 yards.
Willie Young, WR
Has made an impact as a sophomore. In fact, Young is Oklahoma State's second-leading receiver in yardage with 111. He is averaging 37 yards per catch, helped by a 59 yarder against Southwest Texas last week.
Aso Pogi, QB
Redshirt freshman is the primary backup to Tony Lindsay. Has played in two games so far , completing 11-of-25 passes for 109 yards. Pogi also has seven rushes for 19 yards. Has a strong arm and a great future in an Cowboy uniform.
Seth Condley, PK
Was perfect in the field goal department until two misses against Southern Miss. His season totals are still impressive. Through three games, Condley is 6-6 in PATs and 7-9 in field goals. His longest field goal to date is 39 yards.
Sympathies
The entire Oklahoma State family extends sympathies to the family of 21-year old Jimmy Smith who died Saturday morning. Smith, a member of the 2000 OSU Cheer Squad, died from an acute reaction to an asthma attack. Smith was from Greenwood, Ark.
Next Week
Oklahoma State remains on the road as the Cowboys face Missouri in Columbia. The Cowboys then come home for an Oct. 14 game against Iowa State. OSU's Homecoming game against the Cyclones is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. OSU then has an off week before facing Colorado at Boulder.
About Texas
Texas is 2-1 on the season after blanking Houston 48-0 Saturday night in Austin. The Longhorns are ranked No. 13 in both the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and the AP poll. UT opened the season with a 52-10 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 9 but followed that with a 27-24 loss to Stanford in Palo Alto on Sept. 16. Texas has recorded back-to-back nine-win seasons with consecutive Cotton Bowl appearances under the direction of Mack Brown. UT has played in two Big 12 Championship Games (1996, 1999) and won the league's inaugural title contest in 1996. The Longhorns lost to Nebraska in last year's conference title matchup and finished second in the Big 12 South in 1998. Texas has a long and storied football legacy with three national championships (1963, 1969, 1970) and 26 conference championships (25 in the Southwest Conference).
Who To Look For
Texas is an experienced team with seven offensive and nine defensive starters back from last year's squad which finished 9-5 and first in the Big 12 South. Junior quarterback Major Applewhite, the 1999 Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Year, leads the offensive attack and is 49-of-87 for 729 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He has split time behind center with sophomore Chris Simms who is 19-of-36 for 257 yards with three scores as well as three picks. UT's passing offense is fifth in the country at 328.7 yards per game. Junior runningback Hodges Mitchell is the leading ground gainer with 155 yards on 40 carries (3.6 avg). The Longhorns have outscored their opponents 124-37 in three games this season and have limited opponents to just 44.7 rushing yards per game. UT produced 349 yards of total offense against Houston last Saturday, 253 of it coming via the air. The Longhorns took advantage of six Cougar turnovers (three fumbles and three interceptions) to post its first shutout at home since 1991.
The Head Coach
Mack Brown is 20-9 in three seasons as the leader of the Longhorns. He took over a Longhorn team that finished 4-7 in 1997 and transformed them into a Top 25 team with a 9-3 mark in 1998 and followed that with a 9-5 season in 1999. Brown has posted an overall record of 106-83-1 in 17 seasons as a head coach which includes stops at Appalachian State (1983), Tulane (1985-87) and North Carolina (1988-97). Brown began his coaching career as a student assistant at Florida State in 1973 and moved on to assistant positions at Southern Miss, Memphis State, Iowa State and LSU before serving one season as the head man at Appalachian State in 1983. After a 6-5 record there he moved on to Oklahoma where he served one season as the offensive coordinator under head coach Barry Switzer. Brown then took the Tulane head coaching spot in 1985 where he compiled an 11-23 mark before moving on to North Carolina. He went 2-20 in his first two seasons at UNC in 1988 and 1989 before putting together a string of eight consecutive winning seasons and leaving Chapel Hill with back-to-back 10-win seasons in 1996 and 1997.
The OSU-Texas Series
The Longhorns own a 12-2 advantage over the Cowboys in a series that dates back to the 1916 season. UT has won the last two meetings between the teams including a 34-21 win last season in Stillwater. Texas is 3-1 against Oklahoma State since the Big 12 began with the Cowboys lone victory a 42-16 win in 1997. OSU's last win in Austin was a 13-8 decision during the 1944 campaign. Prior to the formation of the Big 12, the last time the two teams met was in the 1968 season with the Longhorns coming away with a 31-3 victory. 10 of the 14 meetings have been at Texas while three have been in Stillwater and one in San Antonio (1916).
Series Results Since Formation of the Big 12
| 1996 | Texas 71, Oklahoma State 14 | Austin |
| 1997 | Oklahoma State 42, Texas 16 | Stillwater |
| 1998 | Texas 37, Oklahoma State 34 | Austin |
| 1999 | Texas 34, Oklahoma State 21 | Stillwater |
Marcellus Mighty Against Texas
Senior Marcellus Rivers has put up some impressive numbers against the Longhorns in his two seasons at OSU. Rivers, who played predominantly as a tight end in 1998 and 1999, has caught a combined nine passes for 203 yards (22.5 avg) and two touchdowns against the Longhorns. In his first season, he caught three passes for 104 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown catch in Austin. In last year's matchup, Rivers led the Cowboys with six catches for 99 yards and a 24-yard scoring grab. Rivers has a streak of 10-straight contests with a reception, and is second on the team this season with six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown.
Tony Likes Texas, Too
Quarterback Tony Lindsay has also fared well against the Longhorns in his three seasons at the helm of the OSU offense. In his redshirt freshman campaign in 1997, Lindsay sparked the Cowboys to a 42-16 win with 126 yards rushing (second-best in his career) and three touchdowns. He also completed four-of-five passes for 85 yards to support the cause. In 1998, Lindsay threw for a career-high 236 yards, going 9-of-19 with two touchdowns. He also had 16 rushes for 25 yards and two scores in the 37-34 loss. Last season, the Denver native was 10-of-21 through the air for 155 yards and a touchdown and an interception while also rushing the ball 18 times for six yards and an additional score in the Cowboys 34-21 loss. In all, Lindsay has accounted for nine touchdowns against the Longhorns in his career with 633 yards of total offense.
Lindsay Career Passing Against Texas: | 23-45, 476 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| Lindsay Career Rushing Against Texas: | 53-157 yards, 6 TDs |
| Lindsay Total Offense Against Texas: | 633 yards, 9 TDs |
OSU-Texas Memory
The last time Oklahoma State played Texas in Austin was on Nov. 7, 1998, when UT kicker Kris Stockton banged home the game-winning field goal off the left upright with three seconds left to lift the Longhorns to a 37-34 win before a sellout crowd of 81,437 at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
The Cowboys, who twice rallied from a double-digit deficit, stood even with 20th-ranked Texas at 34-34 after Ethan Howell grabbed a tipped pass and finished off a 55-yard scoring play with 10:25 remaining.
But after holding down Heisman Trophy hopeful Ricky Williams all day, OSU couldn't contain him when it mattered most, as he ran for 42 yards on the decisive drive to set up Stockton's kick.
For the Cowboys, it was another inspired performance in a close call against a ranked Big 12 Conference team. Just like a year before in Stillwater, the OSU defense did a job on Williams, the nation's leading rusher. The Cowboys crowded the line of scrimmage and limited him to 90 yards on 23 carries. But unlike that previous year, when the Longhorns couldn't convert in the passing game, the Cowboys were beaten often by Texas quarterback Major Applewhite, who set school records for completions and yards.
Applewhite, a redshirt freshman who won the job while filling in for the injured Richard Walton earlier that season, hit 29-of-40 passes for 408 yards and three TDs to carry the 'Horns to their sixth straight win, making them 7-2 overall. He completed passes to seven receivers, tossing nine each to wideouts Wane McGarity and Kwame Cavil, who combined for 234 receiving yards. Williams, while taken out of the ground game, hauled in three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.
The Cowboys threatened to pull off a great win. They came back from a 21-7 hole early, then rallied from a 31-21 deficit in the second half. OSU quarterback Tony Lindsay passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores.
"We came out to play," Lindsay said. "We knew we could play with them, we just didn't come out with a victory.
A Few Extra Tidbits
Texas has only one player on its roster from Oklahoma, true freshman defensive end Adam Doiron from Duncan ... the 1998 contest in Austin was also broadcast by ABC at the 2:30 p.m. time slot ... the Cowboys are 5-12 in Big 12 games on the road ... Jamaal Fobbs has rushed for 150 yards on 31 carries (4.8) against Texas ... Saturday's game will be the Cowboys first game on natural grass this season and first contest outside the state of Oklahoma ... OSU is 13-20 in day games under Simmons, including a 3-6 mark in 1999 ... the Longhorns plan to retire 1998 Heisman Trophy Winner Ricky Williams' jersey at Saturday's game.
