Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Prepare For Southern Miss
August 27, 2001 | Cowboy Football
Aug. 27, 2001
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Oklahoma State Cowboys [0-0]
at Southern Mississippi [0-0]
Saturday, Sept. 1, 2001
11 a.m. [CST]
M.M. Roberts Stadium [33,000]
Hattiesburg, Miss.
radio - Cowboy Radio Network
TV - ESPN
100th Season of Oklahoma State Football
After four weeks of preseason preparation, Oklahoma State heads for Hattiesburg, Miss., to open the 100th season of Cowboy football against Southern Miss. It will be the Big 12 against Conference USA in a nationally televised (ESPN) opener for both schools.
The Miles Era Officially Begins
Les Miles was introduced as Oklahoma State's 21st Head Football Coach on Dec. 6, 2000. Now, 268 days later, Miles will lead his first OSU squad onto the field at Southern Mississippi to officially open the 2001 season and the Les Miles era of Cowboy football. Including Miles, nine OSU coaches have opened their initial season on the road. The last to do so was Pat Jones, who began his 11-year tenure with a 45-3 win at Arizona State.
Speaking of New
Oklahoma State opens the 2001 season in new uniforms and with the new brand as a helmet decal. In addition to the head coach, other new members of the OSU staff include defensive coordinator Bill Clay, offensive coordinator Mike Gundy, passing game coordinator Darryl Wyatt, special teams and cornerbacks coach Joe DeForest, runningbacks coach Tommie Robinson, offensive line coach Chuck Moller, secondary coach Doug Mallory and tight ends coach Josh Henson.
A Challenging Opener
The 2001 opener for Oklahoma State appears to be one of the toughest in recent memory. The Golden Eagles are coming off an 8-4 season and have made four-straight bowl appearances, including the 2000 GMAC/Mobile Alabama Bowl and a 28-21 victory over TCU. Over the last four seasons, Southern Miss has a 33-15 record and finished ranked No. 24 a year ago.
On the Air
Saturday's season opener will be televised to a national cable audience on ESPN. Steve Levy and Todd Christensen will provide the play-by-play and color, with Dave Ryan reporting from the sidelines. The OSU-Southern Miss game will be broadcast live on the Cowboy Radio Network. Dave Hunziker is the radio voice of Cowboy football and is beginning his first season. He replaces Bill Teegins, who was one of 10 who died in last January's plane crash in Colorado. Tom Dirato returns to provide analysis for the network broadcast which begins one hour before kickoff.
Opening Day Streaks
Oklahoma State has won five-straight season openers, dating back to a 1995 loss to top-ranked Nebraska on Lewis Field. The Cowboys have also won four-straight openers away from home, including last year's 36-25 win at Tulsa, a 38-28 win at Kansas in 1998, a 21-14 win at Iowa State in 1997 and a 31-14 win at Northern Illinois in 1994. The last time the Cowboys lost an opener on the road was 1991 by a 13-7 margin at Tulsa. The Cowboys have never lost an opener on Sept. 1. OSU's 2-0 mark on this date includes a 31-14 win at Northern Illinois in `94 and a 10-3 win over Tulsa in Stillwater in 1990.
Cowboys on Opening Day
Oklahoma State has an overall record of 58-36-5 in season openers. Since 1971, however, the Pokes have been particularly successful in openers. Including a 26-7 win over Mississippi State in `71, OSU has won 25 of its past 30 openers. The lone losses came in 1978 (at Wichita State), 1980 (West Texas), 1989 (at Tulsa), 1991 (at Tulsa) and 1995 (Nebraska). As mentioned earlier, O-State has won five straight season openers and four straight season openers on the road.
