Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host 'Horns in Matchup of Top-25 Teams
November 03, 2003 | Cowboy Football
Oklahoma State [7-2, 3-2]
vs.
Texas [7-2, 4-1]
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2003 • 6 p.m. [CST]
Boone Pickens Stadium [48,500] • Stillwaterr, Okla.
TV - Fox Sports Net • radio - Cowboy Radio Network
internet broadcast - www.okstate.com
Cowboys Return Home for Texas
Oklahoma State, 7-2 overall and 3-2 in Big 12 Conference play, returns to Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday night as the Cowboys host the Texas Longhorns. It's the next-to-last home game of the 2003 season for the Cowboys, who host Kansas on Nov. 15 in the home finale. It's also a game that is vitally important to a pair of nationally ranked teams trying to improve postseason goals. Texas comes to Stillwater with an overall record of 7-2 and a Big 12 Conference mark of 4-1. The Longhorns are just behind front-running Oklahoma in the Big 12's South Division.
OSU-UT on Fox Sports Net
Saturday night's game between Oklahoma State and Texas will be televised to a national cable audience by Fox Sports Net. Joel Meyers, Dave Lapham and Jim Knox will describe the action in OSU's fifth-straight televised game and ninth television game overall of the season. The Cowboys appeared on ABC each of the past three weeks, and will be making their first appearance of the season on the Fox Sports Net national game. Kickoff for Saturday's game is set for just after 6 p.m. The Cowboys are 5-2 in televised games this season.
What's at Stake
Oklahoma State will go into Saturday's game with Texas trying to right itself after a 52-9 loss to top-ranked Oklahoma last Saturday in Norman. The OU win snapped a seven-game Oklahoma State winning streak and put the Cowboys two games out of the South Division lead. With three games of the regular season remaining, Oklahoma State still has a chance to finish with 10 regular-season victories which would be the most in any single season in OSU football history. To get to that mark, however, the Cowboys must first deal with a talented Texas team who easily disposed of Nebraska last week in Austin.
OSU-Horns, Briefly
When Oklahoma State and Texas collide Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, the two teams will be meeting for the 18th time. Texas leads the overall series by a 15-2 margin, and the Longhorns have won five straight since a 42-16 Oklahoma State win in Stillwater in 1997. Oklahoma State's only other victory over Texas came in 1944 when the Cowboys recorded a 13-8 win in Austin. Although Texas has won the last five, its margin of victory has been somewhat slim. The Longhorns won by three in 1998 (37-34), by 13 in 1999 (34-21), and by just two (17-15) a year ago in Austin. There is more on the OSU-Texas series later in this release.
Ticket Availability
A limited number of tickets remain for Saturday's game between OSU and Texas. Tickets can be purchased at the Athletic Ticket Office in the OSU Athletics Center, or by calling, toll free, 1-877-ALL-4-OSU. A near-capacity crowd is expected for Saturday night's game. Tickets also remain for the Nov. 15 home finale against Kansas. An outstanding class of Oklahoma State seniors will be honored prior to the OSU-Kansas game. Oklahoma State closes out the 2003 season the following week when the Cowboys travel to Waco to face Baylor. Oklahoma State's postseason destination will not be known until Sunday, Dec. 7, when the BCS bowls make their selections, followed by bowls partnered with the Big 12 Conference.
Rankings
Boone Pickens Stadium will once again host a game between two nationally ranked teams when the Cowboys entertain Texas Saturday night. Oklahoma State fell from 15th to 22nd in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. The Cowboys were 15th in the coaches poll and 14th in the Associated Press poll last week. Texas used its dominating performance over Nebraska to climb to No. 11 in this week's coaches poll. Oklahoma State has appeared in this year's national rankings in five of the first nine weeks of the season. The Cowboys were 24th in the preseason poll, fell out after losing the season opener at Nebraska, but climbed back in after a win over Kansas State on Oct. 11. Saturday will mark the third time this season the Cowboys have been ranked and hosted a ranked team.
Home Streak on the Line
When OSU hosts Texas Saturday night, the Cowboys will put their 10-game home field winning streak on the line. OSU has won all five home games to date in 2003, and was victorious in the final five home outings in 2002. Oklahoma State's last home loss came on Sept. 14, 2002, at the hands of UCLA by a 38-24 margin.
Honors Checklist
It's early November, and time for media and coaches to begin to fill out ballots for All-American, all-conference and other honors. Oklahoma State has several players worthy of consideration for some of college football's most prestigious awards.
Rashaun Woods, Sr., WR
All-Big 12, All-American, Biletnikoff Award, Heisman Trophy
A consensus All-American a year ago, Woods has turned in another big season, despite drawing double teams from defenders in most games. Through nine games of the 2003 season, Woods has 52 receptions for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns. This week vs. Texas, he should become the eighth player in NCAA history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards. Going into this week's game, Woods leads the Big 12 Conference in receiving yards per game (104.22), a category he led last year and has led all season. He is fourth in the country in the same category. Those are impressive numbers for a man who has been marked the entire season after a record-shattering performance in 2002. He holds every Oklahoma State receiving record. He has caught at least two passes in 40 straight games, and has five 100-yard performances this season, including a career best 232 yards vs. SMU. In the same game against SMU, Woods caught an NCAA record seven touchdown passes.
Tatum Bell, Sr., TB
All-Big 12, All-American, Doak Walker Award, Heisman Trophy
Bell has emerged as the top running back in the country in 2003, and should be considered a prime candidate for All-American honors, the Doak Walker Award and perhaps more. He leads the Big 12 Conference and is second nationally in rushing through nine games. His numbers include 190 carries for 1,203 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and 133.7 yards per game. He rushed for 122 yards against Oklahoma last week, and has logged four straight 100-yard rushing performances in 2003. Bell has had two 200 yard games in 2003, including a career-best 238 yards in Oklahoma State's win earlier this season over Texas Tech. He has also been a scoring machine and has five multiple-touchdown games this season. He had four touchdowns in a win over Southwest Missouri State, and three in wins over Wyoming, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. He had a career-long run of 95 yards for a score at Texas A&M. He is eighth nationally in scoring.
Greg Richmond, Sr., DE
All-Big 12, All-American, Defensive Player of the Year
One of Oklahoma State's co-captains in 2003, Richmond has played like a man on a mission all season. He has been all but unblockable from his defensive end position, and has put up All-America numbers all season. Through nine games this season, he is Oklahoma State's third-leading tackler, but more than one-third of his total tackles have resulted in losses. He has been credited with 59 total tackles (37 primary tackles and 22 assists) and has 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for minus-85 yards.He leads the Big 12 and is third nationally with 10.5 sacks for minus-72 yards. In addition to his 10.5 sacks, he has four additional quarterback hurries to his credit in 2003.
Darrent Williams, Sr., CB/PR
All-Big 12, All-American
One of the biggest playmakers on an Oklahoma State team noted for big playmakers. Through nine games, he is fourth on the tackle chart, but has continued to make big plays in the secondary. He leads the team and the Big 12 Conference, and is tied for seventh in the nation in interceptions. He picked off his sixth interception of the season against top-ranked Oklahoma last week and returned in for an 11 yard touchdown. His nine game statistics include 50 total tackles (36 primary), three tackles for minus-14 yards and six interception returns for 130 yards. He also leads the team with 16 pass breakups. He has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season, and has five touchdown returns for his OSU career, a Big 12 record. Williams is also one of the most dangerous punt return specialists in the country. He leads the Big 12 and is second in the country in that category with 13 returns for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 17.92 yards per return.
And, Don't Forget
There are other Cowboys who are deserving of All-Big 12 mention in 2003. Punter Cole Farden is third in the league after nine games with his average of 43.7 yards on 40 punts. He has also been invaluable in handling kickoffs for the Cowboys in 2003. Defensive end Antonio Smith is second on the team with six tackles for minus-52 yards and second to Greg Richmond with five sacks for minus-51 yards. Kicker Luke Phillips is second on the team in scoring with 67 points, and has hit nine of 10 field goals, including a long of 50. He is 40 of 41 on extra point tries. Quarterback Josh Fields has thrown for 1,668 yards and 16 touchdowns through nine games of the season. He had 320 yards in the win over Texas Tech, and has become just the second quarterback in OSU history to pass for more than 5,000 career yards. Defensive back Vernon Grant leads the Oklahoma State defense with 64 total tackles. Forty of his tackles have been of the primary variety. Linebacker Paul Duren is turning in a second-straight strong season. Duren is second on the tackle chart with 62, and has five quarterback hurries. The Cowboys have a pair of newcomers who have turned heads in 2003. Defensive backs Jon Holland and Robert Jones have 47 tackles each. Jones has three interceptions in his initial OSU season, and Holland has two, including a game-saver against Texas Tech.
