Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State to play in SBC Cotton Bowl Classic
December 07, 2003 | Cowboy Football
The Cowboys, who finished the 2003 regular season with a 9-3 record and ranked 22nd in the nation, will be making their second straight bowl appearance and the 15th post-season appearance in school history. It will the the first time the Cowboys have faced Mississippi on the football field.
"This a significant day for Oklahoma State University," said OSU President and System CEO David Schmidly. "This represents a tremendous reward for a football team that has achieved a great deal of success this season. We are grateful to the Cotton Bowl committee for extending the invitation, and look forward to joining thousands of OSU alumni and fans at one of the most tradition-rich bowl sites in college football."
Head Coach Les Miles and his Cowboys will be appearing in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1987 and 1988, when the Cowboys appeared in the Sun and Holiday Bowls. OSU also made successive bowl trips in 1945 and 1946 and in 1983, 1984 and 1985. The Cowboys have not appeared in a January bowl game since 1949, when they defeated William and Mary in the Delta Bowl.
Oklahoma State has an all-time record of 10-4 in bowl games and will be making its 11th bowl appearance since 1974.
"We are delighted to be going to Dallas to play in the SBC Cotton Bowl," said OSU Athletics Director Harry Birdwell. "It's not only a great national showcase for our football team; it's an opportunity to compete in a significant bowl game in the heart of one or our largest alumni bases in the country."
OSU's appearance in the SBC Cotton Bowl will be a fitting finish to a successful 2003 season. The Cowboys rolled to seven straight victories, including wins over Kansas State and Texas Tech, two other Big 12 teams that are bowl bound.
On the field, the Cowboys are led by some of the best players in college football. Wide receiver Rashaun Woods, an AFCA first-team All-American, had a third straight 1,000 yard season and shattered every OSU receiving record in the process.
Tailback Tatum Bell, a DeSoto, Texas, native, registered his second-straight 1,000 yard rushing season, and was a unanimous All-Big 12 first-team selection. Bell rushed for 1,240 yards on 199 carries and scored 15 touchdowns in 2003.
The Cowboy defense is led by unanimous All-Big 12 selection Greg Richmond. OSU's defensive end led the Big 12 and was sixth nationally in quarterback sacks. Duncanville, Texas, sophomore Vernon Grant was OSU's second-leading tackler with 81 total tackles. Ft. Worth junior Darrent Williams, also a unanimous All-Big 12 selection, had six interceptions in the 2003 regular season.
"We are extremely grateful to Rick Baker and the entire SBC Cotton Bowl Committee for the opportunity to bring our football team to Dallas," said Coach Miles. "We look forward to the entire experience and competing against a quality opponent in Ole Miss."
OSU's Cotton Bowl opponent finished the regular season with a 9-3 record. The Rebels were co-champions of the SEC West, and are led by quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Eli Manning.
Ticketing information for the SBC Cotton Bowl can be obtained by calling the OSU Athletic Ticket Office at 1-877-ALL-4-OSU. The SBC Cotton Bowl will kick off at 1 p.m. (CST) and be nationally televised by Fox.
