Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Huskers
April 14, 2003 | Cowboy Football
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 * 11:30 a.m. [CDT] Lewis Field [48,000] * Stillwater, Okla. radio - Cowboy Radio Network * internet broadcast - okstate.com TV * Fox Sports Net
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Cowboy Come Home for Huskers Oklahoma State returns to Lewis Field Saturday after a three week absence as the Cowboys host Nebraska in Big 12 Conference play. The Cowboys are 2-4 on the season after losing to Kansas State in Manhattan. OSU is 0-2 in league play and will be looking to snap several streaks when the Cornhuskers invade Stillwater for Saturday's action. Kickoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 11:39 a.m.
It's Been A While Nebraska's Cornhuskers will be appearing at Lewis Field for the first time since Aug. 31, 1995. The last time the Huskers came calling, it was the first game of Les Miles' tenure as offensive coordinator at OSU, and Tom Osborne was still more than a year away from retiring as Nebraska's head coach. Nebraska was top-ranked when they last visited Lewis Field and walked away with a 64-21 win. Oklahoma State was scheduled to host Nebraska in 1998, but the game was moved to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where the Huskers survived a 24-17 scare.
Records and Rankings As mentioned earlier, Oklahoma State is 2-4 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play. The Cowboys have lost two-straight league games on the road (Texas and Kansas State). Nebraska will arrive in Stillwater with an overall record of 5-2 and a Big 12 mark of 1-1. The Huskers have won two straight since a two-game losing streak (Penn State and Iowa State) in games four and five of the season. In 2002, Oklahoma State is facing a Nebraska team that is unranked for the first time since Oct. 26, 1968.
1961 ... A Very Good Year The year 1961 produced more than its share of historical highlights. Alan B. Shepherd became the first U.S. astronaut to go into space in his Freedom 7 capsule. East Germany erected the Berlin Wall. The Bay of Pigs drew most of the international attention. Princess Diana, who was killed in a 1997 car accident, was born. Dwight Eisenhower left the presidency when John F. Kennedy was inaugurated in January. Dion's Runaround Sue was the number one record. West Side Story won an Oscar for Best Picture. Joseph Heller's Catch 22 was the best selling novel. The Yankees defeated the Reds in the World Series. The Celtics defeated the St. Louis Hawks for the NBA title. Angela Mortimer and Rod Laver won Wimbledon titles. Carry Black won the Kentucky Derby. Alabama was college football's national champion. On Oct. 21, 1961, Oklahoma State defeated Nebraska, 14-6, in Stillwater. It was the last time the Cowboys posted a victory over the Huskers.
OSU-Huskers Have Produced Memories Even though the series is one sided towards Nebraska, Oklahoma State has had important games against the Huskers over the past three decades. Six times since 1971 Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 or 2 when it faced the Cowboys. Five times since 1991, Oklahoma State has opened its conference (either Big Eight or Big 12) season against Nebraska. Since 1977, Oklahoma State's game against Nebraska has been televised either nationally or regionally 10 times.
More Cowboy Husker Highlights 1960 - The first-ever meeting between Oklahoma State and Nebraska on Nov. 12 in Lincoln. Oklahoma State claimed a 7-6 win. It would be State's third and final win of the 1960 season. Bill Jennings' Nebraska squad would go on to a 4-6 record.
1961 - The OSU-Nebraska series came to Stillwater in the next-to-last year of Cliff Speegle's tenure as State's head football coach. The Cowboys won for a second-straight year in a game that highlighted homecoming festivities. Nebraska's Bill Jennings would be replaced by Bob Devaney at the end of the season.
1963 - One week before President John F. Kennedy was killed, Nebraska put a No. 10 national ranking on the line against Oklahoma State in Stillwater. First-year OSU coach Phil Cutchin's squad trailed 20-3 going into the fourth quarter but scored 13 unanswered points, falling 20-16.
1971 - Oklahoma State faced top-ranked Nebraska at Lincoln. It was the first time the Cowboys had played a team ranked No. 1 since 1956 when OSU lost to top-ranked Oklahoma. Nebraska won the 1971 game, 41-13, en route to a second-straight national football championship.
1973 - Oklahoma State and Nebraska played to a 17-17 tie on Lewis Field. It snapped an 11-year losing streak against the Huskers. Oklahoma State led the game, 17-10, at halftime, thanks to a 25-yard interception return by Cleveland Vann, a one-yard run by Leonard Thompson and a 51-yard Abby Daigle field goal. Nebraska scored on a one-yard run by David Humm with 7:48 to play in the third to tie the game at 17. In the fourth quarter, Nebraska missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, then drove to the OSU five where four-straight plays netted only four yards and the Cowboys took over. OSU was able to drive to the Nebraska 49 before the drive stalled and the game ended.
1983 - Nebraska came to Stillwater as the top-ranked team in the country and fresh from a Sports Illustrated cover story that tagged them the best team in the history of college football. In front of 50,000 fans in one of the most electric atmospheres in Lewis Field history, Nebraska had to intercept a pass on the game's final play to save a 14-10 win. Jimmy Johnson's Cowboys led 10-7 at half, thanks to a swarming defense that produced sacks on Nebraska's first two offensive plays of the game. The Cowboys were driving for a potential winning touchdown when Husker safety Bret Clark intercepted Ike Jackson's pass as the clock ran out.
1984 - Pat Jones took his first Oklahoma State squad to Lincoln with a perfect 4-0 record and ranked ninth in the country. The eighth-ranked Huskers trailed the Cowboys, 3-0, going into the fourth quarter, but a 49-yard punt return by Shane Swanson broke a 3-3 tie and pointed Nebraska toward a 17-3 win. The game was almost even statistically with Nebraska rolling up 352 yards of total offense to Oklahoma State's 324.
Tough Stuff Oklahoma State's 2001 football schedule was rated one of the five toughest in the country. Not much has changed in 2002. OSU's 2002 slate has already been tagged one of the toughest schedules in the country. The Cowboys opened with a game against the defending WAC champs, then faced one of the top three teams in Division I-AA in Northern Iowa. UCLA (No. 23) and Texas (No. 2) were sandwiched around a game with SMU. Last week, OSU faced 23rd-ranked K-State, and now face home games against Nebraska and Texas A&M before traveling to Texas Tech.
Where It Ranks According to the NCAA's web site, Oklahoma State's schedule is the 44th-toughest in the country, based on cumulative records of each I-A opponent. Based on just future opposition, Oklahoma State's schedule is ranked the 36th toughest this week. Three past or future Oklahoma State opponents are ranked in this week's national polls, and seven of OSU's 12 regular-season opponents have winning records at the halfway mark of the 2002 season. The combined record of Oklahoma State's 12 opponents currently stands at 44-32.
OSU Last Week Oklahoma State went on the Big 12 road for a second-straight week and came home with a 44-9 loss at the hands of a talented Kansas State team. The Pokes were victimized by five turnovers (four interceptions and one fumble) and by early injuries that forced tailback Seymore Shaw (ankle) and fullback Tim Burrough (ankle) to the sideline. Kansas State took an early 6-0 lead and added on. The Wildcats led 12-0 before OSU got on the scoreboard on a 27-yard pass from Josh Fields to Rashaun Woods with 12:42 left in the second quarter. The Wildcats came right back to make it 18-7, but OSU added points with a 90-yard return of a blocked extra point by Darrent Williams. It would be the last points OSU would put on the board while K-State added another second quarter touchdown and three fourth-quarter scores to account for the 44-9 final. Tatum Bell had 63 yards on 15 carries. Fields completed 15-of-38 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Woods had eight receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, freshman Vernon Grant had nine total tackles and tied safety Elbert Craig for game honors in that category. The Cowboy defense came up with a pair of interceptions and had chances for more. Linebacker Terrence Robinson grabbed the second interception of his career, and freshman Daniel McLemore came up with the first interception of his college career.
Career Firsts In addition to McLemore's first career interception, several other Cowboys recorded career firsts against Kansas State. Sophomore defensive end Antonio Smith's block of a KSU PAT in the second quarter was his first. Senior defensive tackle LaWaylon Brown added a similar first to his collegiate career at the 9:18 mark of the second quarter. Sophomore Darrent Williams' return of a Kansas State PAT attempt in the second quarter was the first of his career and the first by an OSU player since Elbert Craig intercepted a two-point conversion pass against Tulsa in 2000 and returned it for two points. Chet Ackerman saw his first collegiate action at fullback vs. KSU.
Other Notes When OSU trailed Kansas State 12-0 at the end of the first quarter, it was just the second time in six games the Cowboys have trailed after one period. It was also the first time this season the Cowboys had failed to score in the first quarter. The 25 points allowed in the first half were the most in the first half this season. The nine points scored by OSU represent the fewest scored by OSU in 13 games. The Cowboys also matched their season-high in turnovers with five.
More For Woods Rashaun Woods' eight receptions against the Wildcats extends his streak to 24 consecutive games in which he has at least two receptions. Woods has not had fewer than four receptions in 17 straight games. His seven-yard catch on OSU's fourth offensive play put him over the 600-yard mark for the second-straight season. He is the fourth receiver in OSU history to accomplish that feat. He also scored the 16th touchdown of his career and now trails Hart Lee Dykes by 13 career TD catches.
Woods Still Catchin' em as League Play Continues After six games of the 2002 football regular season and two weeks of Big 12 Conference play, there should be no doubt that Oklahoma State wide receiver Rashaun Woods is among the elite of college football receivers. Saturday against K-State, Woods caught eight passes for 77 yards and his 16th career touchdown. Last week against Texas, Woods had six catches for 63 yards. Against UCLA last month, Woods hauled in seven catches for 143 yards against two-time All-Pac 10 corner Ricky Manning. It was Woods' fourth straight game to go over 100 yards, and the eighth time he has eclipsed 100 yards in his career.
Soph QB Moves Into Elite Company While intense K-State pressure and a pair of interceptions kept it from being as positive a performance as he would like, the 133 passing yards by sophomore quarterback Josh Fields against Kansas State moved him into some elite company. Fields now has 1,667 career yards, moving him past Brent Blackman and John Doerner and into 19th place on OSU's all-time passing list.
No Sophomore Jinx After sophomore quarterback Josh Fields passed for a career-high 291 yards against UCLA, he followed with a 193-yard performance against SMU. Fancy numbers for a sophomore quarterback who has started just six games in his career. Fields started the 2002 season by passing for 200 or more yards in three straight.
Top 10 Fields' passing day against UCLA ranked as the 10th-best single-game passing effort in OSU football history. Mike Gundy's 429 yards against Kansas in 1989 is still the single-game best. Fields' 291 yards is just behind Aso Pogi's 294 against Southern Miss in 2001.
Big 12 and NCAA Numbers Fields is one of nine Big 12 quarterbacks who have already passed the 1,000-yard mark for the 2002 season. In passing (completions per games), OSU's quarterback is third in the league behind Kliff Kingsbury and Brad Smith. He is tied for 38th in the NCAA in passing.
Farden Nails Career Long Sophomore punter Cole Farden turned in a strong performance against Kansas State, even when forced to punt into 35 mile per hour wind gusts. For the day, Farden averaged 40.9 yards on seven punts. His totals included a career long of 62 yards that he nailed with 6:34 remaining in the first half. His previous long was 56 against Texas. He has now kicked 19 of his last 26 for touchbacks. Farden is the grandson of former OSU All-American Neill Armstrong.
Rookie Defenders Strong Against K-State A pair of freshmen defensive backs turned in strong performances against Kansas State on Saturday. Cornerback Vernon Grant tied Elbert Craig for game honors with nine tackles. It was the highest tackle total of the season for Grant. He was credited from the press box with seven solo tackles and two assists. Fellow freshman Daniel McLemore also came up big against the Wildcats. His final tackle numbers included just two solo tackles, but he carted off his first career interception against the 23rd-ranked Wildcats. Both young players should play prominent roles on the Cowboy defense the rest of the season.
Craig on Thorpe Watch List Junior safety Elbert Craig is on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, going annually to the best defensive back in the country. For his part, Craig is turning in a very solid season. He had nine total tackles against Kansas State on Saturday, and he goes into week seven of the 2002 season second on Oklahoma State's tackle chart. Through six games, Craig has been credited with 19 solo tackles and 19 assists for a total of 38. He also has two interceptions (tied for team lead with Darrent Willliams) and six pass deflections (also tied with Williams). Craig also has a fumble recovery to his credit in 2002.
Phillips on Groza Watch Another Cowboy junior on an award watch list is kicker Luke Phillips. On the watch list for the Lou Groza Award, Phillips is also off to a good start in 2002. Through six games, Phillips is OSU's second-leading scorer with 33 points. He is 4-of-5 in the field goal category, with his long coming from 46 yards out. He is 21-of-22 on extra points, the only unsuccessful attempt of his career coming at Texas last week.
D Has Numbers and Experience Two of the reasons for the expected efficiency on the defensive side of the ball are numbers and experience. When the Cowboys take the field Saturday against Nebraska, the 11 projected starters have a total of 183 career starts to their credit.
T-Rob Leader - On and Off the Field Senior linebacker Terrence Robinson was labeled a leader well before he was named a co-captain of the 2002 Cowboys. Robinson was one of a select few student-athletes across the country to participate in an NCAA leadership conference over the summer. Robinson will call the signals for the Cowboy defense this fall from his middle linebacker spot, and he will be looking to make his senior season a special one. His 2001 numbers represented a career high. Robinson was credited with 75 total tackles (third-most on the defense) and he had 10 tackles for losses. He had multiple tackles behind the line in games against Southern Miss, Iowa State and Oklahoma. His 11 tackles against Missouri on Lewis Field was a season and career high. Through six games of the 2002 season, Robinson has 32 total tackles, including 22 solo stops. He also has two tackles for minus yards and a pair of pass deflections to his credit.
Massey Tackle Leader Senior defensive back Chris Massey may be having the best season of his OSU career. Through six games, Massey leads the Cowboy defense in tackles, and he is once again a valuable weapon as a kick returner. Against Kansas State last week, Massey was credited with four total tackles, all of which were unassisted. For the season, Massey now has 29 solo tackles and nine assists for a team-leading total of 38. He has two tackles for minus-three yards, four pass deflections and one forced fumble.
Darrent Williams Does it Again OSU's sophomore defensive back continues to make plays. Against Kansas State last week, he not only contributed in the tackle column but in the scoring column. He picked up a blocked PAT and returned it 90 yards for OSU's final two points. He has been coming up big most of the 2002 season. Williams was a big part of the Cowboys' 45-10 win over Northern Iowa. In fact, it was a scene Cowboy fans have become very familiar with over the past two seasons. With the game tied at seven, Northern Iowa faced a second and eight from its own 24. Darrent Williams picked off Griff Jurgens pass and returned it 29 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. At that point, it was Williams third-career interception and his third-career interception returned for a touchdown. Williams picked off a pair of passes against Baylor last year in Waco and returned them both for touchdowns. Williams added another interception in the Northern Iowa game, but the Panthers kept him out of the endzone. Williams has been effective throughout OSU's first six games. His season totals now stand at 21 total tackles, two interceptions and six deflections.
On the Offensive Side Just like the defensive side of the ball, Oklahoma State's 2002 offense features talent and depth. OSU returns its statistical leader in every offensive category for 2002, including rusher Tatum Bell, passers Aso Pogi and Josh Fields, receiver Rashaun Woods and scorer Luke Phillips. A glance at OSU's possible offensive starters for the Nebraska game reveals 10 players with a combined 134 starts.
Offensive Explosion The 52 points scored against SMU on Sept. 21 are the most by an OSU offense since a 62-14 win over Wyoming in the 1988 Holiday Bowl. In the 149 games since the '88 Holiday Bowl win, Oklahoma State has now scored 50 or more points just three times, including 50 points in a 1997 loss to Missouri and 50 in a 2000 win over Baylor on Lewis Field.
Scouting Nebraska Nebraska (5-2,1-1) will ride a two-game winning streak into Stillwater on Saturday after upending Missouri, 24-13, in Lincoln last weekend. NU opened the season with three-straight wins, knocking off Arizona State, Troy State and Utah State before falling on the road against Penn State, 40-7. The Huskers rebounded from a conference-opening loss at Iowa State with a 38-14 win over McNeese State in the squad's final non-conference tilt of the season.
Nebraska Last Week The Cornhuskers used a stifling second-half defense to help post a 24-13 win over Missouri in Lincoln. In fact, Nebraska's defense pitched a second-half shutout and allowed Missouri just 28 second half yards en route to a second straight win for the Huskers, who had lost two straight road games earlier in the season. The 5-2 Huskers held Missouri to just two first downs in the second half and none in the fourth quarter. Missouri came into the game averaging better than 441 yards of total offense per game, but was limited to 220 by Nebraska. Husker quarterback Jammal Lord rushed for 98 yards, while reserve I-back David Horne had 88 yards and a touchdown. A Nebraska fumble led to a Missouri touchdown and a 7-0 Tiger lead in the first quarter. The Tigers also led 13-7 and had a chance to extend their lead by driving deep into Nebraska territory late in the second quarter. The drive stalled and Nebraska promptly drove 66 yards in six plays to take a 14-13 halftime lead. Special teams were just that for Nebraska in the second half. Cornerback DeJuan Groce returned a Missouri punt 89 yards for a touchdown and the Nebraska scoring was capped by a 42-yard field goal by Josh Brown.
Coach Frank Solich In his fifth season at the helm of the Nebraska program, Frank Solich has amassed more wins (42) during his first four seasons than former Husker head coaches and Hall of Famers Bob Devaney (38) and Tom Osborne (37). Solich spent four seasons as a player under Devaney, 19 seasons as an assistant under Osborne and has tallied a 47-11 record as a head coach. The two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year has led NU to a bowl game in each of his four seasons, including a shot at his first national championship with the Huskers' appearance in last year's Rose Bowl. Last season also produced the first Heisman Trophy winner under the direction of Solich in quarterback Eric Crouch.
Oklahoma State - Nebraska Series ... Nebraska Leads 35-2-1 Oklahoma State and Nebraska have met on the gridiron 38 times, with the Huskers prevailing 35 times. OSU won the first two meetings in the series, 7-6 in 1960 and 14-6 the following year, giving the Cowboys their only two victories in the series. Nebraska leads the all-time series 15-1-1 in Stillwater. In addition to OSU's 1961 win in Stillwater, the two squads battled to a 17-17 draw in 1973. The two schools have not met since 1999, a 38-14 NU win in Lincoln, and have not played in Stillwater since a 64-21 Nebraska triumph in 1995.
Huskers to Watch QB Jammal Lord - Junior signal caller that has been called upon to replace last year's Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch. Lord currently leads the squad in rushing, averaging 98.4 yards per game. He has rushed for six touchdowns and has added six more scores through the air. Having completed 50 percent of his passes (48-of-96), Lord has recorded an efficiency rating of 113.51 and is averaging 90.4 passing yards per contest.
RB Dahrren Diedrick - A preseason All-America candidate, Diedrick has toted the ball 102 times this season for 459 yards. He has run for a pair of touchdowns and has also caught three passes for 16 yards. The senior I-back led the Big 12 in rushing last season with 1,299 yards on his way to first-team all-league honors. This season, he has moved into Nebraska's top 20 all-time career rushers.
CB DeJuan Groce - One of the top cornerbacks in the Big 12, Groce has intercepted a team-high four passes this season. Groce earned third-team All-Big 12 honors last season after picking off three passes. He is also one of the league's most dangerous punt returners, averaging 22.2 yards per return. Groce has returned three kicks this season for touchdowns, giving him five for his career. In 2000, he set the school record for pass breakups in a season with 17. Last year, Groce broke up 14 passes, giving him the third-highest total in school history.
Odds and Ends The Huskers have two Oklahoma natives on their roster: Josh Brown of Foyil and Jason Lohr of Jenks ... Nebraska will enter this weekend's battle unranked for the first time vs. OSU since 1969, ending a string of 28-consecutive games.
