Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Prepare For Longhorns
April 14, 2003 | Cowboy Football
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2002 * 11:30 a.m. [CDT] Memorial Stadium [80,082] * Austin, Texas radio - Cowboy Radio Network * internet broadcast - okstate.com TV - Fox Sports Net Regional
Complete Release in PDF Format
Depth Chart vs. Texas in PDF Format
Cowboys Open League Play at Texas Oklahoma State opens Big 12 Conference play this Saturday when the Cowboys travel to Austin, Texas, to face second-ranked Texas. Kickoff at D.K. Royal/Memorial Stadium is set for 11:39 a.m., as OSU opens its seventh season of Big 12 Conference play. It will be the second time in seven seasons the Cowboys have opened league play against the Longhorns.
Records and Rankings Oklahoma State will travel to Austin with an overall record of 2-2. The Cowboys sailed into their open week with a 52-16 win over SMU on Sept. 21. OSU's other 2002 win came over Northern Iowa. The Cowboys lost at Louisiana Tech in the season opener and to UCLA on Lewis Field on Sept. 14. Texas heads into conference play with a perfect 4-0 record. The Longhorns have been dominating in wins over North Texas, North Carolina, Houston and Tulane. Texas is ranked second in both the USAToday/ESPN Coaches Poll and the Associated Press poll after a 49-0 win at Tulane on Saturday.
OSU vs. the Ranked Saturday will mark the second time this season OSU has faced a nationally ranked opponent. The Cowboys lost to 23rd-ranked UCLA on Sept. 14 on Lewis Field. In fact, it will be the fifth time in the last 10 outings Oklahoma State has faced a ranked foe. The No. 2 ranked Longhorns, however, represent the highest-ranked opponent since Oklahoma brought a top ranking to Lewis Field on Nov. 25, 2000.
Another League Opener on the Road Since the Big 12 Conference began football competition in 1996, Oklahoma State has never opened league play at home, and there's nothing different about 2002. Beginning with a 1996 game against Texas Tech in Irving, Texas, OSU has played all six Big 12 openers on the road. The Cowboys are 2-4 in Big 12 openers, with the wins coming at Iowa State in 1997 and at Kansas in 1998. Below are OSU's six previous Big 12 openers. In case you're wondering, no other Big 12 school has opened every conference schedule away from home.
OSU's Big 12 Openers
Date Opponent Site Result Sept. 7, 1996 Texas Tech Irving, Texas L 31-3 Aug. 30, 1997 Iowa State Ames, Iowa W 21-14 Sept. 5, 1998 Kansas Lawrence, Kan. W 38-28 Oct. 2, 1999 Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. L 38-14 Sept. 30, 2000 Texas Austin, Texas L 42-7 Sept. 22, 2001 Texas A&M College Station L 21-7
OSU on the Road Oklahoma State will leave for Austin early Friday afternoon via air charter. The Cowboys will hold a light workout in Austin (closed to the media) upon arrival. In Austin, the Cowboys will stay at the Marriott at Round Rock. OSU is scheduled to return immediately following Saturday's game.
OSU After Open Dates Over the last four years, games following open dates have not been particularly kind to the Cowboys. Last year, the Cowboys were 0-2 in games following open dates. The first was an unscheduled open date after the Sept. 11 events. The Cowboys were 0-1 in 2000, 0-2 in 1999 and 0-1 in 1998. The last time OSU won after an open date was 1997, when the Cowboys defeated Northeast Louisiana, 38-7.
Another Tough Slate Oklahoma State's 2001 football schedule was rated one of the five toughest in the country. For the Cowboys in 2002, it's out of the pan and into the fire. 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. Two weeks ago, 23rd-ranked UCLA visited Lewis Field. Now, the Pokes roll into their Big 12 schedule with Texas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Texas Tech on successive weekends.
OSU Last Week Oklahoma State went through the first of two open weeks of the 2002 season. The Cowboys had regular workouts Monday through Thursday, and went through a conditioning workout Friday. After having the weekend off, OSU will resume game-week preparation Monday afternoon.
Wrapping Up SMU In the most productive offensive effort since the 1988 Holiday Bowl, Oklahoma State scored on its first seven possessions en route to a 52-16 win over SMU on Sept. 21, on Lewis Field. The Cowboys enjoyed a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, and a 45-0 halftime advantage. SMU scored a third-quarter touchdown and posted a touchdown and field goal in the fourth quarter. State's offense was dominant, with 183 net yards on the ground and 288 passing yards for a total offense of 471 yards and a 6.3 yards per play average. Tailback Seymore Shaw rushed 16 times for 91 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start. Quarterback Josh Fields completed 13-of-21 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns, and All-America receiver Rashaun Woods had six receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. Chris Massey led the OSU defensive effort with nine total tackles (eight unassisted) and a tackle for loss. Ricklan Holmes-Miller and Antonio Smith added seven tackles each, and defensive back Darrent Williams had a tackle and two pass deflections as the OSU defense limited SMU to just 188 total yards through three quarters.
Ranking the Explosion The 52 points scored against SMU two weeks ago 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. Oklahoma State's top offensive scoring games since 1988 are listed below:
Points Opponent (Year) Result 52 SMU (2002) W 52-16 50 Baylor (1997) W 50-22 50 Missouri (1997) L 50-51 48 Missouri (1990) W 48-28 46 Oklahoma (1998) W 46-26 46 Tulsa (1999) W 46-9 45 Kansas (1999) W 45-13 45 Southwest Missouri State (1993) W 45-7 44 Louisiana-Lafayette (1998) W 44-20 42 Texas (1997) W 42-16 42 Mississippi State (1998) W 42-23
Big Plays Oklahoma State's offense ran 75 plays in the Cowboys' 52-16 win over SMU, and 14 of those plays went for 10 yards or more. Broken down even further, the Cowboys had four rushes for 10 or more yards and 10 pass completions for 10 or more yards. Seven of the 14 that went for 10 or more were for 20 or more yards.
Oh, Brother Freshman wide receiver D'Juan Woods had a part in the offensive fun against SMU. The younger brother of Rashaun Woods caught a 47-yard pass from quarterback Aso Pogi on the first play of the fourth quarter. It was the first catch of D'Juan's collegiate career, and it went for 44 more yards than brother Rashaun's first-career catch, which came against Southern Miss in 2000.
Sharing the Wealth In Oklahoma State's win over SMU, the Cowboys had numbers on the scoreboard and numbers in the playing time column. A total of 16 different players had offensive statistics vs. SMU, including nine different receivers, six different rushers and three passers. On the defensive side, 23 different Cowboys were in on at least one tackle.
Woods Sparkles Through Four After four games of the 2002 football season, there should be no doubt that Oklahoma State wide receiver Rashaun Woods is the elite of college football receivers. Evidence of Woods' brilliance on the gridiron has been apparent each week. Against SMU two weeks ago, Woods played only one half, but had six catches for 92 yards. Against UCLA earlier in the 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. His touchdown two weeks ago against SMU was the 10th of his career, and he has now caught at least two passes in 22-straight games.
Rashaun's Last Eight OSU's Biletnikoff Award candidate has posted eye-popping numbers over the last eight games. Dating back to the Colorado game on Oct. 27, 2001, Woods has caught 60 passes for 929 yards and 10 touchdowns. That's an eight-game average of 116.1 yards per game and 15.5 yards per reception.
Through the Air Oklahoma State's 2002 offense has been more than just All-American Rashaun Woods. After four games, the Cowboys have four receivers averaging 11 yards or more per catch, and three of those pass catchers (Woods, Terrance Davis-Bryant and John Lewis) already have double-figure receptions in 2002. In fact, the speedy Lewis leads OSU receivers with a 16.9 yards-per-catch average.
On the Ground OSU tailbacks Seymore Shaw and Vernand Morency have gotten most of the work through four games. Shaw is OSU's leading rusher with 37 carries for 264 yards and four touchdowns. He is averaging an impressive 7.1 yards per carry. Morency has a team-leading 49 carries, and is second to Shaw in yards with 256. Morency is averaging 5.2 yards per carry. The two have combined for seven touchdowns through four games. A year ago, OSU tailbacks had just six touchdowns for the entire season, all six belonging to Tatum Bell.
Fields Off to Solid Sophomore Start 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 four games in his career. Fields started the 2002 season by passing for 200 or more yards in three straight. In his last five games dating back to the Oklahoma game last November, Fields has passed for 1,180 yards, an average of 236 yards per game.
Top 10 Fields' passing day against UCLA ranks 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. Below are OSU's top-10 single-game passing performances.
Fields Ranks High in Big 12 After four games of Oklahoma State's 2002 season, Fields ranks among Big 12 leaders in yardage and efficiency, and is also among national leaders in a pair of categories. Among Big 12 quarterbacks, Fields had the third-highest yardage total, and was fifth in passing efficiency, going into games of Sept. 28. Going into this week's games, Fields is second in the Big 12 in passing, averaging 19.50 completions per game.
Big 12 Quarterbacks
Player, team G Com Att TD Comp/G Kliff Kingsbury, Tech 5 151 240 17 30.20 Josh Fields, OSU 4 78 135 9 19.50 Brad Smith, Missouri 4 75 137 4 18.71 Seneca Wallace, ISU 5 109 170 10 18.17 Chris Simms, Texas 4 68 118 0 17.00
Comparing First Start Numbers In the first start of his collegiate career against Louisiana Tech, Fields was in on every offensive snap, finishing the night with 204 passing yards on 22-of-41 attempts. He did not throw an interception and was sacked three times. Fields' first-start numbers compare with those of his last two predecessors. Aso Pogi's first-career start came against Iowa State in 2000, and he completed 26-of-45 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Tony Lindsay's first-career start came against Fresno State in 1997, and he completed 7-of-9 attempts for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
Farden Continues to be Effective Sophomore Cole Farden is in his second season as Oklahoma State's primary kicker in kickoff situations. Against Northern Iowa, Farden was particularly effective, placing six of his seven kickoffs deep enough to allow no returns. Against UCLA, Farden continued to excel. Four of his five kickoffs went through the endzone. UCLA had one return for 34 yards. Against SMU, Farden continued that efficiency with 6-of-9 kickoffs going unreturned. That's 16 of his last 21 kickoffs that have not been returned.
And, as a Punter Farden's numbers continue to improve in the punting category as well. In the win over SMU, Farden had just two punts, but they went for an average of 48 yards per boot. In the previous game against UCLA, Farden had five punts for an average of 41.6 yards per punt, and three of those punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Through four games, Oklahoma State has two punters averaging 40 or more yards per punt. Sky Rylant has punted 11 times for a 42-yard average, and Farden has 11 punts for a 40-yard average.
Phillips Still Perfect Junior kicker Luke Phillips, already on the initial Lou Groza Award watch list, added to his string of consecutive successful extra points against SMU. Phillips, who was perfect on all 27 PAT's attempted in 2001, is a perfect 20-of-20 this season, and for his career, he has not missed on 47-straight extra-point attempts.
More on Phillips Phillips already owns one of Oklahoma State's 14 perfect seasons in PAT attempts. His 27-of-27 performance last year joined Cary Blanchard, Tim Sydnes, Lawson Vaughn, Joey O'Donnell, Colin Ankerson, Charles Durkee and Craig Kessler who have each gone through at least one season without missing a PAT attempt. If Phillips can complete the 2002 season without missing, he would join Blanchard, Sydnes, Ankerson and Vaughn as the only players to have at least two seasons without missing an extra point. In case your wondering, Vaughn, who was perfect in 1992, '93 and 1995, is the only OSU kicker to ever be perfect over a span of three seasons.
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 Texas, 10 of the 11 projected starters have previous starts on their OSU resumé. That list includes eight seniors who bring invaluable experience to the defensive equation in 2002.
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 four games of the 2002 season, Robinson has 15 total tackles, including eight solo stops. He also has a tackle for loss and pass deflection to his credit this season.
Massey Coming on Strong Senior Chris Massey had a solid, if not spectacular performance in the 52-16 win over SMU. His nine tackles in that game gives him a team-leading 25 tackles after four games. Of his 25 tackles, 20 have been unassisted. He also has three passes broken up and forced a fumble. The Spiro, Okla., senior was also a factor against SMU on special teams. Massey had four kickoff returns for 101 yards against the Mustangs, including a long of 40 yards. After four games, Massey is fifth in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally in kick returns, a category in which he led the country in 2001.
Elbert Craig Leads D vs. Bruins Junior safety Elbert Craig had a good and productive night against 23rd-ranked UCLA. Craig, who played his high school football at Oklahoma City Millwood, was the game's leading tackler with 11. Six of his 11 tackles were unassisted. In addition, Craig was credited with two pass deflections, tying him with Chris Massey for game honors in that category. For the season, Craig now has 19 tackles, two interceptions and three passes broken up.
Darrent Williams Does it Again Oklahoma State's sophomore defensive back 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' production on the defensive side of the ball has been impressive, He has six career starts, four career interceptions and three touchdowns.
Brown Effective in the Middle LaWaylon Brown has started all four games in 2002 at defensive tackle, and has made his presence known, especially against Northern Iowa. Brown was credited with five tackles and a pair of sacks in the 45-10 win over the Panthers. Brown's four-game 2002 numbers include 13 total tackles and a team-leading three tackles for minus-18 yards. He is one of five Oklahoma State defenders with one sack each after four games.
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 Texas game reveals eight players with a combined 114 starts.
Scouting Texas The Texas Longhorns (4-0) enter this weekend's conference-opening matchup fresh off a 49-0 dismantling of Tulane at the Louisiana Superdome last Saturday. Entering this weekend's contest against the Cowboys, UT has posted 15-consecutive wins at home and is 23-2 at Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium under Mack Brown. The win marked the second shutout of the season for the Longhorns, who have outscored their opponents this season by a 169-32 count.
Texas Last Week While Oklahoma State enjoyed an open weekend, Texas was posting a 49-0 shutout win over Tulane in New Orleans. It was the second shutout of the season for Texas' top-ranked defense, and the Longhorns' 20th-consecutive victory against a non-ranked opponent. Freshman running back Selvin Young scored three touchdowns, including one on a 71-yard punt return, the longest by a UT player since 1950. Texas led by just two touchdowns at the half, but completely dominated the second stanza. Texas held Tulane to just 212 total yards and forced three turnovers. The Texas defense sacked Tulane quarterbacks four times. Texas' outstanding running back, Cedric Benson, had 17 carries for 88 yards on the day, while junior wide receiver Sloan Thomas had five receptions for 42 yards.
Coach Mack Brown In his fifth season at the helm of the Texas program, Mack Brown has led the Longhorns to a bowl appearance in each of his first four seasons. Brown led the squad to Cotton Bowl appearances in 1998 and 1999 before back-to-back Holiday Bowl trips the last two years. All told, Brown is in his 19th season in a head coaching career that has also included stints at North Carolina, Tulane and Appalachian State. Through last weekend, he has compiled a career mark of 128-87-1, and has led his teams to 11 bowl appearances, including 10-straight postseason berths.
Oklahoma State-Texas Series ... Texas leads 14-2 Oklahoma State and Texas have met on the gridiron 16 times, with the Longhorns prevailing in 14 of those matchups. UT has posted four-consecutive victories in the series after its 45-17 win last year in Stillwater. OSU's last win in the series came in 1997, a 42-16 triumph at Lewis Field, and the Cowboys' lone victory in Austin was a 13-8 decision in 1944. The two schools have met every season since 1996 due to the formation of the Big 12 Conference. Prior to the league merger, the last contest between the South Division foes came in 1968 in Austin.
Longhorns to Watch RB Cedric Benson - The sophomore running back has rushed for 505 yards and five touchdowns this season. Benson set or tied 13 UT freshman records last season. His 1,053 yards last year were tops nationally among true freshman running backs and third among all freshman backs. Benson earned Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors for his efforts. He led the team in 2001 with 1,256 all-purpose yards. Benson earned his first-career start against the Cowboys last season, finishing the contest with 131 yards on 31 carries. Benson was a 12th-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft.
QB Chris Simms - The senior signal caller has completed 57.6 percent of his passes this season, throwing for 894 yards and nine scores on his way to a 143.05 efficiency rating. Simms has played in 34 games, starting 23 of those, since seeing action as a true freshman in 1999, and has posted a career mark of 19-4. He holds UT's career record for completion percentage (58.3 percent). Last season, Simms led the Longhorns to 10 wins, making him one of just eight quarterbacks in school history to do so. He also set the UT single-season record with 22 touchdown passes in 2001. Last year against OSU, Simms tied a school record with five touchdown passes on 18-of-30 passing and 235 yards. He also ran for a touchdown against the Cowboys. He came to Texas after being tabbed as the 1998 Offensive Player of the Year by USA Today.
WR Roy Williams - Williams was a first-team All-Big 12 performer a year ago, and is on this season's Biletnikoff Award watch list. He was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year two seasons ago and was a third-team all-league pick. Last year in Stillwater, Williams hauled in five passes for 43 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Against the Cowboys in Austin two years ago, Williams turned in the longest reception by a freshman in school history with a 96-yard touchdown jaunt.
DE Cory Redding - The senior is a member of the Lombardi Trophy and Nagurski Award preseason watch lists, honoring the nation's top lineman and top defensive player, respectively. Redding was named an Associated Press second-team All-American and a first-team All-Big 12 pick last year after registering 57 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and five quarterback sacks. Redding joined the Longhorns after a stellar prep career that saw him earn the 1998 National Prep Defensive Player of the Year Award from USA Today.
Odds and Ends The Longhorns have three Oklahoma natives listed on their roster: Adam and Josh Doiron of Duncan, and Bryan Pickryl of Jenks ... Texas has outscored the opposition, 45-0, in the first quarter this season ... Ten Longhorns are listed among 11 national award watch lists.
