Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Prepare For Southern Miss And The Houston Bowl
April 17, 2003 | Cowboy Football
Friday, Dec. 27, 2002 * noon [CST] Reliant Stadium [69,500] * Houston, Texas TV - ESPN * radio - Cowboy Radio Network internet broadcast - www.okstate.com
Complete Release in PDF Format Download Free Acrobat Reader
Cowboys Prepare for 2002 Houston Bowl After winning five of their last six and finishing the regular season with a record of 7-5, Oklahoma State's football Cowboys head for a postseason bowl destination for the first time since 1997. Oklahoma State will face Southern Mississippi in the Houston Bowl on December 27. It will be the 14th bowl trip for Oklahoma State, and the Cowboys have a 9-4 record in previous bowl appearances. OSU's first-ever bowl appearance was in the 1945 Cotton Bowl, and the last was the 1997 Alamo Bowl.
OSU in Bowl Games As mentioned, Oklahoma State has a glossy 9-4 record in bowl games. The Cowboys first went bowling after the 1945 regular season (Cotton) and went again in 1946 (Sugar). OSU's most frequent bowl appearances came in the 1980's when the Cowboys appeared six times (1981 Independence, 1983 Bluebonnet, 1984 Gator, 1985 Gator, 1987 Sun and 1988 Holiday).
Back in the Lone Star State Texas has been OSU's most frequent postseason home. The Houston Bowl will mark Oklahoma State's fifth bowl appearance in the state of Texas. Oklahoma State has won three of four bowl games of the Red River.
When the Cowboys Get to Houston Oklahoma State's official travel party is scheduled to arrive in Houston on Saturday, Dec. 21. Light practices will be held on Saturday, Dec. 21, and Sunday, Dec. 22. Full-scale game-week preparation begins on Monday, Dec. 23. The Big 12 team hotel in Houston is the J.W. Marriott. Athletic Media Relations personnel accompanying the team to Houston include Steve Buzzard, Thomas Samuel and Chris Matthews.
Bowl Week Itinerary
Saturday, December 21 Arrive in Houston, light workout 5:50-7:35 Sunday, December 22 Practice noon-2:30 p.m. Monday, December 23 Practice 12:05-2:35 p.m. Tuesday, December 24 Practice 8-10 a.m. Wednesday, December 25 Practice 3:30-5:15 p.m. Thursday, December 26 Press Conference 2 p.m. (approx) Friday, December 27 2002 Houston Bowl Saturday, December 28 Return to Stillwater (via air charter)
Media Opportunities Head Coach Les Miles and selected players will be available after practices from Saturday, Dec. 21, through Wednesday, Dec. 25. OSU practices on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are scheduled for the Houston Texans' practice facility. Wednesday's practice will be in the Astrodome. The first 15 minutes of each practice from Saturday through Wednesday are available for photographers.
OSU-USM ... The Matchup Oklahoma State and Southern Mississippi head for the Houston Bowl with identical overall records of 7-5. The Cowboys reached their regular-season record by winning five of their last six, including a 38-28 win over third-ranked Oklahoma in the regular-season finale. Southern Mississippi won five of its first seven in 2002, including a 23-20 win over Illinois in Hattiesburg. The Eagle lost two of their last three regular season games, including a 20-17 loss to Louisville and a 31-10 loss at Tulane. USM won its season finale over East Carolina.
OSU Bowl History Below is a complete history of Oklahoma State's 13 previous bowl appearances:
Date Bowl Opponent Result Jan. 1, 1945 Cotton TCU W 34-0 Jan. 2, 1946 Sugar St. Mary's W 33-13 Jan. 1, 1949 Delta William & Mary L 20-0 Dec. 13, 1958 Blue-Grass Florida State W 15-6 Dec. 28, 1974 Fiesta Brigham Young W 16-6 Dec. 19, 1976 Tangerine Brigham Young W 49-21 Dec. 12, 1981 Independence Texas A&M L 33-16 Dec. 31, 1983 Bluebonnet Baylor W 24-14 Dec. 28, 1984 Gator South Carolina W 21-14 Dec. 30, 1985 Gator Florida State L 34-23 Dec. 25, 1987 Sun West Virginia W 35-33 Dec. 30, 1988 Holiday Wyoming W 62-14 Dec. 30, 1997 Alamo Purdue L 33-20
Head Coach Les Miles The 2002 Houston Bowl will cap the second season of Les Miles' tenure as Oklahoma State's head football coach. He was named OSU's head coach in December of 2000. From the beginning, Miles approached the job with a tireless work ethic that produced immediate results on the recruiting trail. His first season resulted in a 4-7 finish, but it was against one of the toughest schedules in the country. A three-overtime loss to Missouri and a three-point loss to nationally ranked Colorado was the difference in 4-7 and bowl eligibility.
Making a Statement A taste of things to come came late in Miles initial OSU season. After five-straight losses in the middle of the Big 12 schedule, Miles and the Cowboys began to turn things around with a 38-22 win at Baylor. The following week, the Cowboys finished their season with a 16-13 win over fourth-ranked Oklahoma in Norman. That victory sent a clear message that Cowboy Football under Les Miles was heading in the right direction.
The Right Direction When Oklahoma State ended its regular season with a 38-28 win over Oklahoma, the Cowboys had completed one of the most successful second-half runs in OSU football history. The Pokes finished 2002 with five wins in their last six games, and certainly appear to be playing their best football as they head for Houston and the Houston Bowl. The Cowboys haven't registered this successful an end to a regular season since 1988. OSU's last bowl team (1997), won only two of its final five regular-season games. You have to go back to 1988 for a similar end. The `88 Pokes won five of their final six, including three straight to finish the regular season, then topped the year with a Holiday Bowl victory over Wyoming.
Winning Resumé Les Miles has experienced success at every stop along his playing and coaching career. He was a two-year letterman at Michigan and during that span the Wolverines were 18-3-2. He had two coaching stints at Michigan, and was part of its run to five Big Ten championships and 10 bowl seasons. He also spent five seasons on Bill McCartney's staff at Colorado, helping turn the CU program toward national prominence. He came to OSU as offensive coordinator in 1995, and directed the `97 OSU offense that averaged 226 rushing yards and 150 passing yards per game. The 1997 squad scored more touchdowns (41) than any OSU offense since 1988, until this years squad topped that mark with (56). Miles has also surrounded himself with winners. His 2002 Oklahoma State staff represents more than 130 years of coaching at the collegiate level.
Big Numbers on Offense Oklahoma State's 2002 offense has produced numbers that rank among the best in the history of Cowboy football. OSU's 12-game average of 258.7 yards passing is the most ever by an OSU offense. OSU's 56 touchdowns rank as the second-most ever to the 1988 team that scored 70. Additionally, Oklahoma State's 2002 average of 403.3 yards of total offense per game is the fifth-highest mark in Cowboy history.
Points and More Points As mentioned earlier, Oklahoma State's 2002 offense has averaged 34.4 points per game and that's the second most in Cowboy history (with one game to play). Through 12 regular-season games, Oklahoma State has topped the 40-point mark six times, and that includes two games with 50 or more and one with 60 or more. OSU's scoring proficiency in 2002 is unmatched since 1988, when the Cowboys scored 40 or more points in 11 games. From 1989 through 2001, Oklahoma State put 40 or more points on its side of the scoreboard just 11 times, and six of those games came in a two-year period (1998-99).
Where They Rank Oklahoma State's offense ranks high nationally in several categories. The Cowboys head into the Houston Bowl ranked 16th in scoring offense (34.4 points per game), 27th in passing offense (258.67 yards per game) and 63rd in rushing (144.67 yards per contest). In Big 12 Conference statistical rankings, Oklahoma State is third in both total offense and passing offense, fourth in scoring offense and seventh in rushing offense.
Coverage Unit Special Oklahoma State special teams played well all during the regular season, and the kickoff coverage was the best in the Big 12 Conference. Through 12 regular-season games, OSU allowed just 516 return yards on 30 kickoffs. That is an average of just 17.2 yards per return, topping the league. Oklahoma was second, allowing an average of 17.5 yards per return.
Finishing Strong Oklahoma State heads for Houston and the 2002 Houston Bowl riding a three-game winning streak and coming off a stretch that saw the Cowboys win five of their final six games of the regular season. The last time the Cowboys finished a regular season with three-straight wins was 1988 when the Pokes defeated Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech in the final three. Prior to `88, you have to go back to 1979, when OSU defeated Colorado, Kansas State and Iowa State in the final three games of the regular season.
O-Line Going into the 2002 season, one of the question marks centered on the offensive line that lost three starters. It's obvious after 12 regular-season games, those questions were answered. Oklahoma State's offensive front, coached by Chuck Moller, galvanized as the season went along and will go into the bowl season as one of the most effective offensive lines in the league. OSU's offensive line gave up the fewest number of sacks in the Big 12 in 2002.
Woods Earns All-America Honors OSU wide receiver Rashaun Woods had a record-breaking season. The junior from Oklahoma City led the Big 12 in all receiving categories, and consistently ranked among the top four in NCAA receiving categories. Through 12 games, his 2002 season numbers are staggering. He will go into the Houston Bowl with 98 receptions for 1,531 yards and 16 touchdowns. All three numbers represent single-season Oklahoma State records, and his touchdown total tops the country. For his efforts, Woods has been named to numerous All-America lists. He was named a Walter Camp All-American (OSU's first since Alonzo Mayes in 1997), and participated in ESPN's Football Awards Show in Orlando. Woods has also been named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News, CNN/SI.com and College Football News.
More Honors for Rashaun In addition to All-America honors, Woods is a consensus first-team All-Big 12 selection. OSU's wide receiver was named to the Associated Press and Coaches' lists. He has also been a first team all-league selection by numerous newspapers, including the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle and the Kansas City Star.
Fields on Fire Sophomore quarterback Josh Fields has had a phenomenal 2002 regular season. The Stillwater product has also re-written the OSU records books. His 2002 numbers going into the Houston Bowl include 205-of-368 passes for 2,835 yards and 29 touchdowns. His attempts, completions, yards and touchdown passes are all OSU single-season records. Fields finished the regular season 16th in the NCAA in passing efficiency and 36th in the country in total offense.
Simply the Best As the 2002 season played out, OSU's sensational quarterback just got better. In Big 12 Conference games alone (eight games) Fields finished the regular season ranked first among all league quarterbacks with an efficiency rating of 146.5. Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury was second (conference games only) with a 142.9 rating.
Best for Last While his 2002 regular-season numbers were spectacular, Fields saved his best for last. In OSU's 38-28 win over Oklahoma on Nov. 30, Fields completed 18-of-27 pass attempts for 357 yards and four touchdowns. That was the best day of his brief OSU career, and the third-best single-game passing performance in Oklahoma State football history. It was also a continuation of impressive performances during the 2002 regular season for Fields. In 12 regular-season games, Field eclipsed the 200-yard passing mark eight times. Included in those eight games were two 300-plus yard games (Kansas and Oklahoma). Including the final two games of the 2001 season, Fields has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in 14 straight games.
The Last Five Over the last five games of the season, there might not have been a more effective quarterback in the country. Beginning with the 28-23 win over Texas A&M on Lewis Field, through the Oklahoma game on Nov. 30, Fields passed for 1,427 yards and tossed 16 touchdowns. That's an average of 285.4 yards and 3.2 touchdown passes per game.
Moving Up the Career List With one game to play (bowl games count on career stats in 2002), Fields could move further up the OSU career passing list. He'll go into the Houston Bowl with 3,286 career yards. He needs 119 to move past Aso Pogi into fifth place and 355 yards to move past Rusty Hilger into fourth place. For those who are looking ahead, Fields needs 4,711 yards to become OSU's all-time leading passer. His current position coach, Mike Gundy, is OSU's all-time leader with 7,997 yards. Fields would need to average just over 2,300 yards over his final two seasons to topple that career mark.
Bell Races for 100, Again Junior tailback Tatum Bell carried the ball 22 times for 106 net yards against Oklahoma in the regular-season finale, marking the fifth time this season he has rushed for 100 or more yards, and the fifth time in the last six games. The second half of the 2002 season has been a good one for Bell, who broke onto the OSU scene two years ago with a long touchdown run against Oklahoma on Lewis Field. In the last six games, Tatum averaged 128 yards per game, and had multiple TDs vs. Texas A&M (3), Texas Tech (2) and Baylor (3).
Closing in on 1,000 With the Houston Bowl just ahead and stats from that game counting, Bell is within striking distance of the 1,000-yard rushing mark. His season totals through 12 games include 162 carries for 936 net yards and 10 touchdowns.
Kevin Williams Earns Defensive Accolades When OSU Head Coach Les Miles announced at mid-season that defensive tackle Kevin Williams just might be one of the best in the country, some apparently took notice. OSU's senior defensive leader was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by both the media and coaches. Williams deserves those honors and more. He has been dominant on OSU's defensive front all season with emotional performances in the second half that helped spark the Cowboys to their first bowl bid in five years. He was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after OSU's Lewis Field win over Nebraska.
More on Kevin Williams Through 12 games, Williams' numbers include 54 tackles, 43 of which have been unassisted. He leads the Cowboy defense in tackles for loss with 10 for 48 yards, and he is second on the defense in sacks with four for 34 yards. He registered double-digit tackle performances against both Texas and Nebraska.
Duren Tackle Leader Redshirt freshman linebacker Paul Duren finished the regular season as Oklahoma State's tackle leader. Duren, a season-long starter at linebacker, finished OSU's 12 game regular-season slate with 81 total tackles. He had 55 solo stops, four tackles behind the line for minus 15 yards, one sack, three pass deflections and a fumble recovery.
Eaton, Bajema, Wohlgemuth Earn Academic Honors Three Oklahoma State players were named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District team. Kyle Eaton, Billy Bajema and John Wohlgemuth were all first-team selections on the elite list, and OSU had more first-team selections than any school in the district. All three appeared on the national ballot to determine Academic All-America status, and Eaton earned first-team Verizon Academic All-America accolades.
Eaton Also Awarded Prestigious Scholarship OSU offensive lineman Kyle Eaton was named a 2002 College Football National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. It is the most prestigious academic honor in college football, and recognizes OSU's starting left tackle for incredible accomplishment in the classroom. Only 14 student-athletes from every division of college football were recognized with this honor, and Eaton is one of just six from Division I-A. All 14 will receiver $18,000 postgraduate scholarships.
For Starters Oklahoma State has had several players start every game of the 2002 season. In fact, 11 (five on offense and six on defense) have drawn starting duty in all 12 OSU regular-season games. On the offensive side, Kyle Eaton (LT), Sam Mayes (RG), Jason Russell (RT), Billy Bajema (TE) and Josh Fields (QB) have started every game. On the defensive side Kevin Williams (DT), LaWaylon Brown (NG), Paul Duren (LB), Darrent Williams (CB), Chris Massey (WS) and Elbert Craig (S), have started all 12 games.
Scouting the Golden Eagles Southern Miss (7-5 overall and 5-3 Conference USA) will be competing in its fifth bowl game in the last six seasons. During that span, Southern Miss has posted an overall record of 46-25. The Golden Eagles enter the Houston Bowl after closing out the regular season with a 24-7 win over East Carolina, snapping a two-game losing skid.
Southern Miss opened the 2002 campaign with three consecutive wins, downing Jackson State, 55-7; Illinois, 23-20; and Memphis, 33-14, before losing 20-7 against Alabama in the first of three straight road games. A 27-6 triumph at Army preceded a 16-13 setback at South Florida, before returning home to post a 23-14 win over Cincinnati. Head coach Jeff Bower's troops suffered a 37-7 defeat at TCU before bouncing back with a 20-13 win at Alabama-Birmingham. Louisville dealt the Golden Eagles their lone home loss of the season, a 20-17 double-overtime battle, before Southern Miss closed out its road slate with a 31-10 loss at Tulane.
Offensively, the Golden Eagles possess a 1,000-yard rusher in Derrick Nix and a balanced aerial attack that features three wideouts -- Chris Johnson, Marvin Young and LeRoy Handy -- that have each gone over the 500-yard mark in receiving.
On the defensive side of the ball, Southern Miss is holding the opposition to 17.1 points per contest and have a trio of players -- linebackers Michael Boley and Rod Davis, and defensive back Etric Pruitt -- that earned first-team all-conference honors this season. The Golden Eagles totaled 92 tackles for 403 yards in losses on the season, including 37 quarterback sacks, and produced three 100-tackler performers on the season.
Coach Jeff Bower Currently in his 12th season at the helm and 25th in association with the Golden Eagle program is Jeff Bower. Under his direction, Southern Miss has posted nine consecutive six-win seasons. Overall, the Golden Eagles have gone 80-57-1 under Bower. The two-time Conference USA Coach of the Year led Southern Miss to wins at the 1997 and 1999 Liberty Bowls, as well as the 2000 GMAC Bowl in addition to an appearance in the 1998 Humanitarian Bowl. Bower has led the Golden Eagles to conference championships in 1996, 1997 and 1999.
A team captain on Southern Miss' 8-3 squad in 1975, Bower began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater in 1976 before beginning a five-year stint at SMU in 1982. His career has also included stops at Wake Forest (1987) and Oklahoma State (1990) before taking the reins of the Golden Eagle program in 1990.
OSU-USM: The Series The Houston Bowl matchup between the Cowboys and Golden Eagles will mark the third meeting all-time between the two programs. The two squads have met in each of the past two regular seasons, with Southern Miss prevailing both times.
In the schools' first meeting, the No. 22-ranked Golden Eagles snapped OSU's 17-game home winning streak against non-conference foes with a 28-6 win at Lewis Field. In the victory, quarterback Jeff Kelly passed for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while a stout Southern Miss defense held OSU to a pair of Seth Condley field goals.
Last season's meeting in Hattiesburg on Sept. 1 served as the season opener for both schools. Kelly produced another big game for the Eagles, completing 22 of his 35 passes on the day for 277 yards and a touchdown. Despite outgaining Southern Miss, 339-334, in total yards, and getting big performances from quarterback Aso Pogi (26-of-38, 294 yards) and wide receiver Rashaun Woods (10 catches, 139 yards) the Cowboys were only able to muster a trio of field goals by Luke Phillips on their way to a 17-9 defeat in the first game of the Les Miles era.
Golden Eagles to Watch RB Derrick Nix -- Derrick Nix bounced back this season to rush for a team-best 1,194 yards after sitting out last season to recover from a kidney ailment that sidelined him in the middle of the 2000 season. Nix has scored 11 of the squad's 18 rushing touchdowns this season, and is averaging 108.5 yards on the ground per game. The Attalla, Ala., native earned first-team All-Conference USA honors for his efforts. Nix has rushed for 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons, going over the mark as a freshman (1,180) and a sophomore (1,054), earning him all-conference honors. He ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries against Idaho in the 1998 Humanitarian Bowl. Nix also competed in the 1999 Liberty Bowl, rushing for 55 yards on 17 touches while scoring the squad's only offensive touchdown. He scored a touchdown against OSU in Southern Miss's 28-6 win over the Cowboys in Stillwater in 2000. Nix is the brother of current Golden Eagle defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix.
QB Micky D'Angelo -- Micky D'Angelo is a sophomore in his first season as the Golden Eagles' starting quarterback, and has played in 11 contests. D'Angelo enters the postseason sporting a 116.64 efficiency rating on the season after completing 122 of his 231 passes for 1,647 yards. The Gulfport, Miss., native has tossed seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions on the season. He served as the backup last season to three-year starter Jeff Kelly, playing in two contests and completing 3-of-8 pass attempts for 44 yards and one touchdown.
DB Etric Pruitt -- Etric Pruitt was named a second-team All-American by CNNSI.com and a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist after recording six interceptions, including one for a touchdown, and breaking up 12 passes. He also finished third on the squad with 124 tackles, 72 solo stops, and seven tackles for loss. In addition, the Theodore, Ala., native recorded 1-1/2 sacks, recovered two fumbles, forced three fumbles and blocked a pair of kicks on his way to first-team all-conference honors. As a punt returner, he returned two punts for 22 yards. Pruitt finished second on the team as a sophomore with 82 tackles and picked off two passes while breaking up six.
LB Rod Davis -- Named a CNNSI.com 2002 honorable mention All-America selection and a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. Davis also received the Conerly Trophy this season, honoring him as the top player in the state of Mississippi. The junior from Gulfport, Miss., led the squad in 2002 with 157 tackles, including 116 solo stops, 23-1/2 tackles for loss and 10-1/2 quarterback sacks. In addition, he intercepted two passes and recovered a pair of fumbles on his way to earning first-team all-conference honors. As a sophomore, he led the Golden Eagles with 100 tackles and was named to Sports Illustrated's "All-Bowl Team" after his 14-tackle performance against TCU in the GMAC Mobile Alabama Bowl. Davis played in all 11 of USM's games as a freshman, earning second-team Freshman All-America honors from the Sporting News.
Odds and Ends Since Conference USA began football competition in 1996, the Golden Eagles have posted the best league mark (34-11) and overall record (54-28) in the conference ... Southern Miss has had the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in four of the seven years since the league's formation ... the Golden Eagles have kicked 98-straight extra points, a streak dating back to the 1999 season ... in addition to Nix, Davis and Pruitt, offensive lineman Torrin Tucker and linebacker Michael Boley earned first-team all-conference honors ... Offensive lineman Jason Jimenez and defensive lineman Terrell Paul were named to the squad's second team.
