Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Game Preview
April 17, 2003 | Cowboy Football
Oklahoma State (1-0, 1-0 Big 12) at Southwestern Lousiana (0-1) Saturday, September 6, 1997 Cajun Field, Lafayette, La. 7 p.m. (CDT) OSU Radio Network, including Internet broadcast on GameCruiser
COWBOYS WIN, HEAD FOR USL -- Oklahoma State, fresh from a 21-14 Big 12 Conference win over Iowa State at Ames, heads for Lafayette this weekend for a non-league encounter with the University of Southwestern Louisiana. USL lost at Pittsburgh, 45-13, Saturday and will open its home season with a record of 0-1. Head Coach Bob Simmons' Cowboys will be looking to go 2-0 to start a season for the first time since 1993 and for just the second time since 1988.
ROAD CAN BE FRIENDLY, TOO -- Oklahoma State will be playing away from home for the second straight week, but the Cowboys found out last Saturday they can win away from the friendly faces at Lewis Field. OSU's 21-14 win at Iowa State represented the first road victory since the final game of the 1995 season when the Pokes captured a 24-20 win at Hawaii. It was the conference road win since November 11, 1995, when OSU shut out Oklahoma 12-0 and the third conference road victory since Bob Simmons became head coach prior to the '95 season.
COWBOYS-CAJUNS ON THE AIR -- Saturday night's non-league battle between Oklahoma State and Southwestern Louisiana will be broadcast live on the Cowboy Radio Network to some 25 stations across the state of Oklahoma. KWTV Sports Director Bill Teegins is the radio voice of Oklahoma State football and is joined by OSU's Coordinator of Radio and Television Tom Dirato. The broadcast begins one hour before kickoff. Saturday night's game will not be televised live or by delay.
ROAD ITINERARY -- Oklahoma State will depart Stillwater, via Express One charter, Friday afternoon. The Cowboys will conduct a light workout Friday night at Cajun Field. While in Lafayette, OSU will headquarter at the Lafayette Hilton and return to Stillwater immediately following Saturday night's game.
INTERVIEW POLICY -- Oklahoma State's Friday night workout is closed but Head Coach Bob Simmons will be available immediately before that workout. Please contact the OSU Athletic Media Relations Office for details. Oklahoma State players are not available for interviews in Lafayette, until after the game.
If Oklahoma State can win at Southwestern Louisiana this week, it would give Bob Simmons a 2-0 record in his third season as head coach. That would make him just the second coach in the last 70 years to go 2-0 to begin their third season. Jim Stanley won the first four games of his third OSU season in 1975.
INJURY UPDATE -- The Cowboys came away from their season opener in Ames in good shape, physically. No significant injuries occurred, besides the normal bumps and bruises.
HEAD COACH BOB SIMMONS -- Oklahoma State's Bob Simmons is one game into his third season as Head Coach and will take a career record of 10-14 into Saturday night's game against USL. Last week's win at Iowa State was the 10th of the Simmons era at OSU and the second straight year the Cowboys have won a season opener. Simmons came to Oklahoma State in December of 1994 to begin to rebuild a program that had won just 10 times in the previous 33 outings. Simmons' 10th victory came in the 24th game of his OSU coaching tenure. The OSU coach tutored under two of the top coaches of all time, Don Nehlen at West Virginia and Bill McCartney at Colorado. He guided the Cowboys to four wins in his first season and to a 5-6 mark in 1996. The five victories a year ago were the most in a single season since 1988 when Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders led OSU to a 10-2 mark. Simmons came to OSU after seven seasons on McCartney's Colorado staff. He was the only assistant head coach McCartney had and coached outside linebackers, defensive line and kick return units. Prior to his stint in Boulder, Simmons was on Nehlen's West Virginia staff for eight seasons. During those eight seasons, West Virginia went to four bowl games, including the 1987 Sun Bowl, won by Oklahoma State. During his coaching career, Simmons has been part of 12 bowl games, three 11-win seasons and one national championship.
BOB SIMMONS ON RADIO AND TV -- Oklahoma State's Head Football Coach can be seen each week on the Bob Simmons Television Show. The 30-minute show airs on Sunday night at 10:30 on Oklahoma City's KOCB, channel 34. It also airs on the TCI cable system in Tulsa on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest on Thursday at 4 p.m. The Bob Simmons radio call-in show airs each Thursday on the Cowboy Radio Network from 6:05 until 7 p.m.
MORE FOUNDATION LAID -- Saturday night's win at Iowa State represents another solid brick laid to the foundation of the reconstruction of Oklahoma State football. Since Coach Simmons arrived at Oklahoma State in December of 1994, there have been plenty of positive developments, the latest of which was the 21-14 win at Iowa State on Saturday that successfully launched his third OSU campaign. In just 24 games as Oklahoma State's Head Coach, Simmons has erased several enigmas, including a 20-game losing streak in conference games that was broken when OSU won at Missouri on October 21, 1995. Simmons, first OSU squad also broke an 18-game winless streak against in-state rival Oklahoma, and Saturday's win at Iowa State represented the first win in a conference opener since the Cowboys defeated Colorado, 41-21, on October 8, 1988 in Boulder.
The last time Oklahoma State played football in Lafayette, Terry Don Phillips, the current Director of Athletics at OSU, was the AD at USL.
COWBOYS LAST WEEK -- Oklahoma State opened the 1997 season with a 21-14 win over Iowa State in Ames. In front of a Jack Trice Stadium crowd of almost 44,000 and a national cable television audience, the Cowboys rallied from two seven-point deficits to claim the Big 12 Conference victory. Redshirt freshman quarterback Tony Lindsay and tailbacks Nathan Simmons and Jamaal Fobbs sparked an offensive effort that produced 360 yards of total offense. Lindsay completed 11 of 15 passes for 104 yards and rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown to make his Oklahoma State debut a success. Tailbacks Nathan Simmons and Jamaal Fobbs each ran for 85 yards, and Simmons scored a pair of touchdowns while eight different receivers were on the receiving end of Lindsay and Chris Chaloupka passes. Senior cornerback Kevin Williams was one of the defensive keys. Williams had a key tackle for loss and pass interception that set up Oklahoma State's game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
OSU STREAKING VS. NON-LEAGUE OPPONENTS -- Oklahoma State will go into Saturday night's game at Lafayette with a four game winning streak against non-conference opposition. The Cowboys were 3-0 last year with wins over Southwest Missouri, Tulsa and Utah State. OSU closed the 1995 season with a 24-20 win over Hawaii at Honolulu. Oklahoma State's record vs. non-league opponents under Bob Simmons is 5-3.
This Week's Opponent
SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA -- The Ragin' Cajuns open their 1997 home schedule this week when Oklahoma State comes to town. USL will be looking to right itself after a 45-13 loss at Pittsburgh on Saturday and will put a team on the field that features 22 lettermen and 15 starters returning from a 1996 team that finished 5-6 but defeated Texas A&M in Lafayette. USL features one of the top receivers in the country in junior Brandon Stokley. Last year, Stokley, son of head coach Nelson Stokley, had 81 catches for 1,160 yards and was the second-leading returning receiver nationally in 1997. USL is a Division I-A independent for the second year after leaving the Big West Conference.
COACH NELSON STOKLEY -- USL's grid boss is one game into his 12th season and has a career record of 59-62-1. He has guided USL to winning records in three of the last four seasons and led the Cajuns to their most impressive win in school history last season with a 29-22 Cajun Field-win over Texas A&M. Stokley came to USL from Clemson, where he served as offensive coordinator.
Southwestern Louisiana Location: Lafayette, Louisiana Founded: 1898 Enrollment: 17,000 President: Dr. Ray Authement Athletic Director: Nelson Schexnayder Stadium: Cajun Field Capacity: 31,000 Surface: Natural 1996 Record: 5-6 Basic Offense: Multiple Basic Defense: Multiple Returning Starters: 15 (Offense 7, Defense 5, Specialists 3) Returning Lettermen: 48 (Offense 22, Defense 23, Specialists 3)
THE SERIES -- The Oklahoma State-Southwestern Louisiana series is a short one. The teams will be playing for just the third time, and Oklahoma State has a 2-0 advantage. Oklahoma State won in the only previous game played in Lafayette by a 21-20 score in 1986. The Cajuns came to Stillwater in 1987, and Oklahoma State claimed a 36-0 win.
LAST TIME IN LAFAYETTE -- It was a game Oklahoma State probably should not have won. OSU had to score 18 points in the final five minutes of the game to post a 21-20 win in front of more than 23,000 fans at Cajun Field. Trailing 20-15 with 1:56 to play, OSU drove 74 yards in 12 plays for the winning touchdown, without the benefit of a timeout. The score came on a perfectly-executed lob pass from quarterback Ronnie Williams to wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes. Southwestern Louisiana led 10-0 at the half and 13-3 at the end of the third quarter. Thurman Thomas was Oklahoma State's leading rusher with 85 yards. Williams completed 15 of 39 passes for 197 yards and Dykes had eight catches for 121 yards in the one-point win.
USL LAST WEEK -- Pittsburgh broke open a tight game with 28 second-half points, and the Panthers recorded a 45-13 win over the Cajuns at Pittsburgh. USL scored first, a 32-yard field goal by Jeremy Deach with 9:48 left in the first quarter. Pitt answered with two first-quarter touchdowns to lead 14-3 going into the second. USL scored 13 seconds into the second quarter to make it a 14-10 game, and the teams traded scores to account for a 17-13 Pitt lead at the half. The Panthers broke it open in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns. USL managed 108 rushing yards on 35 attempts, led by Elvin Joseph, who carried eight times for 54 yards. Quarterback Barton Folse completed 11 of 20 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown, and wide receiver Brandon Stokley had five receptions for 72 yards.
Note-ing Oklahoma State Football A-MAYES-ING ALONZO -- Senior TE Alonzo Mayes was named a preseason All-American by virtually every publication and is listed as one of the probable top draft picks in the next NFL draft. One game into his final collegiate season, Mayes has 973 career receiving yards and 66 receptions. He is 16th on both the all-time OSU receiving yards list and the career receptions list and could move up dramatically on both lists. Over the past two seasons, he has logged seven games with 50 or more yards in receptions and two with 125 or more. His top two statistical games at Oklahoma State, so far, are 149 yards on six receptions against Missouri in 1996 and 125 yards on 10 receptions against Kansas in 1995. He came back to camp in the best playing shape of his career, down to 240 from a listed 1996 weight of 265. During his OSU career he has averaged 15 yards per reception and had 16 multiple-reception games.
Mayes, by the numbers: Career Statistics No. Yards Avg. TD 1994 1 15 15.0 1 1995 32 421 13.1 4 1996 30 512 17.1 3 1997 3 25 8.3 0 Career Totals 66 973 14.7 8 Career bests: 6 rec. for 149 yds. at Missouri (10-26-96) 10 rec. for 125 vs. Kansas (11-18-95) Mayes in the record book: Career Receiving Yards Career Receptions Yards Rank Needs No. Rank Needs 973 16th 141 for 10th 66 T16th 11 for 10th 462 for 5th 28 for 5th
Covering the Subject...Mayes was the primary cover photo for preseason publications by both the Tulsa World and Daily Oklahoman as well as several national publications with regional covers. One of the Best...He is one of 10 players included in the Burger King Players to Watch list, sponsored by the American Football Coaches Association and appearing in publications nationwide. Others on the list are Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, Texas back Ricky Williams, Michigan State tackle Flozell Adams, Florida receiver Jacquez Green, North Carolina defensive end Greg Ellis, Florida State linebacker Daryl Bush, Southern California cornerback Daylon McCutcheon, Nebraska defensive end Grant Wistrom and Michigan all-purpose player Charles Woodson. More Numbers...Alonzo ranks near the top in all three statistical categories as far as tight ends returning in 1997. Based on 1996 statistics, he is third in receiving yards, fifth in receptions and tied for seventh in touchdowns. Keeping the Streak Alive...Alonzo has caught at least one pass in 10 straight games and in 19 of the last 22 games in which he has played.
LINDSAY STEPS UP AS SIGNAL CALLER -- Although sophomore QB Chris Chaloupka got the starting nod in OSU's platoon against Iowa State, it was redshirt freshman Tony Lindsay who led the Cowboys on their three scoring drives. Lindsay, whose 1-yard TD plunge in the third quarter was the first by an OSU freshman in a season opener in four years, completed 11 of 15 passes for 104 yards and ran for 42 yards on 12 carries, including a long gain of 15. When all was said and done, Lindsay had taken 55 of the Cowboys' 74 snaps and had directed the offense to gain 296 of its 360 yards total offense. Lindsay's 73.3 completion percentage was the best by an OSU quarterback with at least 10 attempts since Mike Gundy completed 77.1 percent (27 for 35) in a 1989 victory over Kansas.
FOURTH-DOWN EFFICIENCY -- Somewhat lost in the postgame shuffle Saturday night was the fact that the Cowboys had converted two crucial fourth downs in the third quarter, both in their own territory. The first came in OSU's first second-half possession on a fourth-and-one from the OSU 29, when Lindsay kept up the middle for the yardage, and the second came in OSU's next possession when Nathan Simmons gained two yards on fourth-and-one from the Cowboys' 35. For the game, OSU was credited with a 2-for-3 performance on fourth down, but the only unsuccessful attempt occurred as the Cowboys were running out the clock at the end of the game.
OSU'S DAVIS ONE OF THE BEST -- Oklahoma State senior P Jason Davis, coming off one of the best seasons in OSU history, picked up right where he left off in OSU's season-opener. Davis averaged 44.03 yards on 59 punts a year ago. That number represented the fifth-best single-season effort by an OSU punter, but it was only good enough for fifth in a talent-laden Big 12 Conference a year ago, when five punters averaged 44 yards per kick or better. In last week's game at Iowa State, Davis had a consistently outstanding night, averaging 51.8 yards per kick on six punts that went for 49, 55, 52, 54, 54 and 47 yards. Currently averaging 44.7 yards per kick (65 punts for 2909 yards) in his career, Davis appears more than capable of besting the career punting record of 44.4 established by Greg Ivy in 1994-95.
Big 12 Punters Returning in 1997 Name (school) No. Avg. Big 12 Rank Jesse Kosch (Nebraska) 44 44.70 3rd James Garcia (Kansas State) 51 44.31 4th JASON DAVIS (OSU) 59 44.03 5th Shane Lechler (Texas A&M) 72 42.69 6th
TAILBACK TANDEM -- Sophomore TB Nathan Simmons and redshirt freshman TB Jamal Fobbs were virtually interchangeable as the Cowboys' tailbacks against Iowa State. The pair finished with nearly identical numbers -- Simmons carried 16 times for 85 yards and 2 TDs, including the game winner, while Fobbs carried 15 times for 85 yards -- and combined for 170 yards on 31 carries, an average of 5.5 yards per carry. Simmons' touchdowns were the first of his career.
KEVIN WILLIAMS MAKES BIG PLAY -- Senior CB Kevin Williams made the big play of the Iowa State game, picking off a Todd Bandhauer pass and returning it 19 yards to the Iowa State three yard line to set up the Cowboys' game-winning touchdown. The interception was the fourth of Williams' career. It followed a play that had seen Williams lay the biggest hit of the night on Darren Davis, stopping him for a three-yard loss. Williams finished second on the team in the game with seven tackles.
TALE OF TWO HALVES FOR DEFENSE -- Despite facing highly touted sophomore TB Darren Davis and a big-play Iowa State offense that gained 266 yards in the first half of Saturday's game, OSU's defense turned in a remarkable performance. The Cowboys held Iowa State to just 32 yards rushing on 21 attempts, marking OSU's best rushing defense performance since Southwest Missouri State gained 29 yards in the 1993 season opener. The last time OSU held a conference foe to fewer yards on the ground was game six in 1992, when Missouri gained just 17. Davis finished Saturday's game with 51 yards on 16 carries, a 3.2 yards-per-carry average. In all, the Cowboy defense held Iowa State to 51 yards total offense and two first downs in the second half.
McQUARTERS: THREE-WAY STAR -- Junior R.W. McQuarters pulled off a rare trifecta against Iowa State, starting in three different positions. In addition to his regular duties as free safety and kick returner, McQuarters was in the game for OSU's first play on offense as a wide receiver. McQuarters participated in a handful of offensive plays for the Cowboys, and while he did not catch a pass, he did carry on an end around for 13 yards in the fourth quarter.
WRIGHT CONTINUES TO ANCHOR DEFENSE -- Sophomore MLB Kenyatta Wright, OSU's leader in tackles among returning players, again led the Cowboys last week. Wright recorded nine tackles and had numerous hurries of Cyclone quarterback Todd Bandhauer.
THE SACK BRIGADE -- OSU recorded three sacks -- one each by Ricky Thompson, Alton Weaver and Jamal Williams -- but perhaps none was more important than Williams'. With Iowa State facing third-and-13 from the OSU 31 with 6:20 to play, Williams hit Bandhauer for an eight-yard loss, knocking Iowa State out of field goal range and preserving the Cowboys' one-touchdown lead.
CLOSURE ON OPENERS -- Wrapping up last week's season opener notes: The Iowa State game marked OSU's 14th straight season opener under the lights ... The Cowboys have won five of their last six season openers, but the ISU victory snapped an eight-year conference opener losing streak. OSU had not won a Big Eight or Big 12 opener since defeating Colorado 41-21 in 1988.
NOTING THE COWBOYS -- After last week's victory at Iowa State, OSU is now 23-20 when appearing on national or regional network television. The triumph over the Cyclones was OSU's first TV win under Bob Simmons ... The Cowboys gained 360 yards total offense against Iowa State, marking their seventh consecutive game with at least 300 yards total offense.
FAMILY TIES -- Oklahoma State features several family angles on the 1997 roster. Topping the list is tailback Nathan Simmons who is the youngest son of Head Coach Bob Simmons and his wife Linda. Offensive lineman Reynell Lavigne is a nephew of running back coach Tom Lavigne. Tight end Greg Brown is the son of former OSU standout Terry.
NEXT WEEK -- Oklahoma State finally gets to stay at home. After two weeks on the road the Cowboys will make their Lewis Field debut when Fresno State comes to Stillwater for a 6 p.m., (CDT) kickoff. Once OSU returns to Stillwater, it won't leave for a while. In fact, Oklahoma State plays five straight games on Lewis Field from September 13 through October 25 (there are two open dates over that span). After this week's date with USL in Lafayette, Oklahoma State doesn't play on the road again until November 1 when the Cowboys visit Texas A&M.
SEASON TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE -- With the home opener still almost two weeks away, season tickets for 1997 Cowboy Football are still available. Contact the OSU Athletic Ticket Office in the east lobby of Gallagher-Iba Arena or call (405) 744-5745 or 1-800-522-6858. Single-game tickets for each of OSU's six home games are also available.
AND, DON'T FORGET ORANGE PEEL -- Oklahoma State's home opener on September 13 will be part of a great weekend in Stillwater. Orange Peel, featuring comedian Jeff Foxworthy and musical group BlackHawk, is scheduled for Friday, September 12 on Lewis Field.
Big 12 Standings South Division Conf All Games W L W L OSU 1 0 1 0 Texas 0 0 0 0 A&M 0 0 0 0 Baylor 0 0 0 1 Okla. 0 0 0 1 Tech 0 0 0 1
North Division Conf All Games W L W L Kansas 0 0 1 0 Nebraska 0 0 1 0 Colorado 0 0 0 0 K-State 0 0 0 0 Missouri 0 0 0 0 Iowa St. 0 1 0 1
Thursday's Game Kansas 24, Ala.-Birmingham 0 Saturday's Games Nebraska 59, Akron 14 Miami, Fla. 45, Baylor 14 Oklahoma State 21, Iowa State 14 Tennessee 52, Texas Tech 17 Next Week's Games Syracuse at Oklahoma Oklahoma St. at Southwestern La. Baylor at Fresno State Colorado State at Colorado Iowa State at Wyoming Texas Christian at Kansas Kansas State at Northern Illinois Eastern Michigan at Missouri Rutgers at Texas Sam Houston State at Texas A&M
Top Game Performances by the Last Four Freshman Quarterbacks
Mike Gundy (1986) Gary Porter (1992) Tone Jones (1993) Tony Lindsay (1997) 1. 275 Gundy vs. Kansas 2. 261 Porter vs. Missouri 3. 259 Porter vs. Kansas 4. 232 Gundy vs. Missouri 5. 217 Gundy vs. Colorado 6. 195 Gundy vs. Iowa State 7. 163 Gundy vs. Houston 8. 161 Porter vs. Iowa State 9. 157 Jones vs. TCU 10. 151 Gundy vs. Kansas St. 11. 121 Gundy vs. Illinois St. 121 Jones vs. Arizona St. 13. 120 Porter vs. Kansas St. 14. 116 Porter vs. Oklahoma 15. 115 Jones vs. Nebraska 16. 111 Porter vs. Michigan 17. 109 Gundy vs. Nebraska 18. 104 Lindsay vs. Iowa State
