Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Texas Tech in Home Finale
April 08, 2003 | Cowboy Football
HOME FINALE -- Oklahoma State makes its final appearance on Lewis Field this week as the Cowboys entertain Texas Tech. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. between the Cowboys and Red Raiders, both of whom come into the game tied with Texas A&M for the top spot in the Big 12 Conference's South Division.
'97 POKES IN ELITE COMPANY -- Oklahoma State's seven victories in the first nine games of the 1997 season put this year's squad in some pretty elite company. Only nine times in the history of football at Oklahoma State have the Cowboys been 7-2 or better after nine weeks of the season. Each of those previous nine seasons were special.
Year Record After Nine Final Record Notes 1931 7-2 8-2-1 1944 8-1 8-1 Cotton Bowl Champs 1945 9-0 9-0 Sugar Bowl Champs 1953 7-2 7-3 1958 7-2 8-3 Blue Grass Bowl Champs 1984 8-1 10-2 Gator Bowl Champs 1985 8-1 8-4 1987 7-2 10-2 Sun Bowl Champs 1988 7-2 10-2 Holiday Bowl Champs 1997 7-2 ???
TICKETS -- Tickets for Saturday's Big 12 South Division showdown between Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are available at the Athletic Ticket Office in Gallagher-Iba Arena or by calling, toll free, 800-522-6858. Saturday will be a doubleheader for sports at Oklahoma State with the Cowboy basketball team opening its regular season at 7 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena against Texas-Pan American.
INJURY UPDATE -- Oklahoma State came out of the Oklahoma game in relatively good shape. Tailback Nathan Simmons suffered a hip pointer, and defensive back Ricky Thompson sustained a sprained patella tendon in his right knee. Head Athletic Trainer Steve York says both players are probable for this week's game against Texas Tech.
RECORDS/RANKINGS -- Oklahoma State returns home from two straight road games with an overall record of 7-2 and a Big 12 Conference record of 4-2. Texas Tech will come to Stillwater with an overall record of 5-4 and a league record of 4-2. Both teams are coming off big wins last weekend. Oklahoma State doused in-state rival Oklahoma by a 30-7 margin in Norman while Texas Tech upended Texas in Austin. Oklahoma State moved up to 21st in this week's USA Today-ESPN poll and is number 24 in the Associated Press Top 25. Texas Tech is not ranked but received votes in the USA Today-ESPN Poll.
OSU IN '97 -- Below is week-by-week chart of OSU in the polls...
Week USA Today/ESPN Associated Press Preseason NR NR August 31 NR NR September 7 NR NR September 14 NR NR September 21 RV RV September 28 RV RV October 5 T20 20 October 12 16 16 October 19 12 12 October 26 19 19 November 2 23 25 November 9 21 24
SOUTH GOING TO THE WIRE -- The race for the championship of the Big 12 South is obviously going right down to the wire. Heading into the 10th week of the regular season and seventh weekend of league play, three teams, OSU, Texas Tech and Texas A&M, are tied for the South lead with 4-2 records. Following is the scenario for each of the three South Division contenders.
Oklahoma State -- Can win the South outright and advance to the title game if Cowboys win remaining games against Texas Tech and Baylor and Texas A&M loses to either Oklahoma or Texas.
OSU's Remaining Schedule: Nov. 15 vs. Texas Tech in Stillwater Nov. 22 vs. Baylor in Waco
Texas A&M -- Can win the South outright by winning both remaining games (OU and Texas) and have OSU and Texas Tech each lose one of its remaining games. Aggies will go to the championship game in San Antonio if they finish in a tie with either OSU or Texas Tech.
Texas A&M's Remaining Schedule: Nov. 15 vs. Oklahoma in Norman Nov. 28 vs. Texas in College Station Texas Tech -- Can win the South outright by winning its remaining games against OSU and Oklahoma. Tech cannot play in the title game after declaring a self-imposed ban on postseason play in 1997.
Texas Tech's Remaining Schedule: Nov. 15 vs. Oklahoma State in Stillwater Nov. 22 vs. Oklahoma in Lubbock
SENIOR DAY -- Saturday will mark the final home appearance for 10 Oklahoma State seniors. Each will be recognized in pregame ceremonies. Oklahoma State's 1997 senior class includes six players who have spent their entire career in an OSU uniform. The complete senior class is listed below.
Name Ht. Wt. Pos. Hometown (High School) Brandon Ashley 6-5 266 DT Dallas, Texas (Carter) Greg Brown 6-2 230 TE Marlow, Okla. (Marlow) Jason Davis 6-0 220 P Kerrville, Texas (Troy) Josh Henson 6-2 282 OL Tuttle, Okla. (Tuttle) Daunte Hill 5-7 190 WR Huntsville, Texas (Huntsville) Kelly Klare 6-5 330 OL Amarillo, Texas (Tascosa) Alonzo Mayes 6-6 265 TE Oklahoma City (Douglass) Calvin Menephee 6-3 305 OL Houston, Texas (Madison) Maurice Simpson 5-8 180 DB Pasadena, Calif. (Pasadena) Kevin Williams 6-0 188 DB Pine Bluff, Ark. (Watson Chapel)
ON THE AIR -- Saturday's home finale will be broadcast live on the OSU Radio Network with Bill Teegins and Tom Dirato describing the action. The game will not be televised. The OSU Radio Network is a division of Learfield Communications in Jefferson City, Mo. Cowboy football is heard on 25 stations throughout Oklahoma and Texas.
OSU LAST WEEK -- Oklahoma State ran its record to 7-2 with a 30-7 win over Oklahoma in Norman. O-State trailed 7-0 after one quarter but scored 13 points in the second quarter and 17 in the second half, all unanswered by the Sooners, as OSU won its second straight in Norman. Tailback Jamaal Fobbs sparked the Oklahoma State offense with a game-high 122 yards on 25 carries. Quarterback Tony Lindsay directed the OSU offense, completing nine of 16 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. His two touchdown passes came to Sean Love and R. W. McQuarters. Defensively, the Cowboys limited Oklahoma to 146 rushing yards and 52 yards through the air. Senior co-captain Kevin Williams had seven solo tackles an interception and a pass broken up in the win.
TEXAS TECH LAST WEEK -- In the same week that school officials announced a decision to voluntarily remove themselves from post-season contention, the Red Raiders went to Austin and pinned a 24-10 decision on the Texas Longhorns. Dane Johnson returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and Ricky Williams rushed for 131 yards on 25 carries as the Red Raiders stayed in a three-way tie for the South Division lead with OSU and Texas A&M. Texas led 7-3 at halftime, but Tech scored 21 second-half points en route to its fifth win of the season. The Red Raiders had 15 fewer first downs than Texas and 199 fewer total yards but took advantage of two Texas fumbles and intercepted two Texas passes.
Coach Bob Simmons
HEAD COACH BOB SIMMONS -- Oklahoma State's third-year head coach continues to show why he is a candidate for national coach-of-the-year honors on several fronts and has elevated Oklahoma State's football program into one of the Big 12 Conference's best. In less than three full seasons, Simmons has transformed the Cowboys from a squad low on talent and confidence to a team that is tied for the South Division lead with just two weeks left in the regular season. Under Simmons, OSU is 7-2 overall and headed for its first postseason bowl bid since 1988. He is a semifinalist for at least two national coach-of-the-year honors (Football News and The Football Writers Association) and should be one of the favorites for Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors. Going into this week's game against Texas Tech, Simmons has a career record of 16-16 and an 0-1 mark against Texas Tech. With a 7-2 mark through nine games of 1997, Simmons has guided the Cowboys to eight wins in their last 10 games and 14 wins in the last 23 outings. He is Oklahoma State's 20th Head Football Coach, having inherited a program that had won only 18 of its previous 66 games. Success under Bob Simmons should come as no surprise to those who have followed his career. In 17 years as an assistant coach, he more than prepared himself to be a head coach at the Division I-A level. He has experienced success at every stop. He tutored under two of the most successful coaches in the history of the game. He spent seven seasons on Bill McCartney's staff at Colorado and was part of seven bowl teams, three conference championships and one national championship. Prior to arriving at Colorado, he served on Don Nehlen's staff at West Virginia where he was part of four bowl games and five winning seasons. Oklahoma State has improved each season of the Simmons era. He was 4-8 in the first season, including a 12-0 win over Oklahoma at Norman and a season-ending win on the road at Hawaii. OSU was 5-6 in his second season, including a 3-0 mark vs. non-conference competition. This season, to date, OSU is 7-2 and tied for the South Division lead of the Big 12 with two weeks to play.
School Year Record Notes As an Assistant Coach Bowling Green 1975 8-3 Bowling Green 1976 6-5 Toledo 1977 2-9 Toledo 1978 2-9 Toledo 1979 7-3-1 West Virginia 1980 6-6 West Virginia 1981 9-3 Peach Bowl West Virginia 1982 9-3 Gator Bowl West Virginia 1983 9-3 Hall of Fame Bowl West Virginia 1984 8-4 Bluebonnet Bowl West Virginia 1985 7-3-1 West Virginia 1986 4-7 West Virginia 1987 6-6 Sun Bowl Colorado 1988 8-4 Freedom Bowl Colorado 1989 11-1 Orange Bowl Colorado 1990 11-1 National Champions Colorado 1991 8-3-1 Blockbuster Bowl Colorado 1992 9-2-1 Fiesta Bowl Colorado 1993 8-3-1 Aloha Bowl Colorado 1994 11-1 Fiesta Bowl As a head coach Oklahoma State 1995 4-8 Won 3 of last 6 Oklahoma State 1996 5-6 3-0 vs. non-league Oklahoma State 1997 7-2 Bowl-bound
SIMMONS ONE OF 12 FINALISTS FOR WRITERS AWARD -- Oklahoma State's Head Coach was named one of 12 finalists for the Eddie Robinson/Football Writers Association of America Coach of the Year. It is the second such list that has included Simmons. He was one of 10 on the Football News list published last week. Besides Simmons, others on the Writers list include Georgia's Jim Donnan, Nebraska's Tom Osborne, Purdue's Joe Tiller, Penn State's Joe Paterno, Washington State's Mark Price, UCLA's Bob Toledo, Florida State's Bobby Bowden, North Carolina's Mack Brown, New Mexico's Dennis Franchione, Michigan's Lloyd Carr and Toledo's Gary Finkel.
SIMMONS ON RADIO/TV -- Oklahoma State's Head Football Coach can be seen each week on the Bob Simmons Television Show. The 30-minute show, hosted by Paul Blair, airs Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. on Oklahoma City station KOCB (34). It also airs on the TCI cable system in Tulsa on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. and 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., hosted by Tom Dirato.
The OSU-Texas Tech Series
OVERALL -- Saturday will mark the 25th meeting between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech on the football field, and Tech has a 13-8-3 advantage. The teams have not met in Stillwater since 1989, when Tech recorded a 31-15 win, and the Red Raiders have an overall advantage of 6-4 in games played on Lewis Field.
OSU-TEXAS TECH A GLOBAL SERIES -- Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have played 24 times since 1935 in five different cities, both in this country and out. The teams have met 10 times in Stillwater, 10 times in Lubbock, once in Oklahoma City, once in Irving, Texas, and once in Tokyo, Japan.
OSU-TEXAS TECH By the Numbers:
Texas Tech OSU Scoring 197 305 First Downs 162 186 Rushing Yards 1325 2106 Average Per Rush 3.6 4.3 Average Per Game 147.2 234.0 Touchdowns Rushing 14 22 Passing Yardage 1481 1396 Att-Comp-Int. 239-124-5 172-96-6 Average Per Catch 11.9 14.5 Average Per Game 164.6 155.1 Touchdown Passes 7 14 Total Offense 2806 3502 Average Per Play 4.6 5.3 Average Per Game 311.8 389.1 Fumbles-Lost 13-7 21-7 Penalties-Yards 73-588 72-665 Punts-Yards 58-2368 45-1976 Punting Average 40.8 43.9 Third Down Conversion 51 of 139 59 of 145 Fourth Down Conversion 3 of 9 11 of 13
LAST YEAR -- Texas Tech limited Oklahoma State to just three points and Byron Hanspard ripped OSU's defense for 272 yards as the Red Raiders coasted to a 31-3 win over the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Irving. Tech scored 10 points in the first quarter and had a 22-0 halftime lead, thanks to a pair of rushing touchdowns by Hanspard and three field goals. Texas Tech played well on both sides of the ball, limiting OSU to 277 yards of total offense and keeping the Cowboys out of the endzone. OSU tailback David Thompson did manage to rush for 110 yards while Chris Chaloupka, playing for an injured Tone' Jones, completed five of 15 passes for 107 yards.
LAST TIME IN STILLWATER -- In Oklahoma State's 1989 home opener, Texas Tech posted a 31-15 win. It was a game that featured nearly 400 yards of total offense by the Cowboys, but they couldn't overcome Texas Tech, which netted 423 yards of total offense and had a 31-9 lead before Oklahoma State scored a late, fourth-quarter touchdown. OSU's scoring came on three Cary Blanchard field goals and a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Mike Gundy.
HONORS CHECKLIST
Oklahoma State, 7-2 and tied for the South Division lead, obviously has players deserving of All-Big 12 and All-American consideration. Below is a checklist of those players.
Alonzo Mayes, TE -- The best tight end in the country, period. Has 29 catches for 424 yards and seven touchdowns. One of the best performances of his career came in OSU's 51-50, double-overtime loss to Missouri. He had eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. His final touchdown came after he had suffered a third-degree AC sprain of his left shoulder, an injury that will keep him out for a while. Has three or more receptions in six of his seven games and at least one touchdown in five of those games. He currently ranks seventh on the all-time reception list (92) and seventh on the receiving yardage list (1,372). He was a preseason All-American and has lived up to that billing.
R.W. McQuarters, DB -- One of the most versatile players in the country. He is truly a triple threat. He plays on offense, defense and special teams and has played well on all three. On defense, he has 31 tackles, one interception and seven pass break-ups. On offense, he has four receptions for 169 yards and two touchdowns and two carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. As a punt returner, he has 29 returns for a school-record 443 yards, an average of 15.3 yards per return. He also has six kickoff returns for an average of 20.3 yards per return.
Jason Davis, P -- Another in a long line of great punters at Oklahoma State, Davis may turn out to be the best of them all. Seven games into the season, he is third in the league and 13th in the country and on his way to establishing a new career punting mark at Oklahoma State. He has 44 punts for an average of 43.9 yards per kick. His long has been 74 yards, and he has not had a punt blocked. He has averaged 45 yards or better in four of OSU's nine games, including a 51.8-yard average on six kicks against Iowa State. He kicks 'em long and high, evidenced by OSU's standing of fifth in the country in net punting.
Kevin Williams, DB -- Having the best season of his career and one of the top defensive seasons in the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma State's starting right cornerback should even be considered for Defensive Player of the Year. Through nine games, he has 50 tackles and a league-leading six interceptions. One of his interceptions was returned for a touchdown. He has 11 passes broken up, also a team best.
Jamal Williams, DL -- Having a great season, despite being double- and triple-teamed at times. He leads all OSU defensive linemen with 39 tackles. He has a team-leading 12 tackles for 54 yards in losses and a team-best 3.5 sacks for 38 yards. He has also blocked one kick. He has started every game at defensive tackle for Oklahoma State in 1997 after spending last year at Kemper Military.
Josh Henson, OL -- Oklahoma State's starting left guard and, like most of the OSU offensive front, having an exceptional season. This senior has 32 consecutive starts under his belt and a career total of 37 starting assignments. He is bigger, stronger and in the best physical condition of his career, and it has shown in 1997. Regularly grades out extremely high.
Tony Lindsay, QB -- A redshirt freshman who is having an exceptional season. Through eight games he has completed 61 of 102 for 966 yards and a school-freshman-record nine touchdowns. His efficiency rating is 162.59, and he has thrown only three interceptions. He also has 119 rushes for 457 yards and nine touchdowns, and he has one reception (vs. Missouri) for 50 yards. He has passed or thrown for 18 touchdowns and has 1,423 yards of total offense, 158.1 yards per game. He was the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week after outstanding performance in 42-16 win over Texas.
Kenyatta Wright, LB -- Don't let the glittery performances of Williams, McQuarters and Williams overshadow the steady work of Wright in 1997. He is number three on the defense with 52 total tackles and he is number two (to Williams) with eight tackles for loss and he also has two sacks, four passes broken up and has forced a fumble. He is the quarterback of Oklahoma State's nationally ranked defense.
Note-ing Oklahoma State Football
McQUARTERS ON SPECIAL TEAMS -- Junior DB R.W. McQuarters is currently ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth in the NCAA with his 15.3 yards per punt return. He also has 443 yards in punt returns this season, a new school record for single-season punt-return yardage, besting the 30-year-old mark of 422 yards set by Bennie Goodwin in 1967. He has recorded four punt returns over 30 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown return against Texas. That run was his first career punt-return TD and was OSU's longest punt return for a score since 1989. McQuarters' 82-yard return against Northeast Louisiana is the sixth-longest punt return in school history.
McQUARTERS ON DEFENSE -- McQuarters has been a solid force in the Cowboy secondary, playing free safety and cornerback at various times this year. He has one interception, two fumble recoveries, one tackle for loss and seven passes broken up this season.
McQUARTERS ON OFFENSE -- In addition to his regular duties on defense and special teams, McQuarters has started seven games at wide receiver for the Cowboys and has recorded four receptions, including a 58-yard touchdown catch against Fresno State, a 62-yard reception on OSU's first play of the Texas A&M game and a 40-yard TD catch against Oklahoma. He also had a 65-yard touchdown reception nullified by penalty against the Sooners. He recorded the first rushing touchdown of his career when he took a reverse 56 yards for OSU's first score against Missouri. McQuarters now has OSU's longest scoring plays of the year by rush, pass and punt return.
FRESHMAN WATCH -- Redshirt freshmen Jamaal Fobbs and Tony Lindsay are on their way to two of the best freshman rushing seasons in OSU history. With 772 yards through nine games, Fobbs needs just two rushing yards to tie Andre Richardson's OSU freshman rushing record. Lindsay's 457 net rushing yards put him nine yards of fifth-place David Thompson, who gained 466 in his freshman year.
LINDSAY SHINES IN CONFERENCE GAMES -- Tony Lindsay has saved his best performances for Big 12 games. In those six contests, he has gained an average of 66.8 yards on the ground and 128.0 yards through the air; he averaged 19 yards rushing and 66 passing in the three non-conference games. He tied a school record by throwing four touchdown passes against Missouri, and his 210 yards vs. the Tigers are OSU's individual season high. His performances against Texas and Colorado (he gained 126 yards on the ground in each game) tie for the 11th-best rushing days ever by an OSU freshman and mark the first time a Cowboy QB gained 100 yards on the ground since Harold Bailey rushed for 130 in 1977. Lindsay's quarterback rating of 162.6 leads the Big 12 and would be fifth in the nation if he had the requisite 15 attempts per game. Lindsay's nine touchdown passes are a school freshman record, topping the old mark of eight set by Mike Gundy in 1986.
THE CENTURY MEN -- Lindsay, Fobbs and sophomore TB Nathan Simmons have combined to give OSU six individual 100-yard rushing days this season. The last time OSU had three different players gain 100 yards at least once in the same season was 1984, when Charles Crawford, Shawn Jones and Thurman Thomas topped the century barrier. The Cowboys' rushing trio has helped the team to a No. 10 national rank in rushing offense (239.8 yards per game). This season marks the first time since 1974 (Terry Miller and Skip Taylor) that two Cowboy freshmen have rushed for 100 yards in single-game performances.
SIMMONS SHINES -- Somewhat lost in the postgame analysis of the wild Missouri game was the performance of Nathan Simmons, who came within one yard of chalking up his second 100-yard rushing day of the season. Despite an injurythat kept him out of most of the Oklahoma game, Simmons is ranked 11th in the Big 12 in rushing (70.8 yards per game). Simmons gained a career-best 106 yards against Northeast Louisiana to lead the Cowboys' season-best 274-yard rushing output.
PASSING ATTACK SHOWS ITSELF -- OSU gained 319 yards through the air against Missouri, marking the first time OSU has topped the 300-yard mark in passing since the 1989 Iowa State game. The Cowboys' 319-yard output in the air tied for the Cowboys' sixth-best mark all-time.
FOURTH-DOWN SUCCESS ON BOTH SIDES -- The Cowboys have gone for it on fourth down in several key situations this season, and it has paid off. The Cowboys are 11 for 13 in fourth-down conversions; one of the two unsuccessful attempts was the final-play kneel-down in the Iowa State game. Additionally, OSU opponents have attempted 12 fourth-down plays and have been denied nine times, including an important fourth-and-one play in the second quarter against Oklahoma when the Sooners were trying to extend a 7-3 lead.
KEVIN WILLIAMS PICKS WAY TO NATIONAL TOP 10 -- Senior CB Kevin Williams has picked off a pass in six of the Cowboys' nine games; he's the first Cowboy in six years to record six interceptions in a season. His 40-yard interception return for a touchdown against Colorado was OSU's first INT returned for a score in three years; he also provided the biggest play of the Iowa State game when his fourth-quarter pick set up OSU's winning touchdown. Williams currently ranks sixth nationally and first in the Big 12 with 0.67 interceptions per game; he has nine picks in his OSU career.
FABULOUS FOBBS -- Fobbs set a school freshman rushing record with his 217-yard effort at Southwestern Louisiana on Sept. 6. He broke the record previously held by Thurman Thomas, who gained 206 yards in 1984 against Kansas State. Fobbs' 122-yard rushing day at Oklahoma was his third time this year over the century mark. He leads the team in rushing yards (772) and is tied for second in pass receptions (11 for 130 yards). Fobbs is ranked sixth in the Big 12 and 46th in the nation with 85.6 rushing yards per game.
Top rushing seasons by a freshman 1. Andre Richardson, 1994 774 2. Jamaal Fobbs, 1997 772 3. Thurman Thomas, 1984 688 4. Rafael Denson, 1991 568 5. David Thompson, 1993 466 6. Tony Lindsay, 1997 457
Through G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10 G11 9 Games Total Fobbs 85 217 45 55 66 55 26 101 122 772 772 Richardson 28 15 73 71 8 130 18 121 95 57 158 559 774 Thomas 54 63 31 42 12 65 43 206 101 42 29 517 688 Lindsay 42 12 15 30 126 126 20 71 15 457 457 Denson 88 47 1 0 30 91 52 46 41 71 102 396 568 Thompson 15 --- 6 55 12 59 51 155 39 32 42 392 466
TURNOVERS -- After forcing a season-high six turnovers at Oklahoma, the Cowboys' new "46" defense has caused 26 turnovers this season, and OSU has converted those into 13 touchdowns and four field goals. OSU scored just twice off turnovers in 1996, and both were field goals. The Cowboys are now plus-13 in turnovers this year; OSU has not finished a season in the black in turnover margin since 1993. The Cowboys' turnover margin of +1.00 ranks second in the Big 12 and 11th in NCAA Division I-A.
DEFENSE SHOWS MAJOR IMPROVEMENT -- In 1996, Oklahoma State finished the season ranked 97th in the nation in rush defense. Through nine games in 1997, the Cowboys rank 12th in the nation and second in the Big 12 in rushing defense, allowing just 98.0 yards per game. The Cowboy defense battered Fresno State into minus-20 yards rushing Sept. 13, the second-best rush defense in OSU history. The shutout of Fresno State marked OSU's first at home since 1987, and the 137 yards total offense by FSU was the best defensive performance by an OSU team since 1984. Five of the Cowboys' nine opponents have gained less than 100 yards on the ground.
HOWELL PRODUCES TURNOVERS -- Sophomore DB Evan Howell received the most significant playing time of his OSU career in the Oklahoma game and made the most of it. His recovery of a weird accidental onside kick set up OSU's last score of the first half, and he also came up with one of OSU's two interceptions on the day.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAUNTE -- Senior WR/TB Daunte Hill celebrated his 23rd birthday Saturday at Oklahoma in fine fashion. As a receiver, Hill made an impressive catch of a 37-yard Lindsay pass with less than 20 seconds remaining in the first half to set up a field goal, and as a tailback, he scored the first touchdown of his career on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter.
LOVE STEPS FORWARD -- Junior WR Sean Love's 61-yard pass reception from Tony Lindsay in the third quarter of the Missouri game was the longest reception of his career and OSU's second-longest play from scrimmage this season. Love's third-quarter touchdown reception was the first score of his career, and he added his second with a fine effort to stay in bounds on a 16-yard pass from Lindsay in the second quarter at Oklahoma.
STEGGS RESPONDS TO STARTING NOD -- Sophomore TE Garrett Steggs has stepped into the rather large shoes left behind by injured starting TE Alonzo Mayes, and the sophomore has performed admirably. Steggs has produced key drive-sustaining catches in each of the two games in Mayes' absence. He is nowsecond on the team, trailing only Mayes, in receptions (11, tied with Fobbs and Willie Grissom) and receiving yards (141).
SYDNES REDISCOVERS TOUCH -- Sophomore PK Tim Sydnes struggled early in the year, making just one of his first five field goal attempts. However, Sydnes was one of the most important figures in the Cowboys' victory over Colorado. He hit all four of his field-goal attempts, keeping OSU in the game in the first half when the Cowboy offense couldn't crack the goal line. And one of the more understated keys of OSU's fourth-quarter magic against CU was Sydnes' 35-yard PAT after the game-winning touchdown. Sydnes missed two long attempts against Missouri and a 62-yarder against Texas A&M but has made 11 of his last 12 kicks from inside 50 yards.
OSU'S DAVIS ONE OF THE BEST -- Senior P Jason Davis, coming off one of the best seasons in OSU history, is in the midst of another superb year. In this season's first seven games, Davis is averaging 43.9 yards per kick, within range of the OSU single-season record of 45.5 and ranked third in the Big 12 and 20th in the nation. Of his 44 punts, 29 have gone for more than 40 yards, and 14 have gone for more than 50. Currently averaging 44.0 yards per kick (103 punts for 4,531 yards) in his career, Davis is near the OSU career punting record of 44.4 yards per kick established by Greg Ivy in 1994-95. OSU is currently ranked fifth in the NCAA and second in the Big 12 in net punting (40.7 yards per kick).
NOTING THE COWBOYS -- The Cowboys have gone over 300 yards total offense in 15 straight games and over 400 in four of the last seven ... OSU out-gained Oklahoma for the just the third time since 1949, and OSU's 30 points againstthe Sooners are the most by the Cowboys in a Bedlam game since the 31-24 victory in 1976 ... OSU's 30-7 victory over Oklahoma gave the Cowboys their second-biggest winning margin over OU, trailing only a 47-0 win in 1945 ... The Cowboys' 29-point halftime lead against Texas was the biggest since a 38-7 bulge against Southwest Missouri State in 1993 ... OSU scored more points (15) on its first two possessions against Texas than the Cowboys had in any previous single game against the Longhorns ... OSU's victory over Colorado marked the Cowboys' first win over a ranked team at home since 1978, when OSU defeated 13th-ranked Colorado 24-20 ... The Missouri game marked the only time in 1997 that OSU has lost a coin toss ... Junior QB Joe Phears has attempted just three passes this season but has completed all three, including a 50-yard toss to fellow QB Lindsay in the Missouri game; his passing efficiency is an amazing 254.00.
