Oklahoma State University Athletics
First-Year Head Coaches Collide
April 08, 2003 | Cowboy Football
Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001 * 7 p.m. [CST] Lewis Field [48,000] * Stillwater, Okla. radio - Cowboy Radio Network TV - none
Cowboys Look for Second Straight Oklahoma State will be looking for its second-straight win when the Cowboys host Missouri Saturday night on Lewis Field. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m., as the Pokes, 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big 12, look to snap a three-game losing streak to the Tigers and go above the .500 mark for the first time this season and for the first time since the third game of the 2000 campaign. Missouri will come to Lewis Field with a 1-2 overall record and an 0-1 Big 12 mark. The Tigers opened Big 12 play last week with a loss to Nebraska in Columbia.
Welcome Back Missouri will be making its first Lewis Field appearance since the infamous 1997 affair that lasted three overtimes and resulted in a 51-50 Tiger victory. That Missouri victory snapped a six-game Oklahoma State winning streak and dropped the Cowboys from 12th to 19th in the Associated Press Top 25. Like the other two Big 12 north division opponents on OSU's 2001 schedule, OSU will not face Missouri again until 2004. In 2002 and 2003, Nebraska, Kansas State and Kansas find their way back on the OSU football schedule.
1976 Reunion When OSU hosts Missouri Saturday night, there will be a special group of former players in attendance. Many members of Oklahoma State's 1976 Big Eight Conference championship team will be recognized on the field in pregame ceremonies. Coach Jim Stanley and approximately 50 members of the '76 squad are planning to return to Stillwater. Some of the former Cowboys expected to be on hand are Terry Miller, Abby Daigle, Darrel Gofourth, Cliff Parsley and Russ Farthing. The 1976 reunion will feature activities on both Friday and Saturday. A more complete list of former players coming back this week will be available from the OSU Media Relations Office later in the week.
First-Year Coaches Collide Saturday's game on Lewis Field will feature the only two first-year coaches in the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma State's Les Miles is three games into his initial season on the Cowboy sideline and Missouri's Gary Pinkel is in his first year after arriving from Toledo. While Saturday will be the only time the two men have gone head-to-head as head coaches, they did face each other in the 1980 Rose Bowl when Miles was in his first year on the Michigan staff and Pinkel was the receivers coach at Washington. Michigan won that game, 23-6. Pinkel did coach against the Cowboys twice when he was at Washington. The Huskies won in Stillwater in 1980 before the Cowboys returned the favor in Seattle in 1985.
Check This Out There is more on season results of Oklahoma State's 2001 opponents later in this release. Noteworthy, however, is the fact that Oklahoma State's two losses so far this season have come to teams that are a combined 7-0. Southern Miss, a 17-9 winner over OSU in the season opener, defeated UAB, 3-0, Saturday to run its season record to 3-0. Texas A&M, a 21-7 victor over the Cowboys last week, defeated Notre Dame, 24-3, Saturday to go 4-0 on the season. Oklahoma State's two early-season victories have come over Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State. Tech led nationally-ranked Fresno State late in its game Saturday night before falling, 38-28, and the loss on Lewis Field Saturday night was the first of the season for the nationally ranked 1-AA Demons. The combined record of OSU's first four opponents now stands at 11-3.
OSU-Missouri on the Radio Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the Cowboy Radio Network with stations in Oklahoma from border to border. The network is distributed by Cowboy Sports Properties, a division of Learfield Communications in Jefferson City, Mo. Dave Hunziker is in his first season as the radio voice of OSU football and basketball. He replaced Bill Teegins, who was on of 10 victims in the January plane crash in Colorado. Hunziker is joined in the booth by Tom Dirato. The network broadcast begins one hour before kickoff.
Television There will be no television, live or delayed, of the OSU-Missouri game. Highlights of the game can be seen, however, on the Les Miles Show, which airs across the state beginning Sunday evening. Check your local listings for the air time and location in your area.
Tickets Tickets for this week's game against Missouri, and for all remaining Oklahoma State home games, are available at the Athletic Ticket Office in the Athletics Center. The Cowboys have four attractive home dates remaining. After Missouri visits Lewis Field this week, nationally-ranked Texas comes to town on Oct. 13. Colorado visits for homecoming on Oct. 27, and Texas Tech is the final home game of the 2001 season on Nov. 10. To purchase tickets by phone, call 1-877-ALL-4-OSU.
Game Day Traditions Oklahoma State was once again greeted by scores of Cowboy fans when the Pokes walked from the Student Union Hotel to Lewis Field prior to the Northwestern State game. The Walk is one of two new traditions that have already become very popular with OSU fans. After every win on Lewis Field, OSU players and coaches gather in front of the student section in the northwest corner of Lewis Field and sing the alma mater. All fans, students and non-students are encouraged to remain in the stands after OSU victories and join the Cowboys for the alma mater hymn. The walk will take place two hours and 15 minutes prior to each home game, weather permitting.
Thanks, and Keep it Up The Oklahoma State University Athletics Department wants to thank the fans who were overwhelmingly understanding of the tighter security measures around Lewis Field. Those added safety measures, implemented to insure a safe, enjoyable atmosphere for those attending Cowboy home games, will be in place for each home game for the remainder of the season. Ice chests, umbrellas, book bags and other large items will not be allowed in Lewis Field. All persons and items that enter the stadium are subject to search. Parking lots, especially those in close proximity to Lewis Field, will also be under more scrutiny and photo ID could be required to enter some lots. OSU Police, OSU Environmental Health Services and other local authorities are working in conjunction to provide increased security in and around Lewis Field.
