Oklahoma State University Athletics
Football Takes to the Road One Last Time
April 08, 2003 | Cowboy Football
RECORDS/RANKINGS -- Oklahoma State will head for Austin with an overall record of 3-5 and a Big 12 Conference record of 2-4. Texas is returning home this week following a 20-16 win over Nebraska at Lincoln. UT's win at Lincoln improved its overall record to 6-2 and its Big 12 Conference mark to 4-1. The Longhorns are just one game behind Texas A&M in the South Division and could be headed for a Nov. 27 showdown with the Aggies for the division title. The Longhorns used the win at Nebraska to vault back into the national rankings. Texas is No. 23 this week in the USA Today-ESPN Coaches' Poll and No. 20 on the AP list.
TOUGH AND TOUGHER -- OSU's schedule, ranked by some as the toughest in the nation last week, stays the course this week as the Pokes face yet another nationally ranked opponent. So far this season, Oklahoma State has faced five teams that either were ranked at the time of the game or are currently in the rankings -- Mississippi State, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Texas A&M. Now, with Texas into the polls, make it six of OSU's first nine opponents ranked among the nation's elite.
OSU ON THE AIR, AGAIN -- Saturday's game at Texas will be broadcast live by ABC. It will be Oklahoma State's seventh television appearance of the season, one short of the most single-season appearances ever. The 1985 Cowboys drew eight TV dates, the most ever. OSU's television breakdown for 1998 includes 3 appearances on ABC (Kansas, Kansas State and Texas); three appearances on Fox Sports Net (Nebraska, Texas Tech and Texas A&M), and one appearance on Fox pay-per-view (Oklahoma). Mark Jones and Dean Blevins are tentatively scheduled to call the action this week on ABC.
AND ON RADIO -- This week's game, and each OSU game during the 1998 season, will be broadcast live on the Cowboy Radio Network. KWTV Sports Director Bill Teegins is the radio voice of OSU football and is joined in the booth by Tom Dirato. The Cowboy Network is a division of Learfield Communications in Jefferson City, Missouri. The network broadcast begins one hour before kickoff and concludes after the game with a live call-in show featuring head coach Bob Simmons.
OSU TRAVEL PLANS -- Oklahoma State will depart for Austin via air charter early Friday afternoon. The Cowboys will hold a light workout at Texas Memorial Stadium. OSU will headquarter at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin and return to Stillwater immediately following the game. OSU's workout at Texas on Friday is closed to the media, but head coach Bob Simmons is available just prior to that workout. OSU players are not available for interviews on Thursday or Friday. Please contact the Athletic Media Relations Office at OSU at (405) 744-5749 for more details about Coach Simmons' Friday availability in Austin.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS -- Despite losing four of its last five games, Oklahoma State can still achieve one of its 1998 goals by just taking care of business over the final three weeks of the regular season. If the Cowboys win at Texas this week, and follow that with back-to-back home wins to close out the regular season, OSU would be 6-5 and bowl-eligible. With the Big 12 Conference reaching an agreement last week with the Independence Bowl, it would appear likely that every team in the league that is bowl-eligible could find a postseason home. Seven Big 12 Conference teams have already won enough games to make themselves bowl-eligible, including Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Big 12 Bowls Date TV Time Matchup Insight.Com Dec. 26 ESPN 6 p.m. Big East or Notre Dame Builders Square Alamo Dec. 29 ESPN 7:30 p.m. Big Ten Culligan Holliday Dec. 30 ESPN 7 p.m. WAC or Pac 10 Southwestern Bell Cotton Jan 1 Fox 12:30 p.m. SEC Sanford Independence Dec. 31 ESPN 7:30 p.m. SEC
SACK TOTAL RANKS EIGHTH -- Oklahoma State's 1998 sack total of 24 tied for eighth-best in the country according to last week's numbers. The Cowboys' 24 tied Alabama, Georgia Tech and Idaho for No. 8. Washington was the national leader with 43. OSU was the only Big 12 school among the top 24 nationally.
OSU LAST WEEK -- The Cowboys took a 6-0 lead over Texas A&M in the first half but watched as the Aggies rallied for a 17-6 win in front of 47,250 homecoming fans at Lewis Field. The game was played in a steady rainfall, and most of the scoring came in the first half. After field goals of 37 and 27 yards by Tim Sydnes, A&M scored on a seven-yard pass and a 37-yard field goal to take a 10-6 halftime lead. The only scoring of the second half came at the 12:15 mark of the third quarter on a 34-yard pass from Brandon Stewart to Chris Taylor. Texas A&M's defense limited OSU to just six first downs and 172 total yards. Offensively, the Cowboys were led by tailback Nathan Simmons, who continues to impress. Simmons had 20 carries for 97 yards against Texas A&M, and his 38-yard run was the longest against A&M's defense all season. Wide receiver Willie Grissom had six catches for 56 yards.
TEXAS LAST WEEK -- The Longhorns scored the winning touchdown with 5:46 to play in a 20-16 win over Nebraska at Lincoln. Texas' victory snapped Nebraska's 47-game home winning streak and puts the 'Horns solidly in the hunt for the Big 12 South Division title. Texas ran up 398 yards of total offense against the Huskers, including 269 yards passing by quarterback Major Applewhite. UT's QB completed 14 of 26 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Heisman Trophy candidate Ricky Williams carried the ball 37 times against Nebraska for 150 yards but did not score a touchdown. Three Texas receivers had at least 50 yards Saturday, including Bryan White (2-113), Kwane Cavil (4-70) and Wane McGarity (5-51). Texas' defense allowed Nebraska 194 rushing yards and 117 yards through the air.
COACH BOB SIMMONS -- Oklahoma State's Bob Simmons is eight games into his fourth season and will carry a career record of 20-23 into this week's game against Texas. Simmons was named OSU's 20th head football coach on Dec. 16, 1994. Three years and eight games later, he has established OSU as one of the top football programs in the Big 12 Conference. He guided the Cowboys to a 4-8 record in 1995; a 5-6 mark in 1996; and an 8-4 record a year ago. Simmons' 1997 squad finished with OSU's best record in a decade and made an appearance in the Builders Square Alamo Bowl. He guided the Cowboys into the national rankings a year ago, climbing as high as No. 12 and finishing 25th.
SIMMONS TO COACH IN HULA BOWL -- Oklahoma State's football boss has been selected to coach in the 1998 Hula Bowl, to be played in January in Honolulu. Simmons will help guide the north squad.
1997 HONORS -- OSU's football coach was the recipient of numerous awards following the Cowboys' 8-4 bowl season of a year ago. He was the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, according to league coaches. He was a regional Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and was a finalist on several national coach-of-the-year lists. He was the Black Coaches' Association's National Football Coach of the Year and on the receiving end of numerous in-state awards.
Simmons' Record
As an Assistant School Year Record Notes 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 Orange Bowl 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 Oklahoma State 1996 5-6 Oklahoma State 1997 8-4 Alamo Bowl Oklahoma State 1998 3-5 First home win over OU since 1966 Totals 3+ years 20-23
This Week's Opponent ... Texas
THE SERIES -- Saturday will be the 13th time Oklahoma State has faced Texas on the football field, and the Cowboys have not experienced much overall success against the Longhorns. Texas leads the series by a 10-2 margin and has a 1-1 record vs. Oklahoma State in Stillwater. OSU's 42-16 win over UT last year snapped a five-game Texas winning streak over the Cowboys, dating back to 1944.
LAST TIME IN AUSTIN -- The Cowboys undoubtedly remember their last trip to Austin, Texas, where the Longhorns planted a 71-14 win on OSU on Oct. 5, 1996. Texas scored early and often and finished with the most points scored on a Bob Simmons team to date. The Longhorns amassed 624 yards of total offense, including 344 on the ground. UT had 27 first downs and lost four fumbles, but the Pokes couldn't overtake the 'Horns offensive explosion.
THE COACH -- Mack Brown is in his first year as head coach at Texas and will bring a record of 6-2 into this week's game against Oklahoma State. Brown came to Texas after 10 seasons at North Carolina, where he compiled a record of 69-46-1 and led the Tar Heels to six bowl games. Prior to his stint at North Carolina, Brown served at Tulane. He was offensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 1984 and also had coaching stops at Appalachian State, LSU, Iowa State, Memphis State and Southern Mississippi.
UPDATING TEXAS -- Oklahoma State will be facing a Texas team this weekend that boasts some of the best offensive numbers in the league and nation. Leading the UT offense is Heisman hopeful Ricky Williams. Williams is No. 1 in the Big 12 and in the country in rushing with an average of 204.25 yards per game. The Longhorns also feature a dangerous passing game led by quarterback Major Applewhite, who is third in the league and 22nd in the NCAA in passing efficiency. The Longhorns feature two of the top four receivers in the league in Wane McGarity and Kwame Cavil. McGarity is averaging 91.13 yards per game and is tops in the Big 12 in that category. Cavil is fourth in the league, averaging 72.50 yards per game.
OSU-TEXAS, BY THE NUMBERS -- Following is a statistical comparison between Oklahoma State and Texas with Big 12 and NCAA rankings.
Oklahoma State (3-4, 2-4) Texas (6-2, 4-1) Category Avg. Big 12 Nat'l Avg. Big 12 Nat'l Rushing Offense 185.3 7 38 222.8 4 16 Passing Offense 150.4 8 87 256.1 1 22 Total Offense 335.6 7 71 478.9 1 8 Scoring Offense 25.1 7 55 37.6 2 12 Rushing Defense 139.6 6 47 159.8 8 63 Pass Eff. Defense 131.9 10 81 137.3 11 90 Total Defense 324.4 8 30 371.3 9 68 Scoring Defense 28.6 10 82 28.3 9 77 Net Punting 41.0 6 48 36.8 12 110 Punt Returns 8.7 7 60 7.3 11 77 Kickoff Returns 23.1 3 20 19.7 11 74 Turnover Margin .50 5 32 .38 6 37
SIMMONS TOUGH ON THE TOUGH -- Junior TB Nathan Simmons has had his best nights of the year against some of the nation's best teams. He had a career-high 148 yards against 25th-ranked Mississippi State as he crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for his career. He followed that performance with probably the best game of his career, rushing for 114 yards against Nebraska. He became the first back in two years to gain over 100 yards against the 'Huskers, who came into the game with the nation's fourth-best rushing defense. Simmons also had a big day against eighth-ranked Texas A&M, gaining 97 yards on 20 carries.
LINDSAY SAVES BEST FOR BEDLAM -- Sophomore QB Tony Lindsay had his best night of the year in the Oklahoma game, rushing for a season-high 99 yards and completing 16 of 24 passes for 138 yards. While he directed a Cowboys offense that did not commit a turnover, Lindsay accounted for as many points -- 26 on two rushing touchdowns, two passing TDs and a two-point conversion -- as the entire Oklahoma team. For his career, the sophomore has now accounted for 28 TDs (15 rushing, 13 passing).
GRISSOM BECOMES TOP TARGET -- Senior WR Willie Grissom accounted for all 54 of OSU's receiving yards against Texas A&M. OSU completed just seven passes in the game, and Grissom was on the receiving end of six; the other pass went for no gain. His six-catch night sets a career high and a team season high as well.
RIVERS STANDS OUT -- Redshirt freshman TE Marcellus Rivers had a breakout performance against Kansas State, collecting a career-high five receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. Rivers' success continued against Oklahoma; he had a game-high four catches for 57 yards and his third touchdown of the year.
ALEXANDER'S LEADERSHIP SHOWS -- Senior SS Trent Alexander had one of his finest career nights in the Cowboys' victory over Oklahoma. The team's co-captain, Alexander had a team-high 14 tackles -- 10 unassisted -- against the Sooners and also recorded a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. He had 13 tackles the next week against Texas A&M. Alexander now leads the team in tackles with 61.
FABULOUS FOBBS -- Sophomore TB Jamaal Fobbs did not have a carry against Oklahoma, but he certainly made his mark. Fobbs caught three passes against the Sooners, and his career-long 58-yard kick return was a crucial momentum-swinger that set up OSU's fourth touchdown. After setting a school freshman rushing record last year, Fobbs is ranked eighth in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards (103.8) this season, and his kick-return average of 24.3 per game leads the league and is ranked 27th nationally. Fobbs scored on rushes of 55 and three yards against Mississippi State, notching two rushing scores in a game for the first time in his career. He gained a season-high 104 yards against the Bulldogs.
AIKINS SCORES CRUCIAL TDs -- Senior FB Brian Aikins scored perhaps the most important touchdowns in OSU's 41-26 win over Oklahoma. Aikins caught a Lindsay pass in the second quarter for OSU's first score of the game -- and his first career reception for a touchdown. He scored the 11th rushing TD of his career and his fourth this season in the third quarter, putting OSU in the lead for good. The performance marked the first multi-touchdown game of his career. His first-quarter touchdown against Texas Tech was OSU's first touchdown against the Red Raiders since 1989.
SYDNES PROVIDES LONG-RANGE FG -- Although he missed a meaningless PAT late in the game, junior PK Tim Sydnes had a big game against Oklahoma. Sydnes, who had hit 46 of 47 PAT tries before the late miss, hit two field goals for the second straight game. One of those three-pointers was a 50-yard score in the third quarter, the second-longest kick of his career. Sydnes has hit two field goals in three straight games; he now ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 38th in the nation in field goals per game (1.13).
WRIGHT PERFORMS AS EXPECTED -- Junior LB Kenyatta Wright, a preseason candidate for the Butkus Award, has lived up to his billing through the first half of OSU's season. Wright is second on the team in tackles (57) and is tied for the lead in sacks (four for 31 yards); he has forced a team-high three fumbles and recorded eight tackles for losses as well.
THE RUNNING MEN -- OSU's tailback duo of Simmons and Fobbs, combined with the rushing of Lindsay, gives the Cowboys the most potent 1-2-3 punch in the Big 12. Simmons (76.8 ypg) ranks ninth in the league in rushing, with Lindsay (14th, 44.4) and Fobbs (16th, 41.8) holding down the next two spots in the conference hierarchy. OSU is the only team in the league with three players among the league's top 16 rushers.
HOWELL'S FIRST CATCHES ARE BIG -- Sophomore WR Ethan Howell certainly made the first reception of his collegiate career count. Junior QB Chris Chaloupka and Howell connected on a 64-yard pass in the fourth quarter at Tulsa; it was Howell's first-ever catch, and it was OSU's longest pass play since Gary Porter hit Shannon Culver for an 80-yard gainer against Missouri in 1992. Howell and Chaloupka weren't finished, though; on the next two plays, they connected on passes of 10 and 21 yards, leading to Brian Aikins' one-yard score on the next play. Against Nebraska, Howell topped his Tulsa performance, catching his first touchdown pass -- a 67-yard toss from Lindsay to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
F
LAGS HAVE FLOWN -- A disturbing trend in OSU's 3-5 start has been the frequent appearance of penalty flags. The Cowboys have been flagged 78 times for 616 yards this season -- an average of 77 yards per game -- and have committed over 100 yards in penalties three times, including 11 flags for 132 yards at Texas Tech. The Cowboys are on pace to break the school-record mark of 797 penalty yards set last season; prior to 1997, the school record had been 712 yards, set in 1951.
RICHARDSON COMES TO LIFE -- Junior WR Terrance Richardson had his best game of the season against Mississippi State, grabbing four Tony Lindsay passes for 106 yards. He became the first wide receiver at OSU to catch passes totaling 100 yards since Rafael Denson in the 1994 Colorado game (tight end Alonzo Mayes topped the century mark once in each of the last three seasons). His 64-yard reception from Tony Lindsay in the first quarter was the longest reception of his career.
FOURTH-DOWN SUCCESS CONTINUES -- OSU converted 12 of 17 fourth-down attempts last season, one shy of the school record, and that trend continued in the Kansas game. The Cowboys went for it twice in Lawrence and were successful both times. Both attempts extended drives that eventually went for scores. Last season, eight of OSU's 12 successful fourth-down conversions extended scoring drives. OSU is 9 for 14 on fourth down this season, including two memorable plays against Nebraska -- freshman P Scott Elder's 22-yard pass to junior DB Evan Howell on a fake punt and Lindsay's crucial pass to senior WR Sean Love with 10 seconds left.
CHALOUPKA PROVIDES A SPARK -- Chaloupka saw his first playing time as a quarterback (he played at Kansas as a kick holder) in the Tulsa game, and he made the most of his opportunity. Chaloupka directed OSU on scoring drives of 96 and 87 yards and completed nine of 14 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. He also directed the Cowboys on fourth-quarter touchdown drives against Texas Tech and Kansas State, capping each with scoring passes.
NOT IN OUR HOUSE -- The Basketball Cowboys' 78-game home non-conference winning streak gets all the press, but the OSU football team has an impressive streak of its own. The Cowboys have won 13 straight games against non-league foes on Lewis Field after the Sept. 19 victory over 25th-ranked Mississippi State.
NOTING THE COWBOYS -- Freshman punter Scott Elder ranks seventh in the Big 12 and 28th in the nation in punting (42.6 per kick) ... Junior TE Garrett Steggs' 41-yard second-quarter reception against NU was the longest of his career and just his third catch this season ... The 24-17 loss to Nebraska marks the closest game in the series since the 'Huskers won 14-10 in Stillwater in 1983 ... The Cowboys held Nebraska to four first-half rushing yards and 73 overall, marking the first time since 1976 that the 'Huskers failed to gain 100 yards on the ground in a regular-season game ... OSU's loss to Kansas State is the Cowboys' 27th consecutive against a top-five-ranked team ... Senior WR Joe Phears attempted and completed the second pass of his career in the Oklahoma game. Like the first, his second toss was a throwback to Tony Lindsay; the pair hooked up for a long gainer against Missouri last season ... The Cowboys' 41-26 victory over Oklahoma marks the most points OSU has scored against its archrival since a 47-0 victory in 1945 ... The Cowboys defeated OU in Stillwater for the first time since 1966 and recorded back-to-back wins in the Bedlam for the first time since 1965-66 ... OSU has lost 23 straight games against top-10-ranked teams.
