Oklahoma State University Athletics
No. 12 Cowboys Host Missouri
April 08, 2003 | Cowboy Football
OVER THE OFF WEEK -- Oklahoma State may have had the week off from game competition, but it was business as usual for the Cowboys for most of the week on the practice field. OSU went through normal workouts Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and had a special-teams workout Thursday. Friday, after the team was addressed by Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, they were given the weekend off. The Cowboys will get into game-week preparation Monday afternoon. It is fall break (no classes) at Oklahoma State Monday and Tuesday.
COWBOYS, HUSKERS BIG 12 UNBEATENS -- With Texas A&M's loss at Kansas State on Saturday, Oklahoma State and Nebraska remain as the only two unbeaten teams in the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys are the lone undefeated team in the South Division and have led that division for seven straight weeks. The Pokes have a one-game advantage on A&M and Texas Tech in the South. Nebraska is on top of the North standings with a 3-0 league mark and 6-0 overall record. The Huskers are one game ahead of Kansas State in the North. The division winners will meet in San Antonio, Texas, on Dec. 6 to decide the Big 12 Conference football champion.
HALL OF HONOR WEEKEND -- It will be a big weekend at Oklahoma State. Not only do the 12th-ranked Cowboys host Missouri, but OSU will induct eight more members into its Hall of Honor. This year's inductees are Myron Roderick, Eddie Sutton, Thurman Thomas, Art Griffith, Neill Armstrong, Mike Holder, Ralph Higgins and Yojiro Uetake. These eight, plus a Distinguished Service Honoree, will be recognized at a banquet Friday night at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. There are bios on the eight inductees elsewhere in this release.
BOWL BOUND? -- Oklahoma State's six victories so far in 1997 make the Cowboys eligible for postseason competition. OSU must now finish as one of the Big 12 Conference's top six teams to be certain of nailing down a bowl spot. The league champion will automatically gain a berth in an Alliance Bowl (Orange, Sugar or Fiesta). The league's number-two team goes to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas with the number-three team headed for the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. The fourth-place Big 12 team goes to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio with the fifth-place team going to the Aloha Bowl in Honolulu and the sixth-place team to the Copper Bowl in Tucson.
RANKINGS -- Oklahoma State is nationally ranked for the third straight week. The Cowboys are ranked 12th by both the Associated Press and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll. OSU broke into the top 20 after its win over Texas and moved up four spots after defeating Colorado 33-29 a week later. The Cowboys jumped up four spots in this week's poll, and their current ranking equals the highest for an OSU football team since the final poll of 1988. Oklahoma State's highest ranking in 1988 was 10th the week of Oct. 9. The Pokes are one of four Big 12 teams ranked in the top 25. Nebraska is number one, OSU is 12th, Kansas State is 13th and Texas A&M is 21st.
NOT FAR FROM THE TOP 10 -- Oklahoma State is ranked 12th but trails number 11 Auburn by only five poll points in the USA Today/ESPN poll, and the Cowboys are just 178 points from being ranked in the top 10. In the Associated Press poll, Oklahoma State has 883 points, trailing 11th-place Auburn by 165 points.
ON THE AIR -- Saturday's game will be televised by Fox Sports Net as the Big 12 Conference's syndicated game of the week. It will be the third straight television appearance for OSU and the fourth of the season for the Cowboys. Ron Thulin and Dave Lapham will be calling the action this week, with Jim Knox on the sidelines. Saturday's game will also be broadcast live on the 25-station Cowboy Radio Network. KWTV Sports Director Bill Teegins is the radio voice of Oklahoma State football and is joined in the booth by Tom Dirato, OSU's Coordinator of Radio and Television. The Oklahoma State Radio Network is a division of Learfield Communications in Jefferson City, Missouri.
A LOT OF AIR TIME -- Saturday will mark OSU's fourth televised game of the season. That equals the number of television appearances of the 1986 team but is four short of the all-time most appearances during one season, eight in 1984. Last year, OSU appeared only once, a Fox (cable) national game at Colorado.
SPEAKING OF STREAKS -- Oklahoma State's seven-game winning streak equals the third-longest current streak in Division I-A. Penn State has the longest streak at 11, while North Carolina extended its streak to nine Saturday with a win over North Carolina State. Oklahoma State, Toledo and Nebraska each have seven-game streaks. New Mexico, Air Force and Auburn had their seven-game winning streaks scissored by losses over the weekend.
Current Division IA Winning Streaks Team Wins Next Game 1. Penn State 11 Nov. 1 at Northwestern 2. North Carolina 9 Oct. 30 at Georgia Tech 3. Oklahoma State 7 Oct. 25 vs. Missouri Nebraska 7 Oct. 25 at Kansas Toledo 7 Oct. 25 at Bowling Green
Coach Bob Simmons has led the Cowboys to a No. 12 ranking.
HEAD COACH BOB SIMMONS -- Not only should Bob Simmons be considered for Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, the third-year OSU coach will be a viable candidate for National Coach of the Year honors if the Cowboys continue to add to an already remarkable season. Simmons' Cowboys are already guaranteed their first non-losing season since 1988 and, more than likely, their first bowl appearance since the 1988 Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Six games into his third OSU season, Simmons has a career record of 15-14, and his Cowboys are 6-0 and ranked number 12 in the country. Oklahoma State will go into this week's game against Missouri having won seven straight games, dating back to the season-ending win over Baylor in 1996. Under Bob Simmons, the Cowboys haven't lost since Nov. 9, 1996 (49 weeks ago). Bob Simmons is certainly a man of his word and he's making good on his promise to build Oklahoma State into a program that is competitive on both the conference and national levels. He is Oklahoma State's 20th Head Football Coach, having inherited a program that had won only 18 of its previous 66. After losing seven of the first nine in his initial OSU season, Simmons has now guided OSU to 13 wins in the last 20 games. He has been associated with success at every stop along his professional career. He spent seven seasons on Bill McCartney's staff at Colorado and was part of seven bowl teams, three conference championships and a national championship. Prior to his stint at Colorado, Simmons served on Don Nehlen's West Virginia staff where he was part of four bowl games and five winning seasons.
SIMMONS Record 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 6-0 Leads South Division
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, hosted by former Cowboy offensive lineman 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.
TICKETS -- Tickets for Saturday's game against Missouri are still available in the Athletic Ticket Office in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 1-800-522-6858 or (405) 744-5745. Tickets are also available for Oklahoma State's final home game on Nov. 15 against Texas Tech. That will be Senior Day, and pregame ceremonies will honor Oklahoma State's 1997 seniors.
6-0 START BEST IN 51 YEARS -- Oklahoma State's 6-0 start in 1997 is the best since 1945. Jim Lookabaugh's 1945 Aggies not only won their first six but were OSU's only unbeaten, untied team in history, finishing 9-0 and winning the Sugar Bowl over St. Mary's. The best two-year span in OSU football history was 1944-1945 . Over that span, the Cowboys were 17-1 and brought home Cotton and Sugar Bowl trophies.
This Week: Missouri
THE OSU-MISSOURI SERIES -- Saturday will mark the 43rd time Oklahoma State and Missouri have met on the football field, and the Tigers have a 24-18 series advantage. It has been a series of streaks. Missouri won the first five ever played between the schools and 15 of the first 17. Oklahoma State turned the tables on Mizzou between 1971 and 1990, winning 15 of 20, including a seven-game win streak between 1984 and 1990. Since 1991, Missouri has won four of six, including the last time the teams met on Lewis Field, when the Tigers claimed a 24-15 win in 1994. Overall on Lewis Field, Oklahoma State has an 11-8 advantage.
LAST YEAR -- In its second overtime game of the season, Oklahoma State lost to the Tigers 35-28 in Columbia. The Cowboys never led in the game but never trailed by more than a touchdown. OSU managed a 28-28 tie late in the fourth quarter when Andre Richardson caught a Tone Jones pass from 15 yards out. Tim Sydnes added the tying extra point. In overtime, Missouri scored first on an eight-yard run by Brock Olivo. On OSU's possession, the Cowboys drove to the Missouri four-yard line where Jones pitched to Richardson, who was on his way into the end zone before he fumbled and Missouri won the game.
OSU-MISSOURI: A LOT ON THE LINE -- Several times in past history, Oklahoma State's game against Missouri has had postseason implications, and this year is no different. OSU, 6-0, is already bowl eligible but can take another step toward a postseason appearance with a win this week over Missouri. The Cowboys can also hold on to first place in the South Division with a win over Missouri. The Tigers will come rolling into Stillwater looking for their fifth win of the season and gunning for a postseason bid of their own. Below are capsules of some of the more memorable OSU-Missouri battles.
1995 -- Oklahoma State 30, Missouri 26 In Bob Simmons' first season as Oklahoma State's Head Coach, the Cowboys went to Columbia having won only one of their first six games. The Pokes had also gone 20-straight conference games without a victory. Oct. 21 in Columbia would be a milestone for OSU under Bob Simmons. The Cowboys rallied from a 20-17 deficit for a 30-26 win. It snapped the long conference winless streak and gave Simmons' Cowboys their first conference victory.
1987 -- Oklahoma State 24, Missouri 20 Oklahoma State went to Columbia ranked 19th in the country and with a 5-1 record. The upstart Tigers cruised to a 17-7 halftime lead only to watch the Cowboys come back for a four-point victory. The winning points came with 7:46 left in the game when quarterback Mike Gundy found tight end J.R. Dillard for a six-yard touchdown. Thurman Thomas rushed for 108 yards on 26 carries and Hart Lee Dykes had six receptions for 107 yards as OSU needed every yard and every reception to capture the win.
1985 -- Oklahoma State 21, Missouri 19 Missouri was 1-9 and unranked. Oklahoma State was 7-1 and ranked 10th in the country. The Tigers must not have paid attention to the odds makers. Oklahoma State had to scratch for a 21-19 victory. Mizzou ran to a 10-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal and an 80-yard touchdown pass from Marlon Adler. OSU scored 21 points, however, in a span of 2:11 of the second quarter for a 21-10 lead and the Cowboys hung on as Missouri kicked three more field goals but couldn't quite catch up. It was an important win for OSU, who clinched a Gator Bowl bid. The Cowboys, who lost the next week at Iowa State and in the season finale to Oklahoma, needed the win to assure a second straight trip to Jacksonville.
1983 -- Missouri 16, Oklahoma State 10 On a muddy Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri escaped with the victory but the Cowboys came away with the prize -- a trip to the Bluebonnet Bowl. In Jimmy Johnson's final season as OSU's head coach, the Cowboys went to Columbia with a Bluebonnet Bowl bid on the line. Missouri won the game but OSU got the bid when the Tigers turned it down later that night. The football game was played in a snowy muck and it appeared the Cowboys would take control. Harry Roberts returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and Larry Roach added a second-quarter field goal for a 10-0 OSU lead. The Cowboys would not score again while Missouri reeled of 16 unanswered points to claim the win. OSU would finish the 1983 season with a victory at Iowa State and then a win over Baylor in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Missouri opted for the Holiday Bowl where it lost to BYU 21-17.
COACH LARRY SMITH -- In his fourth season as the Tigers' head coach, Larry Smith will bring a Missouri record of 15-25-1 into Saturday's game against Oklahoma State. Smith is a 21-year head coaching veteran with previous stops at Tulane, Arizona and Southern California. His overall record as a college head coach is 125-105-7. Smith, like Oklahoma State's Bob Simmons, is a graduate of Bowling Green and is one of only four active coaches that have taken three or more teams to bowl games.
OSU-MISSOURI: By the Numbers Missouri Oklahoma State Scoring 196 198 First Downs 164 119 Rushing Yards 1831 1439 Average Per Rush 4.7 4.4 Average Per Game 261.6 239.8 Passing Yardage 1030 813 Att-Comp-Int. 126-65-4 108-62-3 TDs Passing 3 8 Avg. Passing Per Game 147.1 135.5 Total Offense 2861 2252 Average Per Play 5.6 5.2 Average Per Game 408.7 375.3 Average Rushing Defense 173.6 60.0 Average Passing Defense 186.9 215.2 Average Total Defense 360.4 275.2 Fumbles/Lost 11-8 15-5 Penalties/Yards 55-445 53-504 Punts/Avg 36-36.9 31-46.0
MISSOURI LAST WEEK -- Quarterback Corby Jones passed for 220 yards and ran in a touchdown and Brock Olivo scored a pair of rushing touchdowns as the Tigers downed Texas in Columbia, 37-29. Jones completed 12-of-21 for 220 yards and did not throw an interception. Olivo rushed for 81 yards on 16 carries and scored two touchdowns (19 yards and one yard) and was one of two Missouri backs with more than 80 rushing yards.
Noting Oklahoma State Football
MAYES CONTINUES ALL-AMERICAN SEASON -- Senior tight end Alonzo Mayes continues to add to his super final season in a Cowboy uniform. The best tight end in the country now has 21 receptions for 298 yards and five touchdowns. Over the past four games, he has caught 17 passes for 253 yards. Those totals give him 84 career receptions for 1,246 yards. He is the 14th player in OSU history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in receiving and the ninth Cowboy to register 80 or more career receptions.
MOVING UP THE CHARTS -- Mayes continues to move up both the career reception and receiving yardage charts at Oklahoma State. Going into this week's game against Missouri, Mayes is eighth on the career receptions list with 84. He needs five to move past Terry Brown into seventh place on that list. His 1,246 career receiving yards puts him seventh on the career list, 169 yards from passing Rafael Denson and moving into sixth place. He caught the game-winning TD pass from Tony Lindsay against Colorado and is averaging 14.8 yards per reception during his Oklahoma State career.
Mayes, numerically: 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 21 298 14.2 5 Totals 84 1246 14.8 13
McQUARTERS ON SPECIAL TEAMS -- Junior DB R.W. McQuarters is currently ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth in the NCAA with his 17.1 yards per punt return. He also has 393 yards in punt returns this season and needs just 29 to set a school record for yardage. He has recorded four punt returns over 30 yards, including an 82-yard touchdown return against Texas. That run was his first career punt-return TD and is the sixth-longest in school history; it was also OSU's longest punt return for a score since 1989.
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 six passes broken up this season.
McQUARTERS ON OFFENSE -- In addition to his regular duties on defense and special teams, McQuarters has started four games at wide receiver for the Cowboys and has recorded two receptions, including a 58-yard touchdown catch against Fresno State. On third-and-long during the fourth quarter against Colorado, McQuarters came into the game and drew a crucial interference penalty to extend the Cowboys' longest touchdown drive of the night.
LINDSAY SHINES IN CONFERENCE WINS -- Redshirt freshman QB Tony Lindsay has saved his best performances for Big 12 games. In those three contests, he has gained an average of 98 yards per game (5.7 yards per carry) on the ground and 98 yards through the air. In the past two games, he has rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns. His 55-yard touchdown run against Texas was the Cowboys' longest rushing TD of the year. His performances against Texas and Colorado (he gained 126 yards 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.
THE CENTURY MEN -- Lindsay is the third player, joining freshman TB Jamaal Fobbs and sophomore TB Nathan Simmons, to rush for 100 yards 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. 14 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.
KEVIN WILLIAMS: DEFENSIVE BIG-PLAY MAN -- Senior CB Kevin Williams has picked off a pass in five of the Cowboys' first six games; he's the first Cowboy in five years to record five 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 fourth nationally and first in the Big 12 with 0.83 interceptions per game; he has eight picks in his OSU career.
FOURTH-DOWN GAMBLERS -- The Cowboys have gone for it on fourth down in several key situations this season, and it has paid off. The Cowboys are 9 for 10 in fourth-down conversions; the only unsuccessful fourth-down try came at the end of the Iowa State game as sophomore QB Chris Chaloupka ran out the clock.
DEFENSE SHOWS MAJOR IMPROVEMENT -- In 1996, Oklahoma State finished the season ranked 97th in the nation in rush defense. Through six games in 1997, the Cowboys rank third in the nation and first in the Big 12 in rushing defense, allowing just 60.0 yards per game. Texas' Ricky Williams came into the Oct. 4 game averaging 147 yards per game and having rolled up 249 in the 'Horns' previous game, but OSU held him to four first-half yards and 79 overall. The Cowboy defense battered Fresno State into minus-20 yards rushing Sept. 13, the second-best rush defense in OSU history. The Cowboys are ranked sixth nationally and first in the Big 12 in scoring defense (12.2 points per game) and ninth nationally, third in the Big 12, in total defense (275.2 yards per game). 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' six opponents have gained less than 100 yards on the ground.
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. That kick, which followed an excessive celebration penalty, kept the Cowboys more than a field goal ahead, forcing the Buffs to get into the end zone.
TURNOVERS -- The Cowboys' new "46" defense has forced 18 turnovers this season, and OSU has converted those into 11 touchdowns and a field goal. OSU scored just twice off turnovers in 1996, and both were field goals. The Cowboys are now plus-10 in turnovers this year; OSU has not finished a season in the black in turnover margin since 1993. The Cowboys' turnover margin of +1.67 ranks second in the Big 12 and fourth in NCAA Division I-A.
FIRST-HALF SUCCESS -- Colorado's 14 first-half points marked the first time since the season opener that OSU had allowed an opponent to score in the first half. The Buffs' eventual 14-6 lead gave OSU its largest deficit at any time this season. The Cowboys have enjoyed a great deal of success in the first half this season, allowing just two opponents to score. OSU has outscored its opponents 127-28 in the first half this season, including an 85-14 advantage in the second quarter.
THOMPSON LEADS DEFENSIVE EFFORT -- Junior DB Ricky Thompson hasn't received quite the same attention as teammates McQuarters, Jamal Williams or Ricky Williams, but Thompson is quietly having an outstanding year. He led the team in tackles with 11 against Texas and continues to hold the overall team lead with 47, including 26 unassisted. Thompson has also recorded two tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass break-ups and one fumble forced this season.
SIMPSON STEPS FORWARD IN FOURTH QUARTER -- Senior CB Maurice Simpson couldn't have picked a more crucial time for the first interception of his OSU career. Simpson made a diving catch of John Hessler's pass with under three minutes to play, setting up OSU's game-winning touchdown. He also had perfect man coverage on a long Buff pass attempt during CU's unsuccessful two-minute drill. Simpson had a team-best two pass break-ups in the game.
OSU'S DAVIS ONE OF THE BEST -- Senior P Jason Davis, coming off one of the best seasons in OSU history, is well on his way to another superb year. In this season's first five games, Davis is averaging 46.0 yards per kick, just above the OSU single-season record of 45.5 and ranked second in the Big 12 and eighth in the nation. Of his 31 punts, 23 have gone for more than 40 yards, and 12 have gone for more than 50. Currently averaging 44.7 yards per kick (90 punts for 4,023 yards) in his career, Davis is on pace to best the OSU career punting record of 44.4 yards per kick established by Greg Ivy in 1994-95. OSU is currently ranked second in the NCAA and first in the Big 12 in net punting (43.8 yards per kick).
FABULOUS FOBBS -- Redshirt freshman TB Jamaal Fobbs set a school freshman rushing record with his 217-yard effort at Southwestern Louisiana on Sept. 6. Fobbs broke the record previously held by Thurman Thomas, who gained 206 yards in 1984 against Kansas State. Fobbs leads the team in rushing (468 yards) and is second in pass receptions (10 for 109 yards). Fobbs is ranked sixth in the Big 12 and 37th in the nation with 87.2 rushing yards per game.
FRESHMAN WATCH -- Fobbs and Lindsay are on their way to two of the best freshman rushing seasons in OSU history. With 523 yards through six games, Fobbs already ranks fourth all-time among OSU freshman running backs and is well ahead of the pace set by the backs ahead of him, Andre Richardson (325 through six games and 774 total), Thurman Thomas (267 and 688) and Rafael Denson (257 and 568). Lindsay's 351 net rushing yards put him within range of fifth-place David Thompson, who gained 147 yards through six games and finished with 466 in his freshman year.
QB TANDEM CONTINUES TO PRODUCE -- OSU's two regular quarterbacks, Lindsay and Chaloupka, have continued to shine in leading the Cowboys to their 6-0 start. The pair was virtually interchangeable in its record-setting performance against Fresno State on Sept. 13, when the two QBs combined for a school-record five touchdown passes. Along with junior QB Joe Phears, who entered the game in the fourth quarter, the tandem completed 19 of 22 passes for 271 yards, the Cowboys' best yardage output through the air in five years. Lindsay (152.4) and Chaloupka (127.9) rank first and fourth, respectively, in the Big 12 in pass efficiency.
NOTING THE COWBOYS -- Sophomore TB Nathan Simmons gained a career-best 106 yards against Northeast Louisiana to lead the Cowboys' season-best 274-yard rushing output ... The Cowboys have gone over 300 yards total offense in 12 straight games and have scored 30 points in five straight for the first time since 1988 ... 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 Texas. The Cowboys' previous scoring high against the Longhorns was 14 points, scored in last year's 71-14 loss ... 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 ... Sophomore TE Garrett Steggs' 38-yard pass reception in the first quarter against Colorado was the longest of his career ... OSU has yet to lose a coin toss in 1997.
