Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State vs. Fresno State Football Preview
April 08, 2003 | Cowboy Football
Oklahoma State 1997 Schedule A30 @ Iowa State* W, 21-14 S6 @ Southwestern La. W, 31- 7 S13 FRESNO STATE 6:05 p.m. S27 NE LOUISIANA 6 p.m. O4 TEXAS* 2 p.m. O11 COLORADO* 2 p.m. O25 MISSOURI* 2 p.m. N1 @ Texas A&M* 1 p.m. N8 @ Oklahoma* 12:30 p.m. N15 TEXAS TECH* 2 p.m. N22 @ Baylor* 1 p.m.
Fresno State 1997 Schedule A30 PORTLAND STATE W, 35- 7 S6 BAYLOR L, 35-37 S13 @ Oklahoma State S20 @ Oregon O2 UTAH O11 @ Hawaii O18 @Air Force O25 UNLV N1 @ San Jose State N8 @ Colorado State N15 SAN DIEGO STATE N22 WYOMING
POKES READY FOR SOME FRIENDLY FACES: After two weeks on the road and two victories, Oklahoma State makes its 1997 Lewis Field debut this week as the Cowboys entertain Fresno State. Kickoff will be at 6:05 p.m., Saturday night as the Cowboys entertain the Bulldogs, who lost at home to Baylor Saturday night.
RECORDS: Oklahoma State will come into its 1997 home opener with a perfect 2-0 record. The Pokes have posted road victories over Iowa State and Southwestern Louisiana. Fresno State travels to Stillwater with a record of 1-1. The Bulldogs defeated Portland State in their season opener before losing to Baylor of the Big 12 Conference last week in Fresno.
TICKETS: Tickets for Saturday nights home opener against Fresno State are still available, as are 1997 season tickets. The tickets are available at the Oklahoma State Athletic Ticket Office in Gallagher-Iba Arena or by calling, toll free, 1-800-522-6858 or (405) 744-5745. Oklahoma States home schedule includes Fresno State, Northeast Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, Missouri and Texas Tech.
ITS A BIG WEEK AT OSU: Not only is Oklahoma State preparing to open the 1997 home schedule, its time for Orange Peel. The student-sponsored event is set for Friday night on Lewis Field and will feature comedian Jeff Foxworthy as well as musical group BlackHawk. Tickets are still available for the event, although a crowd in excess of 25,000 is expected.
ON THE AIR: Saturday nights OSU-Fresno State game will be broadcast live along the 25-station Cowboy Radio Network. The OSU Network is a division of Learfield Communications in Jefferson City, Missouri. Bill Teegins, Sports Director at Oklahoma Citys KWTV (CBS) is the radio voice of Oklahoma State Football and is joined in the booth by Tom Dirato, OSUs Coordinator of Radio and Television Communication. The game will be televised back to Fresno on KMPH (Fox affiliate).
TWO AND OH IS NICE: Oklahoma States win at Southwestern Louisiana Saturday night boosted the Cowboys record to 2-0 on the young season. OSU is perfect after two games for the first time since 1993 and for just the second time since 1988 when OSU won four straight, finished 10-2 and won the Holiday Bowl over Wyoming. The last time OSU was 2-0 (1993), the Cowboys lost their third game at Arizona State by a 12-10 margin.
TWO ON THE ROAD A RARITY: Oklahoma States first two victories on the road represent the first back-to-back wins away from Lewis Field since 1989 when the Cowboys won at Missouri and at Kansas on successive weekends. Prior to this season, Oklahoma State had not opened a season with back-to-back true road victories since 1950 when OSU won at Arkansas and at TCU. Oklahoma States 1954 team opened with a win at Wyoming and followed with a win over Texas A&M on a neutral field at the Cotton Bowl.
HEAD COACH BOB SIMMONS: Oklahoma States 20th Head Football Coach is inching ever-closer to the .500 mark for his career. Saturday nights 31-7 win over Southwestern Louisiana gives the third-year head coach a mark of 11-14. Under Simmons, who took on the task of rebuilding the OSU program in December of 1994, the Cowboys won four times in 1995 and five times in 1996. Simmons 11th victory came in the 25th game of his OSU tenure. He arrived at Oklahoma State after learning from two of the best coaches of all time. Simmons spent seven seasons coaching the defensive line, linebackers and kick return units for Bill McCartney at Colorado. He was named McCartneys Assistant Head Coach ahead of the 1993 season and was the only assistant head coach McCartney ever had. Prior to his experience at Colorado, Simmons spent eight seasons on Don Nehlens staff at West Virginia. At West Virginia, Simmons coached in four bowl games, including the 1987 Sun Bowl against his current team. At Colorado, Simmons was part of seven bowl teams, three conference championships and a national championship in 1990.
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 2-0 Perfect 2-0
BOB SIMMONS ON RADIO AND TELEVISION: Oklahoma States 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 Citys KOCB (Channel 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.
LAST 16 SHOW A TEAM ON THE RISE: After Oklahoma State was able to win only two of the first nine games of the Bob Simmons era, the Cowboys have shown dramatic improvement over the last 16 games, and that is reflected in the record. Since November 11, 1995 when OSU shutout Oklahoma 12-0 at Norman, the Cowboys have won 9 while losing 7. That is by far the best 16-game stretch for Oklahoma State football since the bowl seasons of 1987 and 1988.
COWBOYS STREAKING VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: Oklahoma States 31-7 win over Southwestern Louisiana Saturday night was the fifth straight win over non-conference opposition. Oklahoma State won all three non-league games a year ago (Southwest Missouri, Tulsa and Utah State) after closing the 1995 season with a non-league victory over Hawaii at Honolulu. The last non-conference team to post a win over the Cowboys was Tennessee on September 30, 1995 in Knoxville.
COWBOYS LAST WEEK: Sparked by freshman tailback Jamaal Fobbs, Oklahoma State cruised to a 31-7 win over Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette. Fobbs carried the ball 28 times for 217 yards, establishing a freshman record previously held by Thurman Thomas who rushed for 206 yards vs. Kansas State in 1984. Fobbs 217 rushing yards was part of Oklahoma States 314 yards of total offense. OSU took advantage of six USL turnovers (three fumbles and three interceptions) and kept the Ragin Cajuns off the scoreboard until the 14:18 mark of the fourth quarter. OSUs scoring was provided by Fobbs, who scored on a seven-yard run, quarterback Tony Lindsay who scored on a one-yard run, fullback Brian Aikins one-yard run, a 20-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Chris Chaloupka to tight end Alonzo Mayes and a 43-yard field goal by Tony Lindsay. The Cowboys got outstanding defensive play on several fronts, including linebacker Kenyatta Wright, who registered seven tackles that included two for major losses. Defensive back and co-captain Kevin Williams turned in another impressive game with six tackles, an interception and two passes broken up.
INJURY REPORT: Oklahoma State came out of the Southwestern Louisiana game with some injuries. Offensive lineman David Camacho has a sprained right ankle and Calvin Menephee a sprained left ankle. Both are probable for Saturday. Tight end Greg Brown has a sprained knee and is questionable. Linebacker Jack Golden came out of the game Saturday after becoming sick but should be ready for this week. Tailback Nathan Simmons was held out of Saturdays game at USL with a bad ankle and is day-to-day.
This Weeks Opponent
FRESNO STATE: The Bulldogs come to Stillwater after back-to-back home games, which they split. Fresno opened its season with a 35-7 win over Portland State before suffering a 37-35 setback at the hands of the Baylor Bears Saturday night. Fresno State welcomed back 14 starters and 40 lettermen from a 1996 team that finished 4-7 and tied for fifth in the WAC. Fresno States wins a year ago came over Hawaii, San Jose State, UNLV and Boise State. After Saturdays loss to Baylor, Fresno State is 0-5 vs. members of the Big 12, including an 0-3 mark vs. Colorado and an 0-2 record vs. Baylor.
COACH PAT HILL: Saturday will be the third game of Pat Hills head coaching tenure at Fresno State. Hill came to Fresno State after coaching tight ends and offensive line for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League in 1996. Prior to his one-year stint in Baltimore, Hill was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns for four seasons. His collegiate experience includes two seasons at Arizona, six seasons at Fresno State as an assistant, two seasons at UNLV, three seasons at Utah and three seasons at LA Valley College.
THE SERIES: Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between Oklahoma State and Fresno State in football. OSU is, however, very familiar with the Western Athletic Conference. Fresno State will be the 13th member of the newly expanded WAC to face Oklahoma State, and the Cowboys have a 66-45-8 against those teams. The majority of those games have been against Tulsa when the Golden Hurricane were either a member of the Missouri Valley or independent. Below is a breakdown of Oklahoma States record vs. current members of the Western Athletic Conference.
Air Force (0-1-1) Brigham Young (2-0-0) Colorado State (1-1-0) Hawaii (1-0-0) Rice (2-0-1) San Diego State (2-2-0) SMU (1-6-2) UTEP (3-0-0) TCU (12-8-2) Tulsa (35-26-2) Utah (1-0-0) Wyoming (6-1-0)
Winning Streak: Oklahoma State is riding a current winning streak of two games vs. WAC teams. The Cowboys defeated Tulsa 30-9 in the third game of the 1996 season after closing the 1995 season with a 24-20 win at Hawaii. Oklahoma States last loss to a WAC team was in 1995, when Wyoming planted a 45-25 defeated on the Pokes in Laramie.
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 993 career receiving yards and 67 receptions. He is 15th on the all-time OSU receiving yards list and 16th on 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 4 45 11.3 1 Career Totals 67 993 14.8 9 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 993 15th 121 for 10th 67 16th 10 for 10th 442 for 5th 27 for 5th
More about Mayes: Covering the SubjectMayes 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 BestHe 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 NumbersAlonzo 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 AliveAlonzo has caught at least one pass in 12 straight games and in 20 of the last 23 games in which he has played. Mayes second-quarter touchdown reception at USL was the ninth of his career but his first since the Missouri contest last season; the TD catch snapped a four-game personal scoreless streak.
Fabulous Fobbs: Redshirt freshman TB Jamaal Fobbs earned the first start of his career and set a school freshman rushing record with his 217-yard effort against Southwestern Louisiana. Fobbs broke the record previously held by Thurman Thomas, who gained 206 yards in 1984 against Kansas State. Included in Fobbs night were the two longest plays from scrimmage for OSU this year runs of 46 and 57 yards and the first touchdown in the New Orleans natives career.
Turnovers: The Cowboys forced USL into six turnovers Saturday, the most by an OSU opponent since Southwest Missouri State committed six in the Pokes 1993 season opener. OSUs new 46 defense has now forced eight turnovers this season, and the Cowboy offense has turned those into five touchdowns. OSU scored just twice off turnovers in 1996, and both were field goals. The Cowboys are now plus-six in turnovers this year; OSU has not finished a season in the black in turnover margin since 1993.
Defensive Big Play Man: Senior CB Kevin Williams picked off a second-quarter pass Saturday night for his second interception in as many games; no OSU player had more all of last season. Williams, who also broke up two passes Saturday, produced the biggest play of the Iowa State game with his pickoff to set up OSUs game-winning touchdown. At USL, Williams put the Cowboys in position to score, but OSU was unable to convert a field goal attempt. Williams pick at USL was the fifth of his career.
Rushing Defense Solid: One consistent through OSUs first two games has been its ability to stop the run. At Iowa State, the Cowboys allowed just 32 yards rushing on 21 attempts, marking OSUs best rushing defense performance in four years. The Cowboys allowed Southwestern Louisiana just 126 yards Saturday night. The combined 158 yards allowed rushing against ISU and USL is the lowest total by consecutive OSU opponents since Southwest Missouri State and Tulsa combined for just 91 in the first two games of 1993.
Mcquarters Three-Way Star: Junior FS R.W. McQuarters pulled off a rare trifecta against both Iowa State and USL, starting in three different positions. In addition to his regular duties as free safety and kick returner, McQuarters was in the game for OSUs first play on offense as a wide receiver in both games. McQuarters participated in a handful of offensive plays for the Cowboys in each game, and although he has not caught a pass yet this season, he did carry on an end around at Iowa State for a 13-yard gain.
Thompson Leads Defensive Effort: Junior DB Ricky Thompson had an active night at USL, recording 13 tackles 10 unassisted and one sack in the victory. Thompsons sack was one of four for the Cowboys on Saturday; the Cowboys have now recorded seven sacks in their first two games. Thompson, who also recorded a sack at Iowa State, is the only OSU player with two sacks this season.
Wright Continues To Anchor Defense: Sophomore MLB Kenyatta Wright, OSUs 1996 leader in tackles among this years returning players, has picked up where he left off last season. Wright led OSU in tackles at Iowa State with nine and was second on the team with seven tackles against Southwestern Louisiana.
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 OSUs 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 this years first two games, Davis is averaging 46.6 yards per kick. Of his 13 punts, 11 have gone for more than 40 yards and six have gone for more than 50. Currently averaging 44.50 yards per kick (72 punts for 3204 yards) in his career, Davis is on pace to best the career punting record of 44.4 yards per kick 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 St) 51 44.31 4th JASON DAVIS (OSU) 59 44.03 5th Shane Lechler (Texas A&M) 72 42.69 6th
Road And Overall Success: This season marks the fifth time in school history and the first since 1954 that OSU has opened a season with two games away from home and won them both. The Cowboys are now 2-0 for the first time since 1993 and have won back-to-back road games for the first time since 1989, when OSU defeated Kansas and Missouri on successive weekends. The Cowboys have won five straight games against non-conference opponents heading into this weekends game with Fresno State and are 1-0 in conference play for the first time since 1988.
Noting The Cowboys: OSUs 314 yards of total offense at USL marked the eighth straight time the Cowboys have topped the 300-yard barrier ... Redshirt freshman QB Tony Lindsay recorded the second rushing touchdown of his career in the USL game ... Senior TE Greg Brown earned a start at USL, the second of his career and his first of the season ... Sophomore DT Cortney Mallory intercepted a second-quarter pass at USL; it was the first pick of his career ... The Cowboys 23-point halftime lead at USL was the biggest since a 38-7 bulge against Southwest Missouri State in 1993; the 24-point margin of victory is OSUs largest since a 35-7 win over SMS in 1995 ... Junior FB Brian Aikins third-quarter touchdown run against the Cajuns was the fourth of his career ... OSU is 2-0 for the first time since 1993 and has won back-to-back road games for the first time since 1989, when OSU defeated Kansas and Missouri on successive weekends.
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 Brown.
And, Dont Forget Orange Peel: Oklahoma States 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.
Radio Affiliates for 1997 Cowboy Football Network Every game of the 1997 Cowboy Football Season can be heard throughout the state of Oklahoma on the Cowboy Radio Network. OSU football will cover the state like a blanket when 30 stations join the Network, from Altus to Bartlesville, from Guymon to Idabel. KJOJ of Spring, Texas, is the sole carrier of Cowboy Football in the state of Texas. KWTV Sports Director Bill Teegins returns for his seventh season as the play-by-play voice of the Cowboys, while Tom Dirato, Coordinator of Radio and Television for the OSU Athletic Department, will provide color analysis. City Station (Freq) Altus KWHW-AM (1450) Anadarko KRPT-FM (103.7) Bartlesville KWON-AM (1400) Clinton KSWR-FM (106.9) Cushing KUSH-AM (1600) Enid KNID-FM (96.9) Grove KGVE-FM (99.3) Guymon KGYN-AM (1210) Holdenville KXKY-FM (106.5) Idabel KBEL-AM (1240) McAlester KTMC-AM (1400) Muskogee KBIX-AM (1490) Oklahoma City KOMA-FM (92.5) Perry KASR-FM (105.1) Ponca City WBBZ-AM (1230) Poteau KPRV-AM (1280) Spring, Texas KJOJ-AM (880) Stillwater KSPI-AM (780) Stillwater KSPI-FM (93.7) Sulphur KFXT-FM (100.9) Tulsa KRMG-AM (740) Watonga KIMY-FM (93.5) Woodward KMZE-FM (92.1)
Games can also be heard via the world wide web at www.gamecruiser.com/fb97/ oklahomastate/index.asp
OSU Receiving Records Career Receiving Yards 1. Hart Lee Dykes 3171 2. Hermann Eben 1973 3. Curtis Mayfield 1507 4. Dick Graham 1458 5. Neill Armstrong 1434 6. Rafael Denson 1414 7. Bobby Riley 1229 8. Robert Kirksey 1228 9. Gerald Bain 1144 10. Terry Brown 1113 11. Ron Ingram 1069 12. Terry Young 1024 13. Mark Cromer 1017 14. Alex Loyd 996 15. Alonzo Mayes 993 16. Shannon Culver 975 17. Jamie Harris 962 18. John Chesley 934 19. Sam Lisle 872 20. Mel Campbell 848 Career Receptions 1. Hart Lee Dykes 203 2. Neill Armstrong 115 3. Hermann Eben 114 4. Dick Graham 97 5. Curtis Mayfield 93 Rafael Denson 93 7. Terry Brown 88 8. Robert Kirksey 83 9. Thurman Thomas 78 10. John Chesley 76 11. Bobby Riley 74 12. Terry Young 73 13. Tom Dearinger 72 Alex Loyd 72 15. Jamie Harris 68 16. Alonzo Mayes 67 17. Mark Cromer 66 18. Shannon Culver 64 19. Ron Ingram 59 20. Mel Campbell 58 Top Game Performances by Freshman Tailbacks at Oklahoma State 1. 217 Jamaal Fobbs vs. Southwestern La. (1997) 2. 206 Thurman Thomas vs. Kansas State (1984) 3. 183 Shawn Jones vs. San Diego State (1981) 4. 158 Andre Richardson vs. Kansas State (1994) 5. 155 David Thompson vs. Kansas (1993) 155 Thurman Thomas vs. South Carolina (1984) 7. 135 Shawn Jones vs. Colorado (1981) 8. 132 Barry Sanders vs. Illinois State (1986) 9. 130 Andre Richardson vs. Missouri (1994) 10. 128 Terry Miller vs. Wichita State (1974) 11. 121 Andre Richardson vs. Kansas (1994) 12. 103 Rafael Denson vs. Kansas State (1991) 13. 102 Ernest Anderson vs. San Diego State (1980) 102 Skip Taylor vs. Iowa State (1974) 15. 101 Thurman Thomas vs. Missouri (1984) South Division Conference All Games W L W L OSU 2 0 2 0 Texas 0 0 1 0 A&M 0 0 1 0 Baylor 0 0 1 1 OU 0 0 1 1 Tech 0 0 0 1
North Division Conference All Games W L W L Kansas 0 0 2 0 Nebraska 0 0 1 0 Colorado 0 0 1 0 K-State 0 0 1 0 Missouri 0 0 1 0 Iowa St. 0 1 0 2 Last Weeks Results Oklahoma State 31, USL 7 Oklahoma 36, Syracuse 34 Baylor 37, Fresno State 35 Colorado 31, Colorado State 21 Wyoming 56, Iowa State 10 Kansas 17, Texas Christian 10 Kansas State 47, Northern Illinois 7 Missouri 44, Eastern Michigan 24 Texas 48, Rutgers 14 Texas A&M 59, Sam Houston St. 6 This Weeks Games Fresno State at Oklahoma State Colorado at Michigan Iowa State at Minnesota Missouri at Kansas Ohio at Kansas State Central Florida at Nebraska UCLA at Texas Southwestern La. at Texas Tech
