Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Prepares for SMS Bears
September 08, 2003 | Cowboy Football
Oklahoma State [1-1]
vs. SMS [1-0]
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2003 • 6 p.m. [CST]
Boone Pickens Stadium [48,500] • Stillwater, Okla.
TV - none • radio - Cowboy Radio Network
internet broadcast - www.okstate.com
Pokes Host Bears in Non-League Battle
Oklahoma State returns to Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday night as the Cowboys continue their non-conference slate with a nighttime game against Southwest Missouri State. The Cowboys will be trying to win for a second-straight week while SMS will be back in action after an off week following its season-opening win over East Central (Okla.) on Aug. 30. Kickoff for Saturday night's game is set for 6 p.m.
It's Officially Boone Pickens Stadium
Last Friday afternoon, Oklahoma State University's Board of Regents officially accepted a recommendation to name the school's football stadium Boone Pickens Stadium. At halftime of Saturday night's win over Wyoming, Mr Pickens was honored for his monumental contributions to OSU. The media should note that for all purposes, the stadium should now be referred to as Boone Pickens Stadium.
Records/Rankings
The Cowboys enter this week's action with a season mark of 1-1 after a 48-24 win over Wyoming in the home opener Saturday night. Southwest Missouri State is 1-0 on the season, but will come to Stillwater after an open date. The Cowboys were ranked 24th in both the preseason and week one national polls, but fell out of the rankings after a season-opening loss to Nebraska at Lincoln. OSU did receive votes in this week's polls.
Speaking of Rankings
Five of Oklahoma State's Big 12 opponents in 2003 found themselves in this week's ESPN/USA Today Top 25. Nebraska used a win over OSU two week's ago to climb into the polls and the Huskers are ranked 18th this week. Texas A&M (25th), Kansas State (sixth), Texas (fifth) and Oklahoma (first) are all remaining on OSU's 2003 schedule. The Cowboys and Texas Tech both received votes in this week's polls.
Ticket Availability
Individual tickets for this week's game against Southwest Missouri State are available by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-877-ALL-4-OSU or 1-877-255-4678. A crowd of around 40,000 is expected for Saturday night's game. Season tickets for 2003 Cowboy Football are also still available by calling or visiting the ticket office on the north side of the Athletics Center. Oklahoma State hosts Southwest Missouri State this week and has home games remaining against Louisiana-Lafayette, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas.
Walk the Walk and Sing the Song
Head Coach Les Miles and the Cowboy football team will walk from the Atherton Hotel in the Student Union to Lewis Field approximately two hours and 15 minutes prior to Saturday night's 6 p.m. kickoff. Fans are once again invited to line Hester Street as the Cowboys walk to the stadium. Cowboy fans are also encouraged to remain in Boone Pickens Stadium after each OSU win to join the players in singing the alma mater.
Construction Zone
Construction is ongoing on the south side of Boone Pickens Stadium and the results are a few changes for fans who plan to attend Saturday's game. Because of the construction, will-call for game tickets and media credentials is now located east of the Athletics Center. There are three main entrances on the south side for the general public and due to construction and the safety procedures in place around all athletic venues, fans are encouraged to arrive early. All public entrances on the north side of the stadium are open. Fans should also be reminded that umbrellas, video cameras and oversized bags will not be allowed in the stadium, and that anyone entering the stadium is subject to search.
Cowboys vs. Non-Conference Foes
When the Cowboys line up against Southwest Missouri State Saturday night, they will be trying to win their third-straight non-conference game. Since 2001, the beginning of the Les Miles era of OSU football, the Cowboys are 6-3 vs. non-conference opponents, losing to Southern Miss in 2001, and UCLA and Louisiana Tech in 2002. The Cowboys are 5-1 vs. non-conference opponents in Stillwater over the same time period.
Cowboys Last Week
Oklahoma State's first notch in the win column came after a spectacular offensive performance and a solid defensive effort through three quarters. O-State's 24-point win over Wyoming last week was sparked by a pair of performances that put current Cowboys in the record book. Tailback Tatum Bell rushed 21 times for 215 yards along with three touchdowns and, in the process, moved up OSU's career rushing chart (more on Bell elsewhere in the notes). Wide receiver Rashaun Woods caught eight passes for 152 yards, including a season-long 51 yarder and, in the process, became OSU's all-time leading receiver. Quarterback Josh Fields got on track with a 17-of-30 passing performance for 235 yards. He was not intercepted nor sacked by Wyoming. OSU's special teams were very good as well against Wyoming. Punter Cole Farden had five punts for a 45.8 yard average and Gabe Lindsay had four punt returns for 70 yards, including a 55 yarder for a touchdown that seemed to spark the OSU offense. On the defensive side, the Cowboys limited Wyoming to 75 rushing yards and, while the Wyoming offense had a game total of 306 passing yards, it had only 181 yards through three quarters of Saturday night's affair.
SMS Last Week
Southwest Missouri State will come to Boone Pickens Stadium with a 1-0 record and after enjoying an off week. The Bears opened their season on Aug. 30 with a lopsided win over East Central.
Rashaun Moves to Top
All-America wide receiver Rashaun Woods used an eight-catch, 152-yard performance against Wyoming Saturday night to move past Hart Lee Dykes and into the top spot on the Oklahoma State career receiving list. Dykes established the previous record in a phenomenal Cowboy career between 1985 and 1988. His 3,172 yards and 29 career touchdowns appeared safe for many seasons. Woods, however, has exploded to the career yardage record, and is one touchdown from tying the career touchdown mark. After two weeks of the 2003 season, Woods is third in the Big 12 in receptions per game (6.50) and fourth in total receiving yards. OSU's extraordinary pass catcher is the current Big 12 Conference career leader in receiving yards and receptions, and is second on the Big 12 career touchdown chart. Woods has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, including the single-season record of 1,695 yards a year ago. His 17 touchdowns in 2002 also established a new Oklahoma State record.
Tatum Gets Untracked, Moves Past Fenimore
Tailback Tatum Bell rushed for 215 yards in the win over Wyoming. It was the best single-game effort in Bell's OSU's career, and equaled the 24th-best single-game rushing performance in OSU history. Barry Sanders had 215 against Oklahoma in 1988. It was the best single-game rushing performance since Jamaal Fobbs ran for 217 yards in a 1997 game against Louisiana-Lafayette, and just the eighth 200-plus yard rushing game for an OSU back since 1988. Bell is a Doak Walker Award candidate in 2003.
Moving Up the Chart
Bell's 215 yards against Wyoming give him 2,425 yards for his OSU career and moves him into eighth place on the career rushing chart. Bell will have a chance to continue his move up the career list. He will go into this week's game against Southwest Missouri State just 273 yards behind Shawn Jones who had 2,698 and is seventh on the list. Bell is 496 yards behind Gerald Hudson, the 1990 NCAA rushing leader, who had 2,921 yards and is sixth. Bell needs 576 yards to become the sixth running back in OSU history to rush for 3,000 or more. To move past Ernest Anderson and into fifth place on the career list, Bell needs 1,105 yards.
Bell Tops in Big 12, Eighth Nationally
OSU's tailback tops the Big 12 rushing chart this week, and ranks eighth on the NCAA rushing chart. Additionally, he is third in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards behind Terrence Murphy of Texas A&M and Nebraska's Josh Davis. Bell's two-game numbers include 44 carries for 302 yards and three touchdowns. He is averaging 151 yards per game and 6.86 per carry.
Farden No. 1 in Big 12, 4th in NCAA
After just two games, Oklahoma State's punter finds himself on top of the Big 12 punting chart and fourth nationally. His two-game average of 47.10 is 1/10th of a point better than Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda. On the NCAA chart, Farden is just 3/10ths of a point behind Tennessee's Dustin Colquitt, who is third on the list.
Fields Aiming for 4,000-Yard Club
Junior quarterback Josh Fields will go into this week's game against Southwest Missouri State on the brink of reaching an impressive statistical milestone. He'll go into this week's game with 3,908 career passing yards, just 92 yards short of the 4,000-yard mark. Fields will become just the fourth quarterback in Oklahoma State football history to reach the 4,000-yard mark, but he'll achieve that mark quicker than any quarterback in Cowboy history other than his current position coach Mike Gundy. Saturday's win over Wyoming marked the 21st Oklahoma State game in which Fields has appeared. His 21 game passing total is 3,908 yards. In the first 21 games of Gundy's career, he had 4,087 yards. Gundy went on to pass for 7,997 yards in his OSU career.
Richmond Leads by Example
Senior defensive end Greg Richmond is OSU's 2003 defensive captain and came by that honor the old fashioned way — he earned it. He turned in an exceptional season a year ago, logging 55 tackles and sharing the team lead with seven tackles for losses. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 a year ago and should be considered for postseason honors in 2003. He was a leader all summer in off-season conditioning workouts, and appears poised for his best OSU season. In the season opener at Nebraska, Richmond was credited with two solo tackles and three assists.
Richmond Steps Up Against Wyoming
Defensive end Greg Richmond came up big in OSU's win over Wyoming Saturday night. He was officially credited with five tackles, but four of his tackles came behind the line of scrimmage. Three of Richmond's TFLs were quarterback sacks, and he had three of OSU's team total of five sacks on the night.
It's Holland, Again
Defensive back Jon Holland, who had a huge game in his OSU debut at Nebraska, came up big again for the Cowboys against Wyoming. Holland was officially credited with five tackles in the 24 point win over Wyoming, and his two-game total of 18 tackles leads the Oklahoma State defense. Holland transferred to Oklahoma State from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami for the 2003 season and found himself in the starting lineup when the Cowboys played at Nebraska in the season opener. Holland answered the call quite well. Against Nebraska, coaches' films revealed he had four solo tackles and nine assists to lead the team with 13 total tackles. He also had OSU's only interception of the day.
Gabe Sparkles on Special Teams
Senior Gabe Lindsay has already made a significant contribution in more than one area. Saturday against Wyoming, Lindsay contributed as a receiver, catching five passes for 43 yards. He also sparked the Cowboys with a 55 yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Lindsay's touchdown extended OSU's lead to 10-0 as the Cowboys would score on their next three offensive possessions.
Elbert Moves Up
Senior defensive back Elbert Craig officially had four tackles to his credit in the win over Wyoming and continues to move up the career tackle chart at OSU. Through two games in 2003, Craig now has 11 tackles, giving him 273 for his OSU career. He is now 16th on the career tackle chart, ahead of Kenyatta Wright and three tackles behind Mike Woolridge in 15th place.
Scouting the Bears
Saturday's outing will be the first for Southwest Missouri State since opening the season on Aug. 28 with a 48-0 victory over East Central of Oklahoma. The Bears got a four touchdown effort from running back Cody Pratt en route to the program's first shutout in 12 seasons. Pratt finished with 157 yards on 24 carries, while backfield mate Tommicus Walker tallied 124 yards on nine rushes, including a 61 yard touchdown run on the Bears' first play from scrimmage. SMS was equally impressive on the defensive side of the ball, forcing six turnovers and holding the Tigers to 189 yards of total offense.
SMS, which competes as a member of the NCAA I-AA Gateway Football Conference, is coming off a 4-7 campaign and an eighth-place finish in league play last season. The Bears return 31 lettermen from a year ago, including four starters on the offensive side and seven on the defensive side, and were picked to finish seventh in the 2003 Gateway Conference preseason poll. SMS will continue its tour of the Big 12 Conference on Sept. 20 when it travels to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.
OSU-SMS Series ... OSU Leads, 3-0
Oklahoma State and SMS have squared off three times on the gridiron, with the Cowboys prevailing on all three occasions. The trio of contests have all taken place in Stillwater, and Saturday's game will be the first between the two schools since 1996. OSU opened the series with a 45-7 victory in 1993 and followed that with a 35-7 triumph two years later in Stillwater.
The 1996 meeting provided the most memorable moment in the series' brief history. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead, the Cowboys trailed 17-10 in the closing minutes of the contest before Chris Chaloupka and Jack Golden hooked up on a seven yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds remaining in regulation to force the first overtime game in NCAA history. On SMS' first possession of the extra period, Wayne Boyer converted a 47-yard field goal before OSU tailback David Thompson scored on a 13-yard run to preserve a 23-20 win for the Cowboys.
Head Coach Randy Ball
In his fifth year at SMS and 14th overall as a college head coach is Randy Ball. The winningest coach in the history of the Gateway Football Conference, Ball currently has a record of 85-65-1. The Muskogee, Okla., native has posted a 21-24 record while directing the Bears after compiling a 64-41-1 record at Western Illinois from 1990-98. Ball left WIU as the winningest coach in the program's history and took the Leathernecks to three consecutive NCAA playoff appearances from 1996 to 1998. The 1997 Bruce Craddock Gateway Coach of the Year, Ball was also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award as the I-AA National Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998.
Bears to Watch
RB Cody Pratt — Pratt made a big impact in his first game in a Bears' uniform, carrying 24 times for 157 yards and a school record-tying four touchdowns against East Central. The junior from Ravier Beach, Fla., transferred to SMS from Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College. Pratt led Grand Rapids to a 9-2 record and a top-10 ranking last season after rushing for 1,425 yards and 17 touchdowns.
LB Darryl Robinson — A preseason All-Gateway Conference pick, Robinson is one of SMS' two returning starters at the linebacker position. He was a second-team all-league selection last year as well as a member of the Gateway Conference's all-newcomer squad. Robinson recorded 94 tackles last season, including 10 for losses. Robinson also broke up five passes and picked off two passes, returning them 67 and 43 yards for touchdowns.
FB Nate Schurman — A three-year letterman and one of four SMS team captains for the 2003 season, Schurman was one of two SMS players named to the preseason all-league team. He has started 22 of the 30 games in which he has seen action during his career. Last season, the St. Joseph, Mo., native was named the top junior on the squad by the coaching staff. Schurman caught 12 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown last season. As a sophomore, he caught 16 passes for 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
S Daryl Warren — A preseason All-Gateway Conference honorable mention selection, Warren is the squad's leader in interceptions from a year ago, picking off four passes and breaking up five pass attempts. He recorded seven tackles, including two for losses, in the season-opening win against East Central. The Long Beach, Calif., native was also fourth on the squad with 74 tackles. He served as a team captain last season and was named a second-team all-conference selection. Warren started every game over the past two seasons at strong safety.
Odds and Ends
For SMS, Saturday's contest is the second of three against Oklahoma teams the Bears will play this year, including the season opener against East Central and a Sept. 27 date with Bacone College ... the Bears' 1993 contest at Oklahoma State drew a crowd of 40,105, marking the third-largest attendance ever for an SMS game ... four players with Oklahoma ties dot the SMS roster — senior wide receiver Matt Alberty (Edmond), junior offensive guard Jason Close (Tulsa), freshman cornerback Marcus Colbert (Broken Arrow) and junior tight end Jay Steinbroner (Lawton).
