Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Aggies In South Division Showdown
October 15, 2004 | Cowboy Football
Oklahoma State (5-0, 2-0) hosts
Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0)
Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004 • 6:10 p.m. [CDT]
Boone Pickens Stadium [47,800] • Stillwater, Okla.
Pokes Face Homecoming Test vs. Aggies
Oklahoma State returns to Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday evening as the Cowboys host Texas A&M. Kickoff is set for 6:10 p.m. in a battle of two teams right in the thick of the Big 12 South Division title race. The Cowboys enter the week with a perfect 5-0 record after capturing a 42-14 win over Colorado at Boulder last Saturday. Texas A&M is 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play after defeating Iowa State, 34-3.
South Showdown
Oklahoma State enters the sixth week of the 2004 season as one of just two unbeaten teams in the Big 12 Conference. While the Cowboys are 5-0 overall, O-State is 2-0 in league play, and joins Texas A&M and Oklahoma as the only three South teams still unbeaten in conference play. Something will obviously have to give Saturday night when OSU and A&M collide at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Homecoming
It's billed as the nation's largest homecoming, and anyone who has taken part in Oklahoma State's annual festivities would attest to that fact. OSU's 2004 Homecoming is this week, with the Cowboys' Saturday night tussle with Texas A&M as the crown jewel of a weekend of activities. The Friday night walk around decorated greek houses is always one of the highlights with upwards of 25,000 people jamming University Avenue. The annual parade is Saturday morning at 9 a.m., and a host of other activities, including the Basketball Bash at 2 p.m., are scheduled for Saturday afternoon prior to kickoff.
Five and Counting
Oklahoma State's 2004 season reaches the halfway mark this week with the Cowboys unbeaten through the first five. It's the longest winning streak to open a season since OSU's 1997 team won its first six before falling to Missouri in a double overtime thriller in Stillwater. A win over Texas A&M this week would match the ‘97 streak as the third-longest in-season streak in Oklahoma State football history. The 1945 Cowboys won all nine games and remains OSU's only unbeaten, untied team in school history. Last year's team won seven straight after losing the opener at Nebraska.
National Rankings: Pokes Vault to No. 15
The Cowboys used Saturday afternoon's 42-14 win at Colorado to move up several notches in the latest USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25. The Cowboys are at No. 15 this week after coming in at 21st a week ago. The No. 15 national ranking is the highest of the season, and the highest the Cowboys have been in either major poll since the ninth week of the 2003 season when OSU was ranked 14th. Oklahoma State was 12th in the seventh week of the 1997 season, and the highest regular-season ranking in modern times was in 1984, when the Cowboys were ranked No. 2 in the UPI poll and third in the Associated Press poll ahead of the season finale at Oklahoma. While the Cowboys are 15th in the Coaches Poll this week, Oklahoma State is one spot lower (16th) in the latest AP poll.
OSU-Texas A&M, Briefly
When Oklahoma State entertains Texas A&M Saturday night, the Cowboys will be facing an Aggie team that has been gaining national attention the past several weeks. The Aggies are 4-1 and have won four straight since dropping their season opener at Utah. Texas A&M's four consecutive wins have been impressive. The Aggies defeated Wyoming 31-0, Clemson 27-6, Kansas State 42-30, and Iowa State 34-3. Texas A&M is coached by second-year head coach Dennis Franchione, who appears to have the Aggies headed back towards national prominence. Saturday will mark the 20th time Oklahoma State and Texas A&M have met on the football field, with A&M owning a 13-6 series edge. The Cowboys, however, have won the last two, including a 38-10 win at College Station a year ago and a 28-23 win in Stillwater in 2002. There is much more on the OSU-Texas A&M series and on the Aggies elsewhere in this release.
OSU-Texas A&M, On the Air
Oklahoma State's game Saturday night against Texas A&M will be televised to a national television audience by Fox Sports Net. The game will kick off at approximately 6:10 p.m. (CDT). Joel Meyers, Gary Reasons and Jim Knox will provide play-by-play and analysis on FSN. The game will also be broadcast live on the Cowboy Radio Network with Dave Hunziker, Tom Dirato and Robert Allen describing the action. The radio network broadcast begins one hour before kickoff. The Oklahoma State Radio Network is a property of Host Communications, Lexington, Ky. The game broadcast can be heard across the state of Oklahoma on more than 30 radio stations.
Expecting Another Packed House
A limited number of donor level tickets are all that remain for Oklahoma State's Saturday night game against Texas A&M. It should be another full house to watch the Cowboys play at Boone Pickens Stadium. Through three home games of 2004, OSU is averaging nearly 47,000 per game, and that average should increase this week. The Cowboys' surge in attendance is also reflected in a record number of season tickets in 2004. This year, 38,674 season tickets have been sold. That number tops the previous high of 35,142 established a year ago. The third-highest number of season tickets sold was 35,115 in 1985.
Reviewing the Colorado Game
Oklahoma State won for a fifth-straight time in 2004 as the Cowboys tripped Colorado, 42-14, Saturday afternoon at the foot of the flatirons. The Cowboys dominated a second-straight Big 12 opponent with a punishing ground game, an opportunistic passing game, and a stifling defense. Oklahoma State scored 28 unanswered points to start the game, and led 28-0 before the Buffs finally found the endzone early in the fourth quarter. Cowboy tailback Vernand Morency, the NCAA's leading rusher, had another impressive outing. Morency had 27 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Donovan Woods has his best throwing day as an OSU quarterback, completing eight of 11 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns. D'Juan Woods, Luke Frazier and Prentiss Elliott were all on the receiving end of touchdown passes in the win over Colorado. Oklahoma State's defense was the cause of three Buff turnovers, including two interceptions by linebacker Paul Duren, who returned his second 34 yards for a touchdown.
More OSU-Colorado Notes
• Oklahoma State's win over Colorado was its first in Boulder since 1988 and its first over the Buffs since 1997 when the Cowboys won in Stillwater.
• The 28-point victory was the biggest margin by OSU over Clorado since 1980, when the Cowboys defeated the Buffaloes, 42-7.
• Tailback Vernand Morency scored a pair of touchdowns against Colorado and now has at least one touchdown in eight straight games.
• Oklahoma State has now scored 30 or more points in all five games this season.
• Cornerback Robert Jones equaled his career best with nine stops vs. the Buffaloes.
Pokes Top NCAA in Turnover Margin
Oklahoma State may have committed its second turnover of the season when Colorado intercepted a pass in the first quarter, but the Cowboys took over the national lead in turnover margin, thanks to a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery by the OSU defense in a 42-14 win over Colorado. Through five games of the 2004 season, Oklahoma State has gained 11 fumbles and six interceptions while losing no fumbles and throwing just two interceptions. That's a positive turnover margin of 3.00, tops in the country. Ironically, the second-best team in turnover margin is this week's opponent, Texas A&M. The Aggies have gained 13 turnovers while turning the ball over just once.
Duren Grabs Two Picks, Finds Endzone
Linebacker Paul Duren has been one of Oklahoma State's most consistent defensive players of the past 2-1/2 seasons. He has led Oklahoma State's defense the past two seasons in total tackles. Saturday afternoon at Colorado, however, the Del City junior did something he had not yet done in an Oklahoma State uniform. He came up with a pair of interceptions, and returned one of those for a touchdown. Duren's first-career interception came at the 8:51 mark of the third quarter on a 3rd-and-3 play from the OSU 10. Duren intercepted the ball on the five, thwarting a Colorado scoring threat. His second interception came with 2:07 remaining in the game on a fourth-down pass from the Colorado 15. Duren intercepted the ball on the 34 and returned it for a touchdown. For the game, Duren not only had the two interceptions, but also five tackles, including one for minus one yard. For the season, Duren is third on the OSU tackle chart with 27 stops. He has two tackles for minus four yards and a sack for minus three.
OSU Offense Fourth on NCAA Rushing Chart
Oklahoma State's rushing offense continues to be impressive. Nearly halfway through the 2004 regular season, the Cowboys continue to churn out rushing yardage. In Saturday's win at Colorado, the Cowboys had 43 attempts for 236 yards and two touchdowns. It was an average of 5.5 yards per carry and gave the Cowboys a season rushing yardage total of 1,426 yards. That's a five game average of 285.2 yards per game and an average of 5.1 yards per carry. OSU trails only Rice, Texas and Minnesota on the national rushing chart.
Speaking of Points
Oklahoma State's offense ranks fifth in the country this week in scoring offense with an average of 41.2 points per game. Through five games in 2004, the Cowboys have scored 30 or more points each week, topped by a 59 point explosion against SMU and 42 points last week against Colorado. While fifth in the country, that average is tops in the Big 12.
Passing Efficiency Numbers High
While quarterback Donovan Woods doesn't have the minimun number of passes to be ranked in national passing efficiency, the Oklahoma State offense is fourth in that category as a team. Oklahoma State's rating of 182.46 trails only California (191.85), Toledo (185.06) and Purdue (184.50). Oklahoma State's efficiency rating is tops in the Big 12, with Oklahoma No. 2 with a 152.89 passing efficiency.
Morency: The Best in the Country
College football observers across the country are finding out what most Okahoma State followers have known for awhile. Cowboy tailback Vernand Morency could well be the best running back in the college game. The junior from Miami, Fla., continues to pile up the yards while helping his team to overall success. In Saturday's win over Colorado, Morency added to his season of superlatives. He ran around and over Colorado's defense for 165 yards on 27 carries. He scored a first-quarter touchdown that covered 58 yards down the east sideline at Folsom Field that was eerily similar to a touchdown run down the same sideline 16 years ago by another Cowboy tailback, Barry Sanders. Forget the comparison, however. Morency doesn't need to be compared to anyone. His numbers stand for themselves. He'll go into this week's game against Texas A&M with 869 yards on 131 carries and eight touchdowns.
131 Yards From 1,000
If Morency gets his average (or even less) against Texas A&M Saturday night, he will eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in just the sixth game of the 2004 season. When he gets to the 1,000-yard mark, he will join an elite group. At a school known for talented tailbacks, Oklahoma State has had 14 previous 1,000-yard rushing seasons by nine different players. Tatum Bell, now of the Denver Broncos, just recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for Oklahoma State. Terry Miller had three 1,000-yard seasons, and Thurman Thomas had two, as did David Thompson.
Morency's Last Eight
Over the last eight games (the final three in 2003 and the first five in 2004), OSU's Vernand Morency has put up numbers that are more than impressive. Dating back to the Kansas game in 2003, Morency has 203 carries for 1,424 yards and 14 touchdowns. That's an eight game average of 178 yards per game, and a 7.01 yards-per-carry average. In addition, Morency's rushing success has translated into team success for the Cowboys. The Cowboys are 7-1 over those last eight games, including a 7-0 mark when Morency has rushed for 100 or more yards.
Top of the List
Morency's 165-yard performance against Colorado Saturday vaulted him back into the national rushing lead. He's been on top of that list two of the last three weeks. If Morency can finish the season on top of the NCAA rushing chart, he will become OSU's first national rushing champion since Gerald Hudson in 1990.
And, in All-Purpose Yards and Scoring
Morency is also high in Big 12 and NCAA all-purpose running statistics. Darren Sproles of Kansas State tops that chart with an average of 206 all-purpose yards per game. Morency is seventh on the list with an average of 175 yards per game. In scoring, Morency is tied for the Big 12 lead and tied for 12th nationally. Both Morency and Texas' Cedric Benson are averagin 9.6 points per game in 2004.
McLemore Starts, Impacts Buffs
Junior cornerback Daniel McLemore gained his first start of the season against Colorado Saturday, and the Duncanville, Texas, product came up big. With All-Big 12 and preseason All-America Darrent Williams temporarily sidelined, McLemore used the opportunity to show that the Cowboy secondary is deep and talented. All McLemore did in the Cowboys' 42-14 rout of Colorado was total nine tackles. One of his tackles was a critical third-down stop.
Peterson Starts Again, is Impressive
Freshman defensive end Nathan Peterson, who gained his first career start against Iowa State last week, was once again in the starting lineup at Colorado. He once again responded. Peterson was part of an Oklahoma State defensive effort that produced a 42-14 win. He was credited with three tackles and a quarterback sack for minus nine yards. He also forced a fumble. The week before against Iowa State, he was credited with seven total tackles, including five unassisted, and had four tackles behind the line of scrimmage for minus 17 yards. Three of his tackles for loss were quarterback sacks for minus 14 yards. He also forced a fumble. It's been a good two weeks for the freshman from Tulsa Union, who came to Oklahoma State after leading Union to a state championship a year ago. Peterson has now played in all five games of his true freshman season and has 14 total tackles, six tackles for minus 29 yards, four sacks, a quarterback hurry and two forced fumbles.
Thompson Tops Tackle Chart
Safety Jamie Thompson, one of Oklahoma State's top defensive performers through five games in 2004, tops the Oklahoma State tackle chart. He has been credited with 28 total tackles, 22 of which have been solo stops. He also has two tackles behind the line for minus 13 yards, one interception for 26 yards, two pass breakups, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. In Oklahoma State's win at Colorado, Thompson was credited with six solo tackles, one assists and a pass deflection.
Farden One of Big 12, NCAA's Best
Oklahoma State punter Cole Farden was one of 36 college punters named to the watch list for the 2004 Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation's top punter. Farden was a second-team All-Big 12 selection a year ago and was a first-team preseason All-Big 12 honoree. Farden is one of just four punters from the Big 12 on the early list. He joins Texas Tech's Alex Reyes, John Torp of Colorado and Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda. In Saturday's win at Colorado, Farden had season-long punt of 63 yards. Against the Buffs, he punted seven times for a 48.1 yard average and nailed four of the seven inside the Colorado 20 yard line. Farden's five game numbers include 25 punts for an average of 43.7 yards per punt. His punting numbers rank 16th in the country and third in the Big 12.
Equally Impressive on Kickoff Chores
Not only is Farden one of the best in the conference and country in punting, he is one of the most efficient in handling kickoff chores. Through five games, Farden has kicked off 37 times with 24 of those going for touchbacks. In OSU's win over Colorado last week, Five of his six kickoffs went into or out of the endzone for touchbacks.
Red Zone
Oklahoma State's offense continues to show it is effective when operating in the red zone. Through five games and 25 possessions inside the opponent's 20 yard line, the Cowboys have scored 23 times. Included among the red zone scoring are 19 touchdowns and four field goals. On the other side of the ball, Oklahoma State's defense has allowed only 12 red zone penetrations with opposing offenses scoring on just six of those. In Saturday's win at Colorado, Oklahoma State was perfect on two red zone penetrations while Colorado had four possessions inside the OSU 20 and scored just once.
Donovan Has Best Day; Woods Combo Works Again
Freshman quarterback Donovan Woods started his fifth-straight game Saturday as Oklahoma State ran its record to 5-0 with a win over Colorado. Statistically, it was Donovan's most impressive day as Oklahoma State's starting quarterback. He completed eight of 11 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns. He also found a familar face, again, on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass. For the third time this season, the brothers (Donovan and D'Juan) combined for a touchdown connection. The first came in Oklahoma State's win over SMU with the second against Iowa State.
