Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Entertain Longhorns for Homecoming
October 25, 2005 | Cowboy Football
Texas (7-0, 4-0) at
Oklahoma State (3-4, 0-4)
Boone Pickens Stadium
Saturday, Oct. 29, 2005 • 6 p.m. [CT] • Stillwater, Okla. • Cowboy Sports Network
Pokes Face Texas in Homecoming Test
After two straight weeks on the road, Oklahoma State returns to Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday to face the Texas Longhorns. It’s Homecoming at Oklahoma State and Saturday’s football game is the focal point of a weekend full of activities. OSU’s homecoming has long been known as one of the country’s biggest and best, and 2005 will be no different. The festivities begin Friday night when up to 30,000 people will jam University Avenue to view decorated greek houses. Karen Hancock’s soccer team will host bedlam-rival Oklahoma at 6 p.m. Friday night at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex. Saturday’s activities begin with a parade at 9 a.m. and end with the Cowboys vs. the Longhorns at Boone Pickens Stadium at 6 p.m.
Records
The Cowboys will go into Saturday’s game with an overall record of 3-4 and a Big 12 mark of 0-4. Texas comes to Stillwater with an overall record of 7-0 and a league record of 4-0. The Longhorns also come to Stillwater ranked No. 2 in the latest Associated Press poll and USA Today Coaches poll. Texas was second behind USC in the initial BCS standings, released last week. Texas is the highest-ranked team to come to Boone Pickens Stadium since Oklahoma came in with the same ranking a year ago and recorded a narrow 38-35 win.
Kickoff/Tickets
Saturday’s game between OSU and Texas will kick off at 6 p.m. (CDT). A limited number of tickets remain for the game and can be purchased at the Athletic Ticket Office, by calling 1-877-ALL-4-OSU, or by going online at www.okstate.com.
On the Air
OSU’s game against Texas will be broadcast live by TBS. Ron Thulin will handle the play-by-play, while Charles Davis will provide color commentary. The radio broadcast of the game is available on the Cowboy Football Network and on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Ch. 119. Dave Hunziker, in his fifth season, handles the play-by-play duties, while John Holcomb, sports director at KOTV-TV (CBS) in Tulsa, is in his first year as analyst. Robert Allen provides the sideline reporting for the fourth year.
More TV Stuff
Saturday will mark Oklahoma State’s fourth all-time appearance on TBS, but the first time the SuperStation has televised a game from Stillwater. OSU last appeared on TBS last year in Austin. The other appearances were in 1982 at Tulsa and in the season opener of 1985 in Seattle, when the Cowboys toppled Washington 31-17.
The Walk
As always, Oklahoma State fans are invited to join the tradition and line Hester Street as the Cowboys walk to Boone Pickens Stadium from the Atherton Student Union Hotel on game day. The walk will begin approximately 2-1/2 hours prior to kickoff.
Author, Friend Bill Hancock to Visit
Bill Hancock, longtime NCAA Basketball executive and the newly named executive director of the BCS, will be in Stillwater Saturday signing copies of his book, Riding with the Blue Moth. The book is an emotional and inspiring glimpse into events during and after the tragic plane crash that took the life of his son, Will, and nine others associated with the OSU Basketball program.
OSU-Texas: Series History
Saturday will mark the 20th meeting between Oklahoma State and Texas, and it’s been a series dominated by the Longhorns. Oklahoma State has beaten Texas only twice in the previous 19 meetings. The Cowboys won in Stillwater by a 42-16 margin in 1997, and were victorious with a 13-8 win in Austin in 1944. Saturday will be Texas’ sixth all-time appearance in Stillwater, and the Longhorns are 4-1 in the previous five meetings. UT has won seven straight over the Cowboys since 1997.
OSU-Texas: Memorable Moments
1997 — Redshirt freshman quarterback Tony Lindsay rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns as the Cowboys dominated the defending Big 12 Conference champions, 42-16. The victory boosted OSU’s season record to 5-0 and a No. 20 national ranking. The Cowboys led 29-0 before Texas got on the scoreboard in the third quarter. OSU had 424 yards of total offense and limited Texas to just 240. The Cowboys would use the victory over Texas to forge ahead to an 8-3 regular-season record and earn a berth opposite Purdue in the Alamo Bowl.
1999 — Oklahoma State neutralized Heisman Trophy favorite Ricky Williams, limiting him to 90 yards on 23 carries, but the 11th-ranked Longhorns broke a 34-34 tie with three seconds left in the game on a 34-yard field goal to turn back the upset-minded Cowboys 37-34. The Cowboys had tied the game at 34-34 with 10:25 left in the game on a 55-yard pass from Tony Lindsay to Ethan Howell. Lindsay finished the game with 236 passing yards on nine completions.
2002 — Second-ranked Texas led Oklahoma State 17-3 with 2:26 left in the third quarter before a furious OSU comeback. A 45-yard touchdown run by tailback Tatum Bell with 1:08 left in the third helped set up a dramatic finish. Trailing 17-9, the Cowboys drove from their own one-yard line to the Texas 33 where quarterback Josh Fields found John Lewis for a touchdown to close the gap to 17-15. On the two-point conversion try, Fields found Rashaun Woods on the goal line, but Texas stopped him from crossing the line and preserved the win.
OSU Last Week
Oklahoma State took a 10-7 lead into the second quarter, but was once again bitten by the turnover bug as Iowa State capitalized and went on to a 37-10 win at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The Cyclones scored first, but OSU came back with 10 straight points to take a brief lead. Iowa State took advantage of four interceptions to score 30 unanswered points. Tailback Greg Gold saw his most extensive playing time of the season and finished with 47 yards on eight carries. Wide Receiver D’Juan Woods had 10 catches, a career best, for 79 yards and freshman Ricky Price had five catches for 55 yards. Quarterback Al Peña, making his second-straight start, completed 26 of 40 passes for 203 yards, but threw four interceptions. On the defensive side, linebacker Rodrick Johnson had a game-high eight tckles, including a sack for minus-three yards and a forced fumble. Victor DeGrate also had eight tackles, including a sack for minus six yards, a pass broken up and a fumble recovery.
OSU-Iowa State Rewind
•The 40 passes attempted by quarterback Al Peña represented the most in a single game since the 2002 season when Josh Fields attempted 40 or more five times, including 44 vs. Kansas State. The 2004 season high was 35 attempts vs. Ohio State in the Alamo Bowl, and the most in 2003 was 33 against both Wyoming and Mississippi.
•Oklahoma State’s 10-7 lead late in the first quarter was the first time the Cowboys have led in a game since a win over Arkansas State on Sept. 17.
•The drive that produced Oklahoma State’s first score, a 27-yard field goal by Bruce Redden, went 60 yards on 13 plays and lasted 5:24. The number of plays and drive time are both season highs.
•Defensive end Victor DeGrate recorded his second sack of the season with 2:16 left in the first quarter at Iowa State.
Texas Last Week
Second-ranked Texas rode the throwing arm and running legs of quarterback Vince Young to an impressive 52-17 win over 10th-ranked Texas Tech in Austin. Young completed 12 of 22 passes for 239 yards and a pair of touchdowns and rushed for 77 yards on 16 carries to lead Texas to its seventh-straight victory of the season. The Longhorns scored touchdowns on six-straight possessions over the second and third quarters, and the UT defense held Texas Tech to 37 points under it’s season average.
Head Coach Mack Brown
Mack Brown is in his eighth season at Texas and has a record of 78-19 coming into Saturday’s game against the Cowboys. Brown’s overall record in 21-plus seasons as a college head coach is 164-93-1. He has led Texas to four straight 10-win seasons, including an 11-1 record and Rose Bowl appearance in 2004.
More on the Longhorns
Texas comes to Boone Pickens Stadium ranked among the top 10 in the country in nine major statistical categories. The Longhorns are fourth in the country in scoring offense, averaging 46.6 points per game. On the other side of the ball, Texas is seventh in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 14.4 points per contest. The Longhorns have allowed an opponent 20 or more points just twice in 2005 (22 by Ohio State and 20 by Missouri). The Longhorns have scored 40 or more points in six of the seven games they have played in 2005. Quarterback Vince Young is second nationally in passing efficiency, and Aaron Rose is ninth nationally in punt returns.
