Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys host Bobcats in Season Opener
August 29, 2005 | Cowboy Football
Montana State (0-0) at
Oklahoma State (0-0)
Boone Pickens Stadium
Saturday, Sept. 3, 2005 • 6 p.m. [CST]
Stillwater, Okla.
Cowboy Sports Network
Oklahoma State Opens 104th Football Season
The Mike Gundy era of Oklahoma State Cowboy Football begins Saturday night when the Cowboys host Montana State at Boone Pickens Stadium. It is the 104th season of intercollegiate football at Oklahoma State and the first game of the head coaching tenure of the 37-year old Gundy. Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m., and a sellout crowd of 48,500 is expected. The Cowboys open the new campaign focused on logging a fourth-straight winning season and earning a fourth-straight bowl trip, which would be a school first. Oklahoma State was 7-5 a year ago and had a 4-4 record in Big 12 Conference play. Montana State opens its season in Stillwater after fashioning a 6-5 record in 2004. The Bobcats compete in the Big Sky Conference.
Rare Home Start
The Cowboys are opening a season at home for the first time since 1999 and for just the second time since 1996. O-State's last season opener at home was in Bob Simmons' sixth season, and resulted in a 24-7 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. In 1996, the Cowboys opened with an overtime victory over what is now Missouri State.
Speaking of Season Openers
Oklahoma State is 59-39-5 in season openers since 1901. The Cowboys will be trying for a second-straight win on opening day after posting a 31-20 win at UCLA a year ago. The Cowboys have won 10 of their last 11 season openers at home. Oklahoma State has an even more impressive record in home openers. The Cowboys are 70-28-5 in home openers and have won nine straight dating back to a 1995 loss to Nebraska in the opener at Boone Pickens Stadium. An Oklahoma State victory over Montana State would give the Cowboys 10 consecutive wins in home openers, matching their longest streak of 10, from 1926-35.
On the Air
Saturday night's season opener will be broadcast live on the Cowboy Radio Network with Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen describing the action. Hunziker returns for his fifth season as the radio voice of OSU football. Holcomb is the sports director of Tulsa's KOTV (CBS) and is beginning his first season as the analyst in the Cowboy broadcast booth. Allen returns for his fourth season on the OSU sideline. For the first time, Cowboy Football can be heard on the Sirius Satellite Network. OSU vs. Montana State will be aired on Channel 133. The radio broadcast begins one hour prior to kickoff. Oklahoma State's season opener will not be televised.
New Look, Inside and Out
There is certainly a new look to Oklahoma State football as the Cowboys begin the 2005 season, although the man at the controls is an OSU legend. Mike Gundy's first season as head coach will feature a new look on both offense and defense, eight new assistant coaches, a new playing surface at Boone Pickens Stadium, and ongoing construction of the north side of the stadium.
Construction Update
Construction on the north side of Boone Pickens Stadium will continue throughout the 2005 season. All seating areas will be open, but some fan amenities on the north side will be temporary. Concessions and restroom facilities will be temporary throughout the season. The north side construction will be completed prior to the start of the 2006 season. Installation of Oklahoma State's new playing surface, Football Pro, was completed late last week. The synthetic surface is one of the best available and was installed by Millennium Sports Technologies of Littleton, Colo.
Remember the Walk
One of OSU's most popular pregame traditions will continue in 2005. Fans are encouraged to line Hester Street 2-1/2 hours prior to kickoff as the Cowboys walk from the Atherton Student Union Hotel to Boone Pickens Stadium. Head Coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboys will also continue the postgame tradition of leading OSU fans in the singing the alma mater.
Tickets
A few tickets remain for Saturday night's opener against Montana State, although a near capacity crowd is expected. Oklahoma State appears to be on track to establish yet another record for season ticket sales. The current record was set in 2004 with 38,674 season tickets. OSU officials expect to break the 39,000 mark in season ticket sales this year. Oklahoma State's game average attendance a year ago was 46,800. Individual game and season tickets are available by visiting the Athletic Ticket Office in Gallagher-Iba Arena, by phone at 1-877-ALL-4-OSU, or by going online at www.okstate.com.
OSU vs. Montana State
The Cowboys and Bobcats are meeting for the first time ever. The Bobcats from Bozeman, Mont., compete in the Big Sky Conference. Under head coach Mike Kramer, the Bobcats have consistently put up impressive offensive numbers. Montana State averaged 433 yards of total offense last year, ranking second in the Big Sky. Among Montana State's notable alums are the late actor Gary Cooper and television personality Craig Kilborn.
