Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Buffaloes in League Opener
September 28, 2005 | Cowboy Football
Colorado (2-1, 0-0) at
Oklahoma State (3-0, 0-0)
Boone Pickens Stadium
Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005 • 1:05 p.m. [CT] • Stillwater, Okla. • Cowboy Sports Network
OSU Opens Big 12 Play Against Colorado
With an unbeaten non-conference slate behind them, Oklahoma State's Cowboys begin Big 12 Conference play Saturday when OSU entertains Colorado. Kickoff at Boone Pickens Stadium is set for 1:05 p.m. Oklahoma State is 3-0 after wins over Montana State, Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State. Colorado will come to Stillwater with an overall record of 2-1 with victories over Colorado State and New Mexico State and a 23-3 loss at 12th-ranked Miami (Fla.), last weekend.
OSU-CU: Series History
Saturday will mark the 44th meeting between Oklahoma State and Colorado and the Buffs have a 25-17-1 overall series edge. Oklahoma State won big at Boulder a year ago behind tailback Vernand Morency's 165 yards and two touchdowns. D'Juan Woods had a 53 yard touchdown reception and Luke Frazier added a 20 yard touchdown in the victory over Colorado. OSU's win a year ago snapped a two-game losing streak to Colorado, although the Buffaloes have won 10 of the last 12 against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are 10-11-1 against CU in Stillwater.
OSU-Colorado On the Air
Saturday's game against Colorado 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. The radio broadcast begins one hour prior to kickoff. The game will also be broadcast on the Sirius Satellite Radio Network, channel 145.
A Rare League Opener at Home
Oklahoma State will be opening its Big 12 season at home for just the second time since the league began competition in 1996. A year ago, OSU opened against Iowa State at Boone Pickens Stadium and rolled to a 36-7 win. The previous eight league openers were all on the road.
Remember the Walk
As always, Oklahoma State fans are encouraged to greet the Cowboys as they walk to Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday morning from the Atherton Hotel at the Student Union. The Walk will begin at approximately 10:40 a.m., and fans are welcome to line Hester Street between the Student Union and Boone Pickens Stadium.
This Date in OSU Football History
October 1, 1988 — Oklahoma State's 13th-ranked Cowboys outdueled Tulsa 56-35 in Stillwater. OSU gained 545 yards of total offense, including a 33 carry, 304 yard performance by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders. Junior quarterback Mike Gundy completed 15 of 24 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown.
Three Looking for Four
When Oklahoma State takes the field Saturday afternoon against Colorado, the Cowboys will be looking to win for a fourth-consecutive time in 2005. It would mark a second-straight year for O-State to open with four-straight wins and be the eighth time since 1983 for an Oklahoma State team to be unbeaten at a similar point in the season.
OSU Last Week
Oklahoma State spent four days on the practice field during its open week. The Cowboys ran their record to 3-0 with a 20-10 win over Arkansas State at Boone Pickens Stadium on Sept. 17. After falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter, OSU scored 13 unanswered points and had a 13-7 lead before Arkansas State put its final points on the board with a 26 yard field goal. Tailback Julius Crosslin iced OSU's victory with a one yard TD run early in the fourth quarter. Redshirt freshman Bobby Reid made his first-career start against Arkansas State and responded by completing eight of 21 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 10 times for 18 yards. Wide receiver D'Juan Woods caught four passes for 198 yards and a touchdown, and tailback Mike Hamilton carried the ball 16 times for 88 yards. Oklahoma State's defense was again impressive. The Cowboys limited the Indians to just three points over the final three quarters. OSU's defense registered four sacks against Arkansas State and had three other tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Colorado Last Week
Quarterback Joel Klatt passed for 228 yards but threw two interceptions as Colorado fell to 12th-ranked Miami (Fla.) 23-3 at a hot and humid Orange Bowl. Miami kept Colorado off the scoreboard until the 11:57 mark of the fourth quarter when Mason Crosby connected on a 58 yard field goal. Colorado had two possessions inside the Miami 20 yard line, but failed to score on both. In addition to Klatt's 228 passing yards, Colorado rushed for 103 yards. The Colorado defense allowed Miami 394 total yards, 271 through the air and 123 on the ground. Colorado had more time of possession than Miami, 33:41 to 26:19.
Head Coach Gary Barnett
Gary Barnett is three games into his seventh season as head coach at Colorado. He will bring a school record of 44-34 into Saturday's game at Boone Pickens Stadium and a 15-year career record of 87-90. Barnett guided Colorado to an 8-5 record a year ago, and the Buffs won the Big 12 North Division title, eventually losing to Oklahoma in the conference championship game. Under Barnett, Colorado has registered winning seasons four of the past six seasons and won the North Division three times (2001, 2002 and 2004). Prior to arriving in Boulder, Barnett spent seven seasons at Northwestern, winning a Big 10 title in 1995.
More on the Buffs
The defending Big 12 North Champions will come to Boone Pickens Stadium with a 2-1 record and one week after suffering its first loss of the season. Colorado opened the 2005 season with a 31-28 win over in-state rival Colorado State and followed that with a 39-0 shutout win over New Mexico State. Colorado comes to town averaging 399.3 y ards of total offense and allowing 320 yards per game. Colorado is seventh in the country in defending the rush, allowing just 74.3 yards per game. CU boasts a pair of the best specialists in the country. Kicker Mason Crosby is seventh nationally, averaging two field goals per game. Punter John Torp is second in the country with an average of 49.6 yards per punt.
