Oklahoma State University Athletics
Barry Blog - Game 2: Barry, OSU Crowd Wow Sherrill
September 18, 2008 | Cowboy Football
Game 2: Texas A&M Aggies
Sept 24, 1988 - Written by John Klein
Texas A&M coach Jackie Sherrill fielded questions comparing Texas' Eric Metcalf to Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders all week leading up to the game with the Cowboys.
“I really didn't know much about Barry Sanders,” said Sherrill during a recent interview. “But I knew more than I wanted to know by the end of that game.”
Oklahoma State's 52-15 victory over Texas A&M in the second game of the 1988 season was considered by many to be the “coming out party” for Sanders, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy and set the all-time single-season rushing record.
Many believe Sanders' 1988 season is perhaps the greatest college football season by any player at any position in history.
The game against Texas A&M, played before a loud and sold out crowd at Lewis Field, proved to be a sneak preview of what was to come.
“I always hated playing in Stillwater because the crowd is right on top of you,” said Sherrill. “The fans sit right on top of the field. You turn around and there is a fan in your face.
“On that night, that crowd was amazing. I think they knew that they had one of the best teams in the nation and one of the best players ever.”
By the end of the night, Texas A&M was thoroughly convinced.
“That was about as good of a crowd as I can remember,” said former OSU coach Pat Jones during a recent interview. “Folks were really up for that game in Stillwater."
“We thought we had a pretty good team. We knew Texas A&M was good. They had won a couple of Southwest Conference titles. They had great players.”
But the Aggies didn't have anybody like Sanders.
By the standards he would later set, the victory over Texas A&M was not that impressive. Sanders ran for 157 on 20 carries (nearly eight yards per try). He scored three touchdowns, including a 61-yard punt return to give OSU a 52-15 lead at the end of the third quarter.
But it was the way Sanders dominated a game against one of the nation's better defenses.
“We had a good team,” said Sherrill. “We had a very good defense. There were a lot of those guys off that defense that went on to play in the NFL.
“So, to see the way he ran through us was pretty amazing. I don't know if I ever saw anything like it. In fact, OSU's entire offense in that game was as good as I've ever seen. Hart Lee Dykes was a great college receiver and Mike Gundy was a very good quarterback. I have to admit it was quite a show.”
Sherrill doesn't know if anyone could have beaten OSU on the night his Aggies got thrashed by the Cowboys. OSU was up 17-0 before A&M knew what had hit it.
The first touchdown, an electrifying 58-yard draw play to Sanders, was when Sherrill knew Texas A&M was in trouble. It came just 72 seconds into the game.
“It was third-and-long around midfield and we were feeling pretty good about ourselves,” said Sherrill. “All of the sudden, they run a simple draw to Sanders. It was nothing fancy but it was one of those incredible plays that Barry became famous for making.
“He took the ball and we looked like we had it defended pretty well. We didn't. We didn't even touch him. That's when I knew we were in trouble.
We didn't have anyone that could tackle a guy like him. Of course, it was no different in the NFL. They couldn't tackle him in that league, either.”
A&M fumbled, OSU converted with a touchdown and another field goal, and it was 17-0.
“We jumped out pretty quick on them,” said Jones. “We had that 17-0 lead and A&M really hadn't even had a chance to do anything. So, getting that lead with our offense was a big deal.
“As far as the game went, we just jumped all over them. We were really rolling in that first half.”
In fact, it could be argued that was one of the most dominating halves of the season, or perhaps any season, for Oklahoma State. It was impressive because Texas A&M was known for its defense, “The Wrecking Crew”, and had lot of talent on the 1988 team.
“We had guys that could really play,” said Sherrill.
The game just confirmed what Jones had suspected.
During the spring and preseason practices, Jones kept telling people in private that he felt OSU had a chance to be better than good on offense.
He had a future Pro Football Hall-of-Famer at running back with a first-team All-American wide receiver. Plus, quarterback Mike Gundy was a very good college player behind a big and experienced line.
“We knew we had the makings of being a very good offensive team,” said Jones. “You didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know we had some great players on offense.
“But, to be honest, you never know until you go out and prove it in a game. We had played a game already (Miami, Ohio) but Texas A&M was a big-time team that had just been to the Cotton Bowl in that past couple of years. They had great defensive players. The way we played against Texas A&M just confirmed to me that we had a very special group on offense. That was the game that made it all a reality. After that game, I knew we'd be able to do that against just about anyone because Texas A&M had a very good defense.”
But, the Cowboys' offense treated Texas A&M like they did all defenses that season. It was 38-7 at halftime. By the end of the third quarter, the Cowboys had scored 52 points.
“To be honest, I think we could have scored 70 or so,” said Jones. “We had great players and we were really clicking that night. Barry had a great night but all of our guys looked really good in that game.”
Yes, there wasn't much OSU couldn't do in that game. Sanders was done after just three quarters. So was receiver Hart Lee Dykes, who caught five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Gundy didn't need to throw much but when he did it was deadly for the Aggies. He hit 9-of-13 passes for 143 yards.
“We were just cocked and primed for that game,” said Jones. “It was our first high-profile game of the season. It was our first chance to show the nation what we could do.
“We were real good on defense but we still had some guys who could run and make plays. So, once we got the big lead, and made a few plays on defense, the game was over.”
Sherrill and Jones, who once coached on the same staff at Pitt, have remained friends. Still, 20 years later, Sherrill isn't shy about remembering that game.
“I always wondered how a defensive coach like Pat got an offense like that,” said Sherrill. “I have joked with him about it over the years. I figured he just stood there and watched.
“I know the night we were in Stillwater it was an impressive show. I've seen a lot of football over the years but that offense...well, you just don't see that kind of talent and performance very often. That game stands out in my memory just because it was kind of amazing. I'll never forget that draw play. Amazing. Just amazing.”
