Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes - Cowboys Host Louisiana
September 09, 2012 | Cowboy Football
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Louisiana at RV/RV Oklahoma State
Sept. 15, 2012 :: 11 a.m. CT :: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,250 cap.)
TV: Fox Sport Net (Joel Meyers, Brian Baldinger and Jim Knox)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius channel 137 and XM channel 197
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Back In The Boone
The Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-1) return home for the final non-conference game of the season Saturday when they entertain the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns at Boone Pickens Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. OSU and the visitors from Lafayette are meeting for the third year in a row and for the second straight season in Stillwater.
Streaking In Stillwater
Oklahoma State has won seven straight home games for its longest Stillwater streak since 1984-85 when the Cowboys won a school record nine straight home games. OSU's current seven-game home winning streak is tied for the eighth longest in the country and also tied for the longest in the Big 12 with Baylor.
At The Box Office
For the second straight season, OSU has set a new record for season ticket sales. The 2011 record of 48,714 was passed opening weekend as the number climbed to 48,722. The total is likely to continue to grow through the Texas game (which can only be attended with a season ticket).
Morning Glory
The 11 a.m. kickoff is a bit unusual for the home crowd. While OSU has enjoyed several early kicks on the road the past several seasons, watching the sun coming up over the east end zone of Boone Pickens Stadium is rare. Saturday's game will be the earliest home kickoff for the Cowboys since the 2004 Bedlam game against Oklahoma, which also kicked at 11 a.m.
On The Air
The Cowboys and Ragin' Cajuns will be televised by FSN with Joel Meyers on hand to call the action Brian Baldinger will provide analysis and Jim Knox will report from the sidelines.
Setting The Series
Oklahoma State has won all previous eight games with Louisiana in a series that dates back to 1986.
• The first meeting was a 21-20 nail biter in Lafayette. However, since that time, OSU has been able to avoid sweaty palms down the stretch.
• The average score of the series is 41-15 in favor of the Cowboys.
• Louisiana is a familiar face to Oklahoma State fans. In-state rival Tulsa is the only non-conference opponent OSU has seen more than Louisiana since 1986 when the series with the Ragin' Cajuns began.
• The Cowboys are a healthy 26-2 against current Sun Belt Conference membership.
• The only Sun Belt member OSU has faced more than Louisiana is North Texas, although OSU and the Mean Green haven't met since 1994.
• OSU has scored 171 points in the last three meetings with the Cajuns (57 points per game), including a series-high 61 last season.
Bayou Brawls
Oklahoma State is 10-4 all-time against schools from Louisiana, including 8-0 vs. Louisiana, 1-1, vs. Louisiana Tech, 1-0 vs. Northeast Louisiana, 0-2 against Centenary in games played in the 1930s, and 0-1 vs. LSU in a game that was played in 1956.
The Last Two Years
Louisiana is one of nine 2012 opponents that OSU will be meeting for a third straight season. A statistical look back at the last two meetings...
• Receiver Tracy Moore is averaging 15.4 yards on eight career catches against Louisiana.
• Defensive lineman Nigel Nicholas has nine tackles, including three sacks, in two career games vs. UL.
• Receiver Justin Horton had a career-long 56-yard reception in last year's game.
• In two career starts against Louisiana, Brodrick Brown has two total tackles.
• James Castleman, in his first college game, had three tackles in the 2011 matchup.
Last Year In Stillwater
Oklahoma State jumped to a 31-10 halftime lead and Weeden2Blackmon was in high gear as the Cowboys registered a 61-34 victory.
• Brandon Weeden passed for 388 yards and three scores, but was also intercepted three times, including two that were returned for touchdowns.
• Justin Blackmon had eight catches for 144 yards, although he did not score in the game.
• Joseph Randle rushed for 129 yards and two scores, and in mop-up duty, Desmond Roland ran for 63 yards on just eight carries.
• Tracy Moore had the second-most productive game of his career with seven catches for 112 yards, including a 19-yard TD catch.
• Alex Elkins had six tackles and recovered a fumble in his NCAA debut and Devin Hedgepeth had a 26-yard interception return.
• The Cowboy defense had five quarterback sacks in 2011.
• The OSU offense rolled up 666 yards for the ninth most productive game in OSU history.
Louisiana At A Glance
Head coach Mark Hudspeth has had an immediate impact at Louisiana. The year before his arrival, the school struggled to a 3-9 record, but in 2011, his first in Lafayette, the Cajuns registered a 9-4 record that included a win over San Diego State in the R+L Carrier New Orleans Bowl. Louisiana is one of the Sun Belt favorites in 2012 with nine starters back on offense, including four on the offensive line. The Ragin' Cajuns are 2-0 in 2012 with wins over Lamar and at Troy.
Cajun Talk
In a story that will sound familiar to Cowboy fans, Louisiana has made a living early on in the turnover department. ULL is second nationally at plus-3 turnover per game. Louisiana is also yet to give up a sack this season and has the nation's sixth best rushing defense, allowing 49 yards per game.
The September Bounce Back
Oklahoma State is in rare territory as it prepares for Louisiana. The Cowboys are coming off a rare loss in September. The loss in Arizona was the first for OSU in September since a Sept. 12, 2009 loss to Houston (a span of six games). Prior to the Arizona game, the setback to the Cougars was the only September loss for OSU since 2008. OSU is 15-2 in September during that time span.
Bizzaro World
Every now and then in college athletics, there is a game that defies description. How strange was the trip to the desert for the Cowboys? Very. OSU put together one of the best offensive nights in school history, but thanks to turnovers and a school-record in penalties, still lost by three touchdowns to Arizona. It was a game that saw OSU lead by 14, then trail by 16 only to come back and have possession and just a two-point deficit to overcome in the fourth period. OSU outgained Arizona by 135 yards
Caution Flags
Perhaps the biggest issue in the loss was penalties. OSU was flagged 15 times for a school-record 167 yards in losses. OSU was hit for 70 yards in penalties in the first quarter alone. And the flags came in various settings with the offense, defense and special teams all getting in the act.
The Defensive Numbers
The OSU defense provides a good thumbnail for the Arizona game. OSU had four quarterback sacks, 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and limited Arizona to two field goals on drives that started on the OSU 37 and 29. But when the dust had settled, Arizona had gained 501 yards of offense.
• The point total allowed is deceiving. Arizona had four long scoring drives that covered at least 66 yards. But the `Cats also had two field goal drives that covered a combined 34 yards, a 44-yard TD drive after a failed onside kick, and a pick-six on defense.
• Arizona scored 18 points off of Cowboy turnovers.
The Line-Up
The Cowboy fans can take heart in the play by the new-look OSU defensive line.
• Sophomore tackle James Castleman, in just his second career start, had nine tackles, a half-sack, a tackle for loss and two pass-break-ups.
• Junior college transfer Calvin Barnett, in his second career start, had five tackles, including 1.5 behind the line of scrimmage.
• Ryan Robinson, in his second career start, had four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass break-up.
• Robinson had three tackles for loss last season. He already has three in 2012.
A Good Step Backwards
After two weeks, Oklahoma State is the best team in the country when it comes to entering the offensive backfield. The Cowboys lead the country with 23 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for 84 yards in losses. To put that number in perspective, OSU had 91 TFLs all of last season, meaning OSU already has 25 percent of last year's tackle-for-loss total after just two games. Incidentally, this week's opponent, Louisiana, is No. 15 nationally in that category with 18.
Group Pile Ons
Oklahoma State leads the nation in tackles for loss without having a single individual in the nation's top 50 in that category. Topping OSU is defensive end Ryan Robinson who ranks No. 51 in the country with three TFLs.
Fresh Out
The Arizona game marked the first time since the Kansas game in 2010 that the Cowboys failed to force a turnover. Arizona's lone fumble went out of bounds.
The Young Influence
Oklahoma State has been the best team in the country in forcing turnovers since the arrival of Bill Young as defensive coordinator in 2009. But after two weeks, the numbers are flipped. Louisiana is second in the country with seven turnovers forced, including five fumble recoveries. OSU is 108th in the country with just two interceptions and no fumbles recovered through two weeks.
Three Years and Triple Digits
Oklahoma State's turnover trend, which drew its share of national publicity a season ago, is much more than a one-year phenomenon. Over the last three seasons, Oklahoma State has forced 108 turnovers -- 17 more than runner-up Oregon forced over the same time frame.
Pacing Themselves
OSU's two forced turnovers after two games shouldn't cause panic among the Cowboy faithful. That's just one turnover less than OSU had generated after two games in 2011. The Cowboys forced just three total turnovers after the first two games of last season - followed by 41 turnovers over the last 11 games.
Lunt Makes A Statement
OSU had several issues in the loss at Arizona. However, most anyone in attendance would attest the issues did not rest with true freshman quarterback Wes Lunt, who was making his first road start. Lunt set a Big 12 and OSU record for freshman passing yards with 436, including 317 in the second half. His 436 yards represent the fourth best single-game total in OSU history and the fifth best passing game in the country this season.
INTs With An Asterisk
Wes Lunt will be credited with three interceptions in the loss to Arizona. However, those picks should come with a footnote. One interception came after a pass went through the hands of an OSU receiver and another came when a Cowboy receiver slipped and fell coming out of his break on a pass pattern.
Lunt's Start
Through two games, a couple of other notes regarding the true freshman quarterback...
• Lunt completed the first 12 passes of his career.
• He engineered six touchdown drives on his first six possessions as a quarterback.
• He has a 42-yard completion in each of his first two games.
• At Arizona, he hit three different receivers for gains of at least 28 yards.
• In his college debut vs. Savannah State, Lunt pitched the only "perfect game" in OSU history with an 11-for-11 effort against the Tigers.
Arizona By The Numbers
OSU's offensive effort at Arizona showed little, if any, drop off from the juggernaut that has been the Cowboy attack over the past two seasons.
• The 636 yards generated represent the 13th best offensive output in school history. It is the second time in two weeks that OSU has had a top 13 offensive effort.
• It was the eighth-best passing game in school history.
A Second Ever
Oklahoma State had some historical numbers in Tucson. The game was the just the second in school history in which the Cowboys had a 400-yard passer (Lunt passed for 436 yards), a 100-yard rusher (Joseph Randle rushed for 123 yards) and two 100-yard receivers (106 for Tracy Moore and 105 for Blake Jackson). The only other time that OSU had four players reach triple digits in those categories was in last seasons' 66-6 win at Texas Tech. In that contest, Brandon Weeden passed for 423 yards, Hershel Sims rushed for 109 yards, Justin Blackmon had 103 receiving yards and Josh Cooper had 106 receiving yards.
Speaking Of Offense
OSU enters the Louisiana game leading the nation in total offense with 659 yards per game. OSU is seventh nationally in passing with 362 yards per game and also seventh in rushing with 297.5 yards per game. The Cowboys are the only team ranking in the top 10 nationally in both passing and rushing offense and are third nationally in scoring at 61 points per game.
Speaking Of Red Zone Offense
Saturday's game will feature two of the best red zone offenses in the nation. OSU and Louisiana enter the game tied for the NCAA lead, with many others at this point, having scored on each of their red zone possessions. OSU is perfect on 13 chances with seven rushing TDs, five passing TDs and a field goal. Louisiana is 11-for-11, including four field goals.
Another Scoring Streak
Oklahoma State's current 20-game streak of scoring at least 30 points leads the country. Oregon is next at 15. The last time OSU failed to reach the 30-point mark was the 24-14 win at Kansas State in 2010. It was that game in which OSU played without suspended All-America receiver Justin Blackmon.
Two Minute Warnings
Oklahoma State has had a scoring drive of less than two minutes in 28 straight games. In fact, OSU has 13 scoring drives of less than two minutes just two games into the 2012 season.
New O-Line Look
The Oklahoma State offensive line looks different in 2012, but also familiar. Gone are four starters from last season, but back are three players with starting experience at OSU. Guard Lane Taylor leads the squad with 38 career starts. Jonathan Rush was a starter in 2010 and the first four games of 2011 before being sidelined due to injury. He's back to man the other guard spot. Tackle Parker Graham started four games last season at right tackle and two on the left side. The other tackle spot belongs to Daniel Koenig. The youngest of three Koenig brothers to play for OSU, he made his first career start vs. Savannah State. The center spot is manned by fifth-year senior Evan Epstein, who was another first-time starter against the Tigers.
That Line To Date
So far, the new mix up front has earned more than a passing grade. OSU has yet to allow a sack in 2012 (another national lead that OSU shares with Louisiana). OSU is averaging a gaudy 8.04 yards per rush, second among the nation's top 10 rushing teams. OSU's 10 rushing touchdowns are tied for the best total among the nation's top 10 rushing teams.
Taylor-Made
For the second time in his career, guard Lane Taylor is the foundation of a completely rebuilt offensive line. Taylor became one of the big stories in 2009 when he came from off of the depth chart to earn a starting spot at guard. In 2010, he was the only returning offensive line starter for a young Cowboy team that went on to finish 11-2 and earn a co-championship in the Big 12 South. And in 2012, he is once again the only O-Line starter returning from the previous season.
Sacks Appeal
Since the beginning of the 2007, the Oklahoma State offensive line has been among the most productive in the country. OSU entered the 2012 season third nationally in fewest sacks allowed over the last five years with 61. OSU has allowed more than 12 sacks in a season just once in that stretch. Three of the teams in the top five of the category are service academies. None of those schools ever attempted for more than 380 passes in a season. Last year, OSU attempted 595 passes.
Randle Still Running
Junior running back Joseph Randle has cracked the 100-yard mark in each of the first two games of 2012 after his 123-yard effort at Arizona. He has reached 100 yards eight times in his career, including three times in the last four games with the lone exception being the Fiesta Bowl. Randle is now No. 20 all-time at OSU with 1,898 rushing yards. Through two games, he is averaging 7.9 yards per carry.
Randle On The Run
Joseph Randle's 24 rushing touchdowns last season were the third best total in the country. He is currently eighth nationally with 28 career rushing touchdowns -- and he has just passed the halfway point of his career. For his career, Randle averages 5.9 yards per carry.
Smith and Randle
We will just go ahead and state that, in the humble opinion of us, the best college running back combination in history is Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas. Both are members of the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The current combo of Jeremy Smith and Joseph Randle may not be ready for Canton, but together, they may be the best 1-2 punch in college football today.
• Together, Smith and Randle rushed for 1,826 yards and 33 touchdowns last season. Combined they averaged 6.2 yards per rush.
• In 2012, the two have already rushed for 344 yards and six touchdowns, including four by Jeremy Smith. Smith is averaging 8.8 yards per carry.
• Smith is No. 12 nationally with 24 points scored through two games.
Moore Of Everything
OSU senior receiver Tracy Moore made his season debut one to remember Saturday night in Tucson. After not playing the opener due to a coaches' decision, Moore caught eight passes for 106 yard with four touchdowns against the Wildcats. He joins Buffalo's Alex Neutz as the only receivers in the country with four TD receptions in a game this year. He is the first Cowboy to accomplish the feat since Dez Bryant had four TD catches in a 2008 win over Iowa State. Moore is now No. 17 all-time at OSU with 1,173 receiving yards. He has 12 career TD grabs.
The New Crew
The OSU receiving corps entered the season looking to fill some big shoes with the loss of Justin Blackmon and Josh Cooper. The 2012 crew is off to a good start.
• Sophomore Josh Stewart leads OSU with 10 catches, including a 42-yard grab at Arizona.
• Junior college transfer Blake Jackson did not have a catch against Savannah State, but bounced back with 105 receiving yards at Arizona. He averages 17.5 yards per catch.
• Senior Isaiah Anderson already has 105 receiving yards this season. His career best is 315 yards.
Winning Ways
Oklahoma State has been one of America's most successful college football programs since the beginning of the 2008 season.
• Since 2008, OSU is the seventh winningest program in the country with 42 victories (tied with Utah).
• Since 2009, OSU ranks seventh with 33 wins (33-8) (tied with Stanford)
• Since the beginning of the 2010 season, the Cowboys are sixth with a record of 24-4.
• Since the start of 2011, OSU is 13-2 which ranks fourth nationally with only LSU, Alabama and Oregon ahead of the Cowboys.
• Oklahoma State, Alabama and Oregon are the only three BCS-conference schools in the country with at least nine wins over each of the last four seasons (not including TCU, which was competing in the Mountain West Conference at the time).
• Since 2009, Oklahoma State's 20-5 conference record is the best in the Big 12.
• Since 2007, Oklahoma State is No. 11 in the cumulative BCS Standings, according to CBS.
Gundy in Perspective
Head coach Mike Gundy is in his eighth season as head coach at his alma mater. He is 60-31 and is the reigning national coach of the year (Paul "Bear" Bryant and Eddie Robinson awards) and he was named as the 2010 Big 12 coach of the year.
• OSU was 12-15 under Gundy after 27 games, but has gone 48-16 since then, including a 33-8 record since 2009 and 24-4 since the opening of 2010.
• Gundy's 60 wins at OSU rank second all-time behind only Gundy's college coach, Pat Jones (62-60-3).
• Perhaps the most impressive part of Gundy's tenure at OSU is that he has built the program with three different offensive coordinators and three different defensive coordinators. Three of his former assistants have left Oklahoma State to become head coaches (Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia, Larry Fedora at Southern Miss and now North Carolina, and Tim Beckman at Toledo and now Illinois).
• Under Gundy, OSU has gone to six straight bowl games (an OSU first) and won at least seven games in six straight seasons (another school first) and at least nine games in four straight seasons (yet another first).
• The 23 wins during 2010 and 2011 are most ever by OSU in a two-year stretch.
• Under Gundy, OSU has reached the top 10 of the Associated Press poll for a school-best four straight seasons.
Poll Talk
Last week at Arizona, Oklahoma State set a school record by playing its 24th straight game as a member of the AP top 25. The loss to the Wildcats, however, will end that streak as OSU will enter the Louisiana game unranked for the first time since the Sept. 30, 2010 Texas A&M game.
• OSU has been in the preseason AP top 25 just five times in its history, including this season. The 2012 marked the third time in four seasons Oklahoma State has accomplished the feat. OSU has debuted in the top 10 twice, checking at No. 9 in 2009 and 2011.
• Including the upcoming Louisiana game, OSU will have been represented in the AP poll in 46 of its last 51 games. In 29 of those games, the Cowboys have been in the top 15.
• In 2010, the Cowboys finished No. 10 in the USA Today poll and in 2011 OSU was third in the final AP and USA Today balloting. Prior to the past two seasons, OSU had not closed a season in the top 10 of a major poll since 1984 (seventh).
• The highest the Cowboys have been ranked under Gundy, and in program history, came in the Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 polls of last season when OSU peaked at No. 2 in the two major polls.
• Under Gundy, OSU is 34-12 as a member of the top 25.
• Under Gundy, OSU has spent 24 weeks (including weeks in which OSU was idle) in the top 10. Prior to Gundy, OSU had spent just 25 weeks in the top 10 of the AP poll in its history.
Gilbert Moves Up
Justin Gilbert has continued to enhance his reputation as one of America's top kick return men. He is currently No. 14 nationally and tops in the Big 12 with an average of 30.5 yards per return. He is second all-time at OSU with 1,584 kickoff return yards, trailing only current San Francisco 49er Perrish Cox (2,804 yards). Gilbert is tied for the NCAA lead with four career kickoff returns for scores.
Corner Men
Oklahoma State has a dynamic duo at cornerback in senior Brodrick Brown and junior Justin Gilbert. Brown is a returning first-team All-Big 12 corner and is mentioned on three preseason watch lists. Gilbert is a returning starter (and Fiesta Bowl MVP) with physical tools that would make most college football players envious. Together, Brown and Gilbert put up impressive numbers a year ago.
• They combined to pick off 10 passes last season, the third best total by any duo in the country. Their five picks each tied them No. 14 in America (individually speaking).
• They also combined to break up 25 passes (15 by Brown and 10 by Gilbert).
• Brown finished third in the country a year ago with 20 passes defended. Gilbert was No. 30 in that category with 25.
Sharp Performances
Over the last three seasons, Oklahoma State has had a Ray Guy Award winner (Matt Fodge in 2008) and a Lou Groza Award winner (Dan Bailey in 2010). In senior Quinn Sharp, the Cowboys could have the best of both worlds. Sharp is a legitimate contender for both national awards in 2012 (he has already been a semifinalist for each).
• Sharp is the reigning Big 12 special teams player of the year.
• He has already earned first-team All-America honors as both a punter and a kicker (in two different seasons).
• A year ago, Sharp was third nationally with a punting average of 46.3 yards and he was seventh nationally in field goal percentage (22-of-25).
• Sharp was fifth nationally a year ago in scoring (11.5 ppg) and tops among America's kickers.
• Sharp has led the nation in kickoff touchbacks each of the past three seasons. He has 17 after two games in 2012 to once again lead the country.
• Thanks to Sharp, OSU is second nationally with an average of just 12.5 yards per kickoff return.
The Rest of the Story
OSU returns the heart and soul of its special teams units. Along with Sharp, OSU returns holder Wes Harlan, and snappers Connor Sinko (field goals) and Andrew Suter (punts).
Uniform Note
Oklahoma State sported a new look in 2011 - actually 13 new looks. OSU partnered with Nike to play in Nike Pro Combat uniforms. OSU has its choice of 48 different combinations with helmets of white, black and gray, jerseys of black, gray and orange (for home games), and pants that are black, white, orange or gray. A player panel has made the game selections for the 2012 entire season.
Schedule Overview
Oklahoma State will face a challenging 2012 schedule, which, at this point, is redundant. According to the NCAA, which ranks its schedules based on cumulative opposition, OSU faced the nation's fourth toughest schedule a year ago. In 2012...
• OSU will face eight bowl teams from 2011, including six bowl champions.
• The Cowboys will play three teams that won 2011 conference titles (Louisiana, TCU, and West Virginia).
• Oklahoma State will battle five teams that won 10 games a year ago and a sixth (Louisiana) that won nine games.
• Five OSU opponents (all Big 12 teams) are ranked in the preseason AP top 25.
The Throne Room
For the first time since 1977, Oklahoma State enters a season defending a conference title. The Cowboys claimed the Big 12 championship last year with an 8-1 conference record. The 12-1 season included a Fiesta Bowl victory over No. 4 Stanford. OSU concluded the year with its highest finish ever in the Associated Press, coaches' poll, and BCS Standings (third in all three). Oklahoma State just missed an appearance in the national championship game as Alabama edged out OSU for the second spot in BCS national championship game by the closest margin (between second and third) in the history of the process.
Seniors Among Seniors
Four members of the OSU roster enter 2012 with a college degree in hand. Center Evan Epstein has a degree in business management. Receiver Isaiah Anderson has earned his degree in education, defensive lineman Cooper Bassett has a degree in health promotion and holder Wes Harlan has a degree in business marketing.
Gundy's Tenure
Mike Gundy is just the fifth coach in Oklahoma State history to reach his eighth season as the Cowboy head coach and the first to do it since Pat Jones coached his 11th and final season in 1994. Only Gundy, Jones and Cliff Speegle have coached at least eight years at the school in the post-World War II era. Gundy's tenure is now the fifth longest in the new Big 12 behind only Bill Snyder, Mack Brown, Bob Stoops and Gary Patterson.
Bullet Points
• Linebacker Alex Elkins set a career high with his 15-tackle effort at Arizona.
• Through two games, OSU has recorded five QB sacks and not allowed any.
• Quinn Sharp would be No. 10 nationally in punting average (46.6) if he had enough attempts to be listed in the NCAA statistics.
• OSU has six scoring drives of five plays or less and two scoring drives of at least 10 plays.
• The Cowboys have scored touchdowns on all four drives coming out of the locker room (game-opening and second-half opening drives).
