Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes - Oklahoma State vs. Missouri State
September 01, 2014 | Cowboy Football
Complete Release in PDF Format
MISSOURI STATE
2:30 p.m. CT | Sept. 6, 2014 | Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218 cap.)
TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Mark Followill, Brian Baldinger and Lesley McCaslin)
In Stillwater - Suddenlink 75, DirecTV 676, Dish 416, U-verse 751
In Oklahoma City - Cox 267, DirecTV 676, Dish 416, U-verse 751
In Tulsa - Cox 267, DirecTV 676, Dish 416, U-verse 751
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
National Radio: None
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 119, XM Channel 203
Live Stats: okstate.com
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THE BASICS
The Oklahoma State football team (0-1 overall) opens its 2014 home slate with Missouri State (1-0 overall) at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 6 in Boone Pickens Stadium.
ON THE AIR
The game will be televised by Fox Sports Oklahoma with Mark Followill, Brian Baldinger and Lesley McCaslin calling the action. The contest will also be carried live on the Cowboy Radio Network, with Dave Hunziker handling play-by-play, John Holcomb providing analysis and Robert Allen reporting from the sideline.
AN OKLAHOMA STATE WIN WOULD...
• Extend the Cowboys' winning streak in home openers to 19 games. OSU hasn't lost a home opener since 1995.
• Be the Cowboys' 23rd consecutive home win over an unranked opponent, dating back to a loss to Houston in 2009.
• Improve the Cowboys to 40-6 in their last 46 home openers.
• Improve the Cowboys to 32-4 in their last 36 games against unranked opponents, dating back to the start of the 2010 season.
• Improve the Cowboys to 16-3 in their last 19 non-conference games.
• Mark the Cowboys' 18th straight win over teams currently in the FCS.
• Improve the Cowboys to 24-5-1 against teams currently in the FCS.
AN OKLAHOMA STATE LOSS WOULD...
• Be the Cowboys' first to an FCS team since the 1949 Delta Bowl, when OSU lost to William & Mary, 20-0.
• Snap OSU's current 17-game winning streak against teams currently in the FCS.
• Be only its fifth loss to an unranked opponent since the start of the 2010 season.
• Be only its fourth loss in its last 19 non-conference games.
• Snap OSU's 18-game winning streak in home openers that dates back to 1995.
• Move the Cowboys' record to 39-7 in their last 46 home openers.
THE SERIES
Oklahoma State is 6-0 all-time against Missouri State, with the most recent a 57-13 win in 2008. The Cowboys jumped out to a 15-0 lead just four minutes and 30 seconds into the game. On the first play from scrimmage, Quinton Moore forced a fumble that was recovered by Derek Burton to set up an OSU touchdown just five plays later. The contest was notable as it marked one of only two times in school history that OSU had three players rush for 100 yards or more in a game, with Keith Toston (148 yards), Beau Johnson (138 yards) and Kendall Hunter (132 yards) all eclipsing the century mark.
CONNECTIONS
• Three Oklahoma State players came through the prep ranks in Missouri, with Brandon Sheperd (Parkway Central HS in St. Louis), Jack Kurzu (Mary Institute Country Day in St. Louis) and Jordan Frazier (Lighthouse Christian in Springfield) all hailing from the Show-Me State.
• Three Missouri State players hail from Oklahoma - cornerback Tre Betts (Broken Arrow/Charles Page HS), running back Calan Crowder (Bartlesville/Bartlesville HS) and receiver Malik Earl (Oklahoma City/Santa Fe HS).
• Oklahoma State kicker Ben Grogan and Missouri State quarterback Brodie Lambert were teammates at Martin HS in Arlington, Texas.
NOTABLE STREAKS ENTERING THE MISSOURI STATE GAME
• Oklahoma State has won its last 18 home openers.
• Oklahoma State has won its last 17 games over teams currently in the FCS
• Oklahoma State has won 15 of its last 18 non-conference games.
• Oklahoma State has won 22 straight home games over unranked opponents, dating back to 2009.
• Oklahoma State has scored 20 or more points in 53 consecutive games dating back to the start of the 2010 season. That streak is the longest active streak in the country and the second-longest since Division I split into the FBS/FCS in 1978, trailing only USC's 63 straight games of 20 or more points from Sept. 2, 2002 through Nov. 25, 2006.
• OSU has at least one touchdown drive of faster than two minutes in each of its last 36 games and in 52 of its last 53 contests.
• Dating back to 2005, the Cowboys have won 19 consecutive games when not committing a turnover.
• The Cowboys have forced at least one turnover in 22 straight games.
• OSU has either won or tied the turnover battle in 21 of its last 25 games.
• Dating back to the 2008 season, the Cowboys have won 34 of their last 35 games when winning the turnover battle.
OKLAHOMA STATE IN HOME OPENERS
Oklahoma State is 79-28-5 in home openers and has won 18 straight. The Cowboys have scored 56 points or more in five of their past six home openers and the average score of an OSU home opener is 58-17 in favor of the Pokes.
GUNDY ERA HOME OPENERS
2005 vs. Montana State - W, 15-10
2006 vs. Missouri State - W, 52-10
2007 vs. Florida Atlantic - W, 42-6
2008 vs. Houston - W, 56-37
2009 vs. No. 13 Georgia - W, 24-10
2010 vs. Washington State - W, 65-17
2011 vs. Louisiana - W, 61-34
2012 vs. Savannah State - W, 84-0
2013 vs. Lamar - W, 59-3
OKLAHOMA STATE IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES
Oklahoma State is 15-3 in its last 18 non-conference games, dating back to the start of the 2010 season.
It should be noted that OSU has not just beaten up on non-conference teams that can't compete. The Pokes have faced no fewer than three non-conference opponents that went on to play in bowl games per year during that span (Troy, Tulsa and Arizona in 2010; Louisiana, Tulsa and Stanford in 2011; Arizona, Louisiana and Purdue in 2012; Mississippi State, UTSA and Missouri in 2013 and Florida State in 2014).
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. FCS SCHOOLS
Oklahoma State sports a 23-5-1 record against schools currently playing in the Football Championship Subdivision and has won 17 straight. The Cowboys have not lost to an FCS opponent since a 20-0 setback to William and Mary in the 1949 Delta Bowl.
GUNDY VS. THE FCS
Under coach Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State is 7-0 against FCS schools. The first game of Gundy's head coaching tenure came against FCS Montana State to start the 2005 season - a 15-10 OSU win. In the six games against FCS schools following Gundy's debut, the Cowboys have outscored the opposition, 347-45. A look at what OSU has done against FCS opposition during Gundy's tenure.
2005 vs. Montana State - W, 15-10
2006 vs. Missouri State - W, 52-10
2007 vs. Sam Houston State - W, 39-3
2008 vs. Missouri State - W, 57-13
2009 vs. Grambling State - W, 56-6
2012 vs. Savannah State - W, 84-0
2013 vs. Lamar - W, 59-3
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. THE MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
Oklahoma State is 11-0 all-time against members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, with more than half of those wins coming at the hands of Missouri State. In addition to the Cowboys' 6-0 mark against the Bears, OSU owns a 2-0 record over Northern Iowa and 1-0 marks against Southern Illinois, Illinois State and Indiana State.
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. UNRANKED OPPONENTS
Since the start of the 2010 season, Oklahoma State is 31-4 against teams not ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Cowboys have won 22 straight home games over unranked opponents. The last unranked team to beat OSU in Boone Pickens Stadium was Houston in 2009.
Starting with the Cowboys' 2012 Heart of Dallas Bowl win over Purdue, OSU has won eight of its last nine overall against unranked opponents.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
When Oklahoma State faces Missouri State, the Bears will be the first unranked team the Cowboys have faced in their last six times out. Dating back to last season, OSU has faced ranked teams in six of its last seven contests to set the toughest seven-game stretch in school history. Three of Oklahoma State's last four opponents were ranked in the top 10 at game time. The list:
11/2/13 at No. 15 Texas Tech - W, 52-34
11/9/13 Kansas - W, 42-6
11/16/13 at No. 23 Texas - W, 38-13
11/23/13 No. 3 Baylor - W, 49-17
12/7/13 No. 18 Oklahoma - L, 33-24
1/4/14 vs. No. 9 Missouri (AT&T Cotton Bowl) - L, 41-31
8/30/14 vs. No. 1 Florida State (in Arlington, Texas) - L, 37-31
LAST TIME OUT
Oklahoma State comes off a 37-31 neutral site loss to No. 1 Florida State. The Cowboys were 20-point underdogs to the reigning national champions entering the contest, but had the ball with a chance to take the lead on two occasions in the fourth quarter.
The Seminoles jumped the Cowboys early and held a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter, but OSU stayed with its game plan and eventually cut the deficit to 20-17 midway through the third. After quarterbacks Jameis Winston and J.W. Walsh traded long touchdown runs, FSU held a 27-24 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Seminoles added a field goal and forced a turnover, then struck with a 50-yard Winston-to-Rashad Greene touchdown pass to open up a 37-24 lead with under four minutes remaining.
A 46-yard kickoff return by Tyreek Hill set up a quick touchdown drive for OSU to bring the score to 37-31 with 1:55 remaining. The Cowboys attempted an onside kick, but it rolled out of bounds and Florida State ran out the clock to seal its win.
THE NEXT GENERATION IS NOW
If not the youngest team in the country, Oklahoma State is certainly among the youngest. The Cowboys' opening day depth chart included 32 freshmen and sophomores (most in the nation) and OSU returned only 54.3 percent of its letterwinners from 2013 (the lowest percentage in the nation).
In week one against No. 1 Florida State, 49 Cowboys saw game action - 14 freshmen, 13 sophomores, 12 juniors and 10 seniors. Of the 22 OSU players who started on either offense or defense against the reigning national champion Seminoles, 11 were making the first start of their collegiate career.
INEXPERIENCED, BUT TALENTED
Oklahoma State is short on experience, but it is not short on talent. OSU's active roster includes 24 players who garnered a four-star ranking or better as recruits according to the databases of Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN.com.
