Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes: Cowboy Football Hosts Missouri State in 2018 Opener
August 24, 2018 | Cowboy Football
Complete Notes in PDF Format
The Basics
The Oklahoma State football team opens its 117th season when it hosts Missouri State at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30 in Boone Pickens Stadium. This marks the third consecutive year the Cowboys have opened their season at home, and the 61st time overall they have opened the season in Stillwater. OSU's overall record in season opening games at home is 49-7-4 and its overall record in season opening games is 70-41-5.
Get Your Tickets
Season tickets and single-game tickets are available at www.okstate.com/tickets or by calling the OSU ticket office at 877-ALL-4-OSU. Additionally, the OSU ticket office has offered a four-ticket package for $100 to the season opener using the code "18ORANGE". Fans interested in tickets can also text the OSU ticket office at 877-255-4678.
On The Air
The game will be televised by FS1 with Joel Klatt, Gus Johnson and Jenny Taft on the call. 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. Fans outside of the Cowboy Radio Network can listen to the OSU broadcast for free through TuneIn Radio or the TuneIn Radio app.
In The Rankings
Despite losing Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner Mason Rudolph and Biletnikoff Award winner James Washington, OSU is in the preseason rankings for the third consecutive season and for the seventh time in the past 10 years. The Cowboys are No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and are also receiving votes in the A.P. Poll. In total, OSU has now been ranked in the top 25 of at least one of those polls since week 10 of the 2016 season. OSU has also reached the top 15 of the A.P. poll at some point in nine of the past 10 seasons and the top 10 of the A.P. poll in eight of the last 10 seasons. The Cowboys are also one of only five teams to be ranked in every set of College Football Playoff rankings since the beginning of 2015, joining Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma and Ohio State.
The Series
Oklahoma State is undefeated in seven prior matchups with Missouri State, leading the all-time series 7-0. All seven games have been played in Stillwater, with OSU winning the first meeting in 1993, 45-7, and winning the most recent in 2014, 40-23. This year's game will mark Missouri State coach Dave Steckel's first time facing the Cowboys, while Mike Gundy is 3-0 against the Bears. Gundy is also a perfect 10-0 when facing FCS opponents.
Oklahoma State From A Distance
Oklahoma State is fresh off of its third-consecutive 10-win season, capping off a 10-3 2017 campaign with a 30-21 win over No. 22 Virginia Tech in the Camping World Bowl. Much of the focus in the offseason has been on what the Cowboys lost in the nation's leading passer, Mason Rudolph, and nation's leading receiver, James Washington - understandable considering they were OSU's all-time leaders in passing and receiving, respectively. However, the Cowboys have plenty coming back in 2018 and have set their sights on another successful year. The headline returner is junior running back Justice Hill, who led the Big 12 in rushing a year ago and was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. He'll lead a strong group of running backs that includes powerful sophomore J.D. King, redshirt freshman speedster Chuba Hubbard and shifty redshirt sophomore LD Brown. Quarterback Taylor Cornelius is a redshirt senior who has the chance to prove what he can do after backing up Rudolph last season, and grad transfer Dru Brown adds depth and competition to the important position group. Defensively, much of the offseason talk has been about new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who comes to OSU with more than 30 years of coaching experience after most recently leading the Duke Blue Devils to a top 25 national ranking in total defense a year ago. His 4-2-5 scheme provides a change of pace in Stillwater and the opportunity to put more defensive backs on the field.
An Oklahoma State Win Would..
• Improve the Cowboys to 19-4 in their last 23 games and 33-9 in their last 42 games.
• Make the Cowboys 8-0 all-time vs. Missouri State.
• Improve Mike Gundy's career record vs. FCS teams to 11-0 and his record vs. Missouri State to 4-0.
• Improve OSU's all-time record in season openers to 71-41-5, all-time record in season openers at home to 50-7-4 and all-time record in home openers to 84-28-5.
• Give the Cowboys wins in 10 of their last 11, 13 of their last 15 and 30 of their last 38 season openers.
• Mark OSU's 23rd straight win in a home opener and 43rd win in its last 49 home openers.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record in non-conference games to 46-11.• Give the Cowboys seven straight wins in non-conference games
• Improve the Cowboys to 29-5 in their last 34 non-conference games
• Improve the Cowboys to 19-4 in their last 23 games overall.
• Make OSU 60-7 in its last 67 game vs. unranked opponents, dating back to 2010.
• Make OSU 36-10 at Boone Pickens Stadium since the start of the 2011 season.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering The Game
• Oklahoma State has won 18 of its last 22 games overall.
• OSU is 15-2 in its last 17 games decided by less than 10 points.
• Justice Hill has rushed for at least 100 yards in seven of his last 10 games and in 11 of his last 17 games.
• OSU has won three straight overtime games.
• OSU has had at least one 100-yard receiver in five straight games and in 11 of its last 14 games.
• OSU has had a 100-yard rusher in nine of its last 14 games.
• OSU has outrushed its opponent in 11 of its last 14 games and in 13 of its last 17 games.
• Oklahoma State has won 32 of its last 41 games overall, dating back to the end of the 2014 season.
• OSU has forced at least one turnover in 27 straight games and in 36 of the last 37 games, dating to 2015.
• Dating back to 2005, the Cowboys have won 33 of their last 35 games when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, the Cowboys have won 57 of their last 62 games when winning the turnover battle.
• OSU has won six straight non-conference games.
• The Cowboys have won 22 consecutive home openers, beginning the streak in 1996.
• Dillon Stoner has at least one catch in each of his last 13 games played.
• Jalen McCleskey has at least one catch in 37 of his 39 career games played.
