Oklahoma State University Athletics
On This Date in 2011 – The Earthquake Game
November 05, 2019 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Kirk Herbstreit has one of the most instantly-recognizable faces in the world of college football, but as he stood atop the roof of Boone Pickens Stadium on the night of November 5, 2011, something was different.
Third-ranked Oklahoma State had just put the finishing touches on a buzzing 52-45 win over No. 17 Kansas State and Herbstreit was in the middle of a live hit with long-time partner Chris Fowler. As Fowler asked Herbstreit about the Cowboys' upcoming games and what kind of impact they'd have on the national championship picture, a sizeable earthquake struck and Herbstreit's eyes opened about as wide as possible.
The earthquake registered at 5.7 magnitude on the Richter scale with an epicenter about 50 miles southeast of Stillwater. It was felt as far as 800 miles away and was felt strongly on the OSU campus.
Perched upon the roof of a football stadium, Herbstreit was not in the most stable location to ride out an earthquake of that size. Etched on his face was a look of real terror. Screen grabs and social media ensured that the moment would live on well beyond that evening.
"Chris, just to let you know – dead serious – as I've been talking to you, we just had – I think – an earthquake," were Herbstreit's first words to Fowler and to a live national audience after the temblor.
The game itself was a vivid memory from a Big 12 championship season for Oklahoma State, but it is possible that the most memorable image from that particular night was the look on Herbstreit's face as Boone Pickens Stadium shook beneath him.
Third-ranked Oklahoma State had just put the finishing touches on a buzzing 52-45 win over No. 17 Kansas State and Herbstreit was in the middle of a live hit with long-time partner Chris Fowler. As Fowler asked Herbstreit about the Cowboys' upcoming games and what kind of impact they'd have on the national championship picture, a sizeable earthquake struck and Herbstreit's eyes opened about as wide as possible.
The earthquake registered at 5.7 magnitude on the Richter scale with an epicenter about 50 miles southeast of Stillwater. It was felt as far as 800 miles away and was felt strongly on the OSU campus.
Perched upon the roof of a football stadium, Herbstreit was not in the most stable location to ride out an earthquake of that size. Etched on his face was a look of real terror. Screen grabs and social media ensured that the moment would live on well beyond that evening.
"Chris, just to let you know – dead serious – as I've been talking to you, we just had – I think – an earthquake," were Herbstreit's first words to Fowler and to a live national audience after the temblor.
The game itself was a vivid memory from a Big 12 championship season for Oklahoma State, but it is possible that the most memorable image from that particular night was the look on Herbstreit's face as Boone Pickens Stadium shook beneath him.
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