Game Notes: Oklahoma State Hosts Cincinnati for Homecoming

Complete Notes (PDF)

The Basics
The Oklahoma State football team (5-2 overall; 3-1 Big 12) returns to Stillwater this week to face Cincinnati (2-5 overall; 0-4 Big 12) in the 102nd edition of "America's Greatest Homecoming," with kickoff set for 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 28, in Boone Pickens Stadium.

On the Air
The game will be televised live on ESPN2 with Roy Philpott, Roddy Jones and Taylor McGregor on the call. It 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 The Varsity Network app. The broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 135 or 199.

Noting the Cowboys in Homecoming Games
Oklahoma State is 57-38-6 in Homecoming games. The Cowboys have won six of their past seven and 12 of their past 15 on Homecoming.

Homecoming Activities
Homecoming is a big deal at Oklahoma State and is referred to as "America's Greatest Homecoming." This year's events mark the 102nd time that Oklahoma State has hosted its nationally recognized Homecoming celebration. The first Homecoming was hosted in 1920 by the OSU Alumni Association and it has been held every year since then except for 1943 (canceled due to World War II) and 2020 (canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Friday's night's "Walkaround" is Homecoming's most famous and highly attended event, but the week is full of daily events to commemorate the occasion, including Sunday's dyeing of the Edmon Low Library fountain, Tuesday's Harvest Carnival & Chili Cook-Off, Wednesday's Hester Street Painting, Friday's Homecoming & Hoops after Walkaround and Saturday morning's Sea of Orange Parade down Main Street. For a full list of activities, visit the OSU Alumni Association website, orangeconnection.org/homecoming.

In the Rankings
The Oklahoma State football team is not ranked, but is receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 and the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll this week. Through the 2022 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 13 of the past 15 seasons and has reached the top 10 in 11 of those 15 years. Although the first College Football Playoff rankings won't be released until November 1, it's worth noting that OSU has been part of the CFP rankings in seven of the past eight seasons entering 2023. Cincinnati is not ranked.

The Series
Saturday's game marks the fourth meeting between Oklahoma State and Cincinnati in a series that has been contested in 1958, 1959 and 1983. The Cowboys own a 2-1 all-time series advantage. Cincinnati won the only game that has been played in Stillwater in 1959, but the Cowboys won both of the matchups they played on the road, including the last game played in the series in 1983 by a score of 27-17. Mike Gundy has never coached against Cincinnati and UC Scott Satterfield has never coached against Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State from a Distance
The Oklahoma State football team is now in a four-way tie for second place in the Big 12 standings. The Cowboys are coming off three straight wins against three of the best teams they have faced to this point, defeating Kansas State, 29-21; No. 23 Kansas, 39-32; and West Virginia, 48-34. The Cowboy defense produced eight total turnovers in those three wins while the offense has only turned it over twice during that stretch. The breakout star of the team has been sophomore running back Ollie Gordon II, who has produced four consecutive 100-yard rushing games and now ranks among the top 10 FBS players in rushing yards per game, all-purpose yards per game and rushing yards per carry. He recorded 282 rushing yards in the most recent game against West Virginia to rank as the most for any FBS player in any game this season, and the game before that produced the only 100-plus yard rushing and receiving game in the FBS this year with 168 rushing yards and 116 receiving yards against Kansas. It was a historic performance, as no other FBS player in the past seven seasons has reached those rushing and receiving totals in the same game. If Ollie Gordon II keeps doing what he's done so far this season, he should be looked at as a serious contender for the Doak Walker Award and more. Quarterback Alan Bowman has also impressed since taking over as the full-time starting quarterback, averaging 264.75 passing yards per game and accounting for seven total touchdowns in the four games he has played as the full-time starter. Linebackers Nickolas Martin and Collin Oliver and safety Kendal Daniels have been the biggest defensive playmakers this year, as Martin leads the Big 12 in total tackles, Daniels leads the Big 12 in fumbles recovered and Oliver leads the Big 12 in fumbles forced. Another notable Cowboy this season is placekicker Alex Hale. The Australian senior is making a case for the Groza Award as he ranks second in the FBS with 2.43 made field goals per game and ranks No. 6 in the FBS in scoring with 10.3 points per game. He has also made all three of his attempts from longer than 50 yards this year and is one of three FBS kickers with three makes longer than 50 yards.

An Oklahoma State Win Would ...
• Make it bowl eligible for an 18th straight year, extending a school-record streak and the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.
• Improve its record in Homecoming games to 58-38-6. It would also give the Cowboys wins in seven of their past eight and 13 of their past 16 on Homecoming.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record in October games to 50-21.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record in home games to 93-29.
• Improve its record against Cincinnati to 3-1 and its record vs. UC in Stillwater to 1-1.
• Give it back-to-back wins against Cincinnati, with wins in 1983 and 2023.
• Give it wins in 18 of its past 20 and 21 of its past 24 games played at Boone Pickens Stadium.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record against Cincinnati to 1-0.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record in Big 12 games to 99-62. The 99 career Big 12 wins would move him past Mack Brown to stand alone with the third-most in the history of the conference.
• Make it 27-10 in its past 37 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season.
• Make it 91-23 in its past 114 games vs. opponents outside of the AP Top 25, dating to 2010.

Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game
• Ollie Gordon II has rushed for more than 100 yards in four straight games.
• OSU has only turned the ball over two times in the past three games.
• The Cowboys have forced eight turnovers in the past three games.
• OSU has held 32 of its past 37 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game.
• OSU has won 84 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003 – the longest active stretch of time in the FBS and longest since at least 1980. Including games when opponents have scored 20 points or fewer, the streak begins at the same date and includes 91 games.
• The Cowboy defense has produced a shutout half in two games this season.
• OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 36 of its past 51 games.
• OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50% third down conversion rate in 42 of its past 45 games.
• OSU is 36-16 in its past 52 games decided by fewer than 10 points.
• OSU is 46-8 in its past 54 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.
• Dating back to 2005, OSU is 48-4 when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, OSU is 78-8 when winning the turnover battle.
• OSU has won three of its past five overtime games.
• Over the past 44 games, OSU has held opponents to 202-for-676 (29.9%) on third down.

Game Notes: Oklahoma State Hosts Cincinnati for Homecoming

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Players Mentioned

Alan Bowman

Kendal Daniels

Ollie Gordon II

Alex Hale

Nick Martin

Collin Oliver

Oklahoma State University Athletics