Oklahoma State University Athletics
Big Time: Justin Kirkland's First Game as a Cowboy
September 07, 2023 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Justin Kirkland found himself looking for his parents in his inaugural game at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, as he took in the cheers of the crowd for the first time as a Cowboy.
The sold-out crowd made that difficult. Kirkland, a nose tackle who transferred to Oklahoma State from Utah Tech, likely felt the impact of the roaring crowd from the second he ran through the tunnel. Utah Tech, a Division I FCS school located in St. George, Utah, averaged just under 4,000 fans per home game at Greater Zion Stadium in the 2022 season. In Oklahoma State's home opener against Central Arkansas, Boone Pickens Stadium was packed with almost 54,000 cheering fans to watch the Cowboys take on the Bears.
Kirkland said the fans and the atmosphere made the game fun to participate in, albeit a change of pace from what he was used to.
"I was talking with some of the dudes on the sideline like 'Oh my gosh, there's a lot of people here,'" Kirkland said.
The Roy, Utah, native had the summer to adjust to the climate and culture that comes with living in Stillwater. He said his parents, who live in Utah, will come to every home game this year. Kirkland said he considers Saturday's matchup against Arizona State a personal home game, thanks to the attendance of his family – and returning to a climate he's more accustomed to.
"This year, it'll be as close as I get," Kirkland said. "I got a lot of family going to this one. I'm excited to get back over there and back into the dry air with no humidity."
While the sophomore continues to acclimate to Stillwater humidity, he has bought into the culture that surrounds the Cowboys and Stillwater.
"The walk was awesome," Kirkland said. "I love Stillwater. I love the community and it was a ton of fun to see everybody come out."
In his first time in the orange and black, Kirkland helped pave the way defensively for the Cowboys, as the defensive unit wracked five sacks and nine tackles for loss. OSU is top 20 in the NCAA in both categories after week one. Kirkland also contributed to the Cowboys cause by batting a ball away at the line of scrimmage in the first quarter. Kirkland said he loves his role on the line and emphasized the team-oriented aspect of the defense, which shows in the way the team celebrates with each other.
"Watching back on film, I didn't realize how celebratory I was with everybody else," Kirkland said. "That's awesome. It's like a family and it really does feel like that out there."
OSU is set to take on ASU on Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. MST (9:30 p.m. CDT) and will be televised live on FS1.
