Cowboys Set to Close Homestand, Visit Top-Five Missouri Over the Weekend

The Basics
The third-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team (10-0 overall; 5-0 Big 12) is set for another busy weekend, first closing its homestand at Gallagher-Iba Arena against No. 24 Arizona State on Friday, February 2, before making a quick trip to Columbia, Mo., to take on No. 5 Missouri just two days later. Last weekend, the Cowboys took down a pair of ranked opponents in No. 22 Northern Iowa on Friday and No. 4 Iowa State the very next night. Now sitting at 10-0, Oklahoma State is one of just three undefeated teams in the country, and its No. 3 spot in the NWCA Coaches Poll is its highest ranking in two years (No. 3 on January 31, 2022). Throughout the month of January, the Cowboys went a perfect 6-0 with all six wins coming against ranked opponents, including two over top-five teams. OSU enters this weekend looking for its ninth and 10th ranked wins of the season. A victory on Sunday would give Oklahoma State its third win over a top-five team, its first time doing so since 2011-12.

On the Air
Oklahoma State's dual on Friday against Arizona State will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, while Sunday's contest with Missouri will be available for streaming on FloWrestling. On Friday, J. Carl Guymon and Hardell Moore will have the call, while Beau Baehman and Matt Manley are slated for Sunday. Both duals can also be heard on the radio as Rex Holt provides coverage on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live stats and results will be provided on trackwrestling.com, as well as okstate.statbroadcast.com on Friday night.

The Series: Arizona State
Oklahoma State and Arizona State have previously battled 43 times in the all-time series, with the Cowboys taking all but four of those contests. Friday marks the two programs' first meeting in a decade, however, as they have not competed since February 21, 2014, at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys secured a 29-10 win in that matchup, claiming seven of 10 matches. Arizona State's last win over OSU came nearly 30 years ago on February 3, 1993, with a tight 24-20 victory in Tempe. The series now returns to Stillwater, where the Cowboys hold a perfect 20-0 record in the series. Head coach John Smith is 21-1 against the Sun Devils, while Zeke Jones dropped his only attempt against the Cowboys back in 2012 as head coach at Pennsylvania.

The Series: Missouri
Sunday's meeting between Oklahoma State and Missouri will be the 55th dual matchup in the long-standing series. OSU has had Missouri's number for most of the all-time series, holding a wide 45-8-1 lead. The Tigers have tightened the gap under head coach Brian Smith, who's been at the helm for all eight of Missouri's wins over the Cowboys. The series has gotten even tighter as of late, as each of the last two duals have been decided by a single point. In 2022, Missouri stormed back from an early 12-0 deficit to defeat OSU, 21-20, behind a pair of pins in the final three matches. Last season, the Cowboys beat No. 8 Missouri, 17-16, due to a criteria point earned via total match points scored. In the match of the night, 197-pounder Luke Surber upset top-ranked Rocky Elam en route to the team victory. Oklahoma State is 17-3-1 in Columbia, while coach Smith holds a 26-8-1 record overall against the Tigers.

About the Cowboys
Oklahoma State moved into the top-three of the NWCA Coaches Poll on Tuesday for its highest ranking since January 31, 2022, after defeating No. 22 Northern Iowa and No. 4 Iowa State last weekend. Sitting at 10-0, the Cowboys are one of three undefeated teams in the country and the highest-ranked team in the Big 12. OSU owns eight ranked wins on the year and continues its tough schedule with another pair of ranked opponents this weekend. The Cowboys are 15-1 in their last 16 duals overall, and will be looking for their third top-five win of the season on Sunday, which would be their first time doing so since 2011-12.

Returning All-Americans and Big 12 champions Daton Fix and Dustin Plott lead the Cowboy lineup alongside Izzak Olejnik, who finished eighth at 165 pounds last season at Northern Illinois. The trio has impressed throughout Oklahoma State's 10-0 run, each climbing into the top-three of their respective weight classes and combining for a 45-4 record. Newcomers Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison have provided a much-needed spark at the lower weights around Fix. Spratley is 15-4 at 125 pounds and sits just outside the top-10 at No. 11 in FloWrestling's latest poll, while Jamison is currently a consensus top-10 wrestler at 141 pounds with five top-10 wins. Teague Travis has been a key piece in the Cowboy lineup at 157 pounds, compiling a 14-2 record and winning his match in nine of 10 duals thus far. Rounding out the lineup, Konner Doucet has put together a solid junior season at 14-3 with a pair of top-10 wins. Doucet came in at No. 7 in the first coaches' rankings, which were released on January 22.

A Pair of Oklahoma State Wins Would...
• Make OSU 12-0 for the first time since 2018-19
• Make OSU 10-0 against ranked opponents; 6-0 in the Big 12; 6-0 at home; 6-0 on the road
• Give John Smith 488 wins as head coach, four shy of Harold Nichols for second-most all-time
• Improve OSU's record against Arizona State to 40-4 and 21-0 in Stillwater
• Improve OSU's record against Missouri to 46-8-1 and 18-3-1 in Columbia
• Improve OSU's record to 5-1 in its last six duals against top-10 opponents
• Make OSU 13-1 in its last 14 duals against ranked opponents
• Make OSU 15-1 in its last 16 duals against Big 12 opponents
• Make OSU 17-1 in its last 18 duals
• Give OSU three top-five wins in a season for the first time since 2011-12
• Improve John Smith's record against Arizona State to 22-1; Missouri to 27-8-1

Cowboys Set to Close Homestand, Visit Top-Five Missouri Over the Weekend

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Players Mentioned

Konner Doucet

Daton Fix

Tagen Jamison

Izzak Olejnik

Dustin Plott

Troy Spratley

Luke Surber

Teague Travis

Oklahoma State University Athletics