Oklahoma State University Athletics
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Oklahoma
Cowboys Travel to Norman for Bedlam Dual
December 12, 2024 | Cowboy Wrestling
The Basics
The No. 3 Oklahoma State wrestling team returns to dual competition this weekend as it takes a short trip down I-35 to face in-state rival Oklahoma on Friday, December 13, at 7 p.m. CT. Having won all four of its duals and a team title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational to open the year, Oklahoma State is riding high as it looks for its 20th consecutive victory over the Sooners, which would tie the series record.
On the Air
Friday's dual is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT start and will be available for streaming on ESPN+ with Chad McKee and Jack Spates on the call. Rex Holt also returns as the voice of Cowboy wrestling to provide live radio coverage, which will be carried on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live stats and results can be found on trackwrestling.com.
The Series
Friday marks the 189th all-time matchup in the Bedlam rivalry, by far Oklahoma State's most against any opponent. The series dates back over 100 years to 1920, when OSU crushed the Sooners, 50-0, in a performance that still stands as the largest margin of victory ever between the two programs and the seventh largest in OSU history. Oklahoma State has maintained that level of dominance ever since, building a 151-27-10 lead in the series and winning the previous 19 matchups in a row. A victory on Friday would extend that streak to 20 and tie the series record set by OSU between 1969 and 1978. In that span, the Cowboys have won by an average margin of 20.1 and allowed Oklahoma to reach 15 points as a team just three times. Most recently, the 2023-24 campaign saw Oklahoma State sweep the season series by a combined score of 62-18, completing John Smith's legendary head coaching career with a 58-6-3 record against the Sooners. David Taylor will be looking to pick up his first win in the historic rivalry, while Sooner head coach Roger Kish is winless in three tries between his time at OU and North Dakota State. The series now returns to Norman, where the Cowboys have won eight straight and lost just one time since 2008.
About the Cowboys
The 2024 offseason sparked a new era for Oklahoma State as longtime head coach John Smith announced his retirement and wrestling legend David Taylor was hired as the eighth head coach in program history. Excitement has been buzzing for Taylor's first year ever since, especially after OSU's impressive 4-0 start to the dual season and dominant title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational over the weekend. There, the Cowboys put together a whole team effort as they ran through wrestling's toughest regular season tournament and took first with 192 team points, just short of the record total set by OSU in 1983 (198.25). Oklahoma State also became the first team since 1999 to place its entire lineup on the podium, as well as the first since that same 1983 squad to have nine wrestlers finish in the top four. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have been just as commanding in all four of its dual victories, winning 33 of 40 bouts and surpassing 30 team points each time out. Still ranked third as a team by the NWCA, the OSU lineup currently features six wrestlers ranked in the top six and a top 20 representative at every weight class, giving it all the pieces necessary to contend for a team trophy this upcoming March.
National finalist Dustin Plott is back at 184 pounds to lead perhaps the deepest lineup throughout his time in Stillwater. The three-time All-American has opened his season with wins in seven of his first eight matches and needs just one more victory to become the 46th wrestler in program history to reach 100 total for his career. He also needs just two more technical falls to crack the program's career top 10 list, currently sitting with 16.
Newcomers Dean Hamiti Jr. and Wyatt Hendrickson both won individual titles in Las Vegas to improve their records to 9-0. Hamiti has scored bonus points eight times thus far, while Hendrickson compiled three pins at CKLV to earn the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award. Also ranked third is returning 125-pounder Troy Spratley, who is off to a tremendous start to the year with a 9-1 record and a pair of wins over the weight's second-ranked wrestler.
The rest of the Cowboy lineup is balanced out by several proven veterans who have each qualified for the national tournament at least once. Tagen Jamison received the highest ranking of his career this week (No. 4) thanks to his runner-up finish in Vegas, while Cameron Amine pulled out multiple tight matches to also reach the championship match. Luke Surber's third-place performance pushed him into the No. 10 spot this week, giving Oklahoma State seven wrestlers ranked in the top 10.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Make OSU 5-0 overall; 4-0 in Big 12 duals; 3-0 against ranked opponents; 3-0 on the road
• Extend OSU's Bedlam win streak to 20, tied for the longest in series history
• Improve OSU's record against Oklahoma to 152-27-10 and 66-15-8 in Norman
• Mark OSU's ninth straight win against Oklahoma in Norman
• Give David Taylor his first win against Oklahoma as a head coach
• Extend OSU's win streak against Big 12 teams to 15 and make it 20-1 in its last 21 conference matchups
• Make OSU 15-1 in its past 16 duals against ranked opponents
• Give OSU nine straight wins on the road
• Improve OSU's record to 35-4 in its past 39 duals overall
Players Mentioned
