Cowboys Set for the Gateway First Bank Turnpike Classic

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The Basics
The Oklahoma State football team (2-0 overall; 0-0 Big 12) travels to Tulsa (1-1 overall; 0-0 American) for the Gateway First Bank Turnpike Classic on Saturday, September 14. It marks the Cowboys' first road game of 2024, with kickoff at H.A. Chapman Stadium set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

On the Air
The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins, Rod Gilmore and Lauren Sisler 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.

In the Rankings
The Oklahoma State football team is ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 14 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. It continues a run of OSU being ranked in every season since 2008. Including the 2024 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 15 of the past 17 seasons and has reached the top 10 in 11 of those 17 years. Although the first College Football Playoff rankings won't be released until November 5, it's worth noting that OSU has been part of the CFP rankings in eight of the past nine seasons entering 2024. The Cowboys have also been included in 43 of the 60 all-time CFP Rankings, which is tied for the eighth-most appearances in the country. Tulsa is not ranked in either poll.

The Gateway First Bank Turnpike Classic
Oklahoma State and Tulsa have a series that includes 76 matchups and dates back to 1914. The only school that Oklahoma State has faced more often than TU is Oklahoma. The Cowboys have won nine straight games in the series, including a 28-23 win in Stillwater in the last meeting during the 2021 season. OSU leads the all-time series, 44-27-5, with Tulsa holding a 21-16-2 edge in games played in Tulsa. OSU coach Mike Gundy holds a 6-0 record against the Golden Hurricane, while TU coach Kevin Wilson has never faced the Cowboys as a head coach. The schools are in the midst of an eight-year scheduling agreement that begins this season. The two teams, separated by just 72 miles, will meet annually from 2024 until 2031, with Tulsa hosting at H.A. Chapman Stadium in even years and OSU hosting in Boone Pickens Stadium in odd years.

Oklahoma State from a Distance
Oklahoma State is 2-0 after defeating back-to-back defending FCS national champions South Dakota State in the season opener and then following that with a comeback win over Arkansas in the second game of the season. Heisman Trophy candidate Ollie Gordon II ranked fifth in the FBS with four rushing touchdowns so far, and has totaled 215 yards from scrimmage through two games. Quarterback Alan Bowman is seventh in the FBS with 25.5 completions per game, and his top targets Brennan Presley, Rashod Owens and De'Zhaun Stribling have all showed they are capable of making big plays. On the defensive side, safety Trey Rucker leads all FBS players with 32 total tackles, grabbing 15 in the opener and 17 against the Razorbacks. Preseason All-America linebacker Nick Martin also has double-digit tackles in both games this season, and his 4.5 tackles for loss against Arkansas rank as the most for an FBS player in a game this season and the most for a Big 12 player in game since 2020. On special teams, kicker Logan Ward is 6-for-7 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 52, and his 3.00 made field goals per game ranks No. 1 in the nation.

Continued Success
• Entering 2024, Oklahoma State has made 18th consecutive bowl appearances and secured 18th consecutive winning season, both school-record streaks. OSU's bowl streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the FBS, and the is longest active streak for any school with the same head coach.
• Mike Gundy has coached the Cowboys to five New Year's Six bowl games since the 2009 season. The Pokes appeared in the 2010 Cotton Bowl, the 2012 Fiesta Bowl, the 2014 Cotton Bowl, the 2016 Sugar Bowl and the 2022 Fiesta Bowl.
• Since 2010, Oklahoma State has eight seasons with at least 10 wins, an outright Big 12 title (2011), a share of the Big 12 South title (2010) and two more appearances in the conference championship game. OSU reached the top 10 of the Associated Press poll in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
• Oklahoma State is one of only four teams to post a winning season every year since 2010, joining Alabama, Boise State and Wisconsin. It is one of only two Power Five teams with winning seasons each of the past 18 years, joined by Wisconsin.
• Including 2024, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 15 of the past 17 seasons and reached the top 10 in 11 of those 17 years.
• Entering 2024, OSU has finished in the top three of the Big 12 in four of the past five seasons and has finished in the top three 10 times in the 13 seasons since the conference moved away from divisions.

An Oklahoma State Win Would ...
• Make it 3-0 for the seventh time in the past eight years and for the 14th time in the Mike Gundy era.
• Give it wins in 11 of its past 13 games.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record in September games to 58-14.
• Make it 10-7 in its past 17 road games.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record in non-conference games to 67-16.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record against teams not currently in Power 4 conferences to 47-3.
• Improve Mike Gundy's record against current members of the American Athletic Conference to 14-0.
• Improve its all-time record against Tulsa to 45-27-5 and its record at Tulsa to 17-21-2.
• Mark its 10th straight over Tulsa and its 14th win in the past 16 meetings with TU.
• Make it 28-5 in its past 33 non-conference games and 50-11 in its past 61 non-conference games.
• Make it 34-12 in its past 46 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season.
• Make it 160-74 in its history when playing as an AP-ranked team.
• Make it 147-44 in its history when playing as a higher AP-ranked team than its opponent.
• Make it 97-24 in its past 121 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 10 of the past 13 games.
• OSU is 12-0 in the past 12 games when winning or tying the turnover battle.
• OSU's offensive line has not allowed a sack in eight of its past 12 games.
• OSU has held 34 of its past 43 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game.
• OSU has won 85 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 93 games.
• OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 42 of its past 60 games.
• OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50% third down conversion rate in 48 of its past 54 games.
• OSU is 40-16 in its past 56 games decided by fewer than 10 points.
• OSU is 50-8 in its past 58 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.
• Dating back to 2005, OSU is 49-4 when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, OSU is 82-8 when winning the turnover battle.
• OSU has won five of its past seven overtime games.
• Over the past 51 games, OSU has held opponents to 254-for-801 (31.7%) on third down.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alan Bowman

Ollie Gordon II

Nick Martin

Rashod Owens

Brennan Presley

Trey Rucker

De’Zhaun Stribling

Logan Ward

Oklahoma State University Athletics