JimBob
11-02-2008, 08:49 AM
OSU Notebook
By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer
11/2/2008
OSU-Texas Tech kickoff time set: The Oklahoma State-Texas Tech game Saturday in Lubbock will kick off at 7 p.m. and be televised by ABC (KTUL channel 8).
The matchup will be for at least a share of the lead in the Big 12 South standings. Texas Tech improved to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big 12 after a 39- 33 win over No. 1 Texas late Saturday.
Oklahoma State is 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12 after a win over Iowa State.
Holiday likes OSU: Holiday Bowl selection committee member Eric Graves attended Saturday’s OSU victory and left impressed with the Cowboys.
The Dec. 30 game in San Diego is the third bowl in the Big 12’s pecking order of the eight games the conference is aligned with. Graves said OSU ranks high with the Holiday Bowl committee.
“Our opinion is that we like fresh blood,” Graves said. “Texas has been in our game four times this decade. They don’t want us and we don’t want them.
OSU would be a good, fresh team for us.”
OSU made its only Holiday Bowl appearance in 1988. That 1988 team and the 1987 Sun Bowl team were honored at Saturday’s game.
Kickoff coverage issues: Iowa State freshman Leonard Johnson gave Oklahoma State fits with kickoff returns in the Cowboys’ 59-17 victory Saturday.
Johnson broke the major college football single-game record for kickoff return yards with 319. Johnson had returns of 72, 73 and 48 yards. The longest kickoff return OSU had allowed this season was 41 yards.
“Honestly, that was the worst (day) since I’ve been on kickoff coverage,” said Terrance Anderson. “Throughout the whole game I was wondering why we were looking so bad on kickoff coverage.”
OSU coach Mike Gundy was disappointed by the coverage unit’s performance and said he and the coaching staff knew where the breakdowns were taking place. Gundy, though, declined to reveal what those busts were.
“We’ll work hard this week to correct that,” Gundy said.
Clemson’s Justin Miller set the previous Football Bowl Subdivision record of 282 yards against Florida State on Sept. 25, 2004.
OSU: Report card
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
11/2/2008
Offense: A
The Cowboys finished with 682 total yards (10.5 per play) and scored eight touchdowns. Dez Bryant’s remarkable season continued with a nine-catch, 171- yard, four-TD performance. Zac Robinson had the second-best total-offense day — 461 yards—in school history.
Robinson averaged nearly 22 yards per completion. Jeremy Broadway scored on a 95-yard pass play (the longest pass play in school history). On the ground, Kendall Hunter scored on a 36-yard run and had a fairly quiet total of 104 rushing yards.
Defense: B
The Cowboys forced a turnover on three consecutive Iowa State possessions.
Over its past six games, OSU has forced 17 turnovers. Cornerbacks Perrish Cox and Terrance Anderson each had an interception on Saturday, while tackle Jeray Chatham had a fumble recovery.
End Jeremiah Price recorded two tackles behind the line of scrimmage. OSU tackled poorly during the first half.
Special teams: F
Oklahoma State entered the game as the second-best kickoff-coverage team in the Big 12. Iowa State had been ranked No.
9 in the league in kickoff returns. But on Saturday, the Cowboy coverage unit was awful. With 319 yards on nine returns, Cyclone freshman Leonard Johnson broke the Division I-A record for single-game kickoff-return yardage. Dan Bailey connected on a 39-yard field goal.
By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer
11/2/2008
OSU-Texas Tech kickoff time set: The Oklahoma State-Texas Tech game Saturday in Lubbock will kick off at 7 p.m. and be televised by ABC (KTUL channel 8).
The matchup will be for at least a share of the lead in the Big 12 South standings. Texas Tech improved to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big 12 after a 39- 33 win over No. 1 Texas late Saturday.
Oklahoma State is 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12 after a win over Iowa State.
Holiday likes OSU: Holiday Bowl selection committee member Eric Graves attended Saturday’s OSU victory and left impressed with the Cowboys.
The Dec. 30 game in San Diego is the third bowl in the Big 12’s pecking order of the eight games the conference is aligned with. Graves said OSU ranks high with the Holiday Bowl committee.
“Our opinion is that we like fresh blood,” Graves said. “Texas has been in our game four times this decade. They don’t want us and we don’t want them.
OSU would be a good, fresh team for us.”
OSU made its only Holiday Bowl appearance in 1988. That 1988 team and the 1987 Sun Bowl team were honored at Saturday’s game.
Kickoff coverage issues: Iowa State freshman Leonard Johnson gave Oklahoma State fits with kickoff returns in the Cowboys’ 59-17 victory Saturday.
Johnson broke the major college football single-game record for kickoff return yards with 319. Johnson had returns of 72, 73 and 48 yards. The longest kickoff return OSU had allowed this season was 41 yards.
“Honestly, that was the worst (day) since I’ve been on kickoff coverage,” said Terrance Anderson. “Throughout the whole game I was wondering why we were looking so bad on kickoff coverage.”
OSU coach Mike Gundy was disappointed by the coverage unit’s performance and said he and the coaching staff knew where the breakdowns were taking place. Gundy, though, declined to reveal what those busts were.
“We’ll work hard this week to correct that,” Gundy said.
Clemson’s Justin Miller set the previous Football Bowl Subdivision record of 282 yards against Florida State on Sept. 25, 2004.
OSU: Report card
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
11/2/2008
Offense: A
The Cowboys finished with 682 total yards (10.5 per play) and scored eight touchdowns. Dez Bryant’s remarkable season continued with a nine-catch, 171- yard, four-TD performance. Zac Robinson had the second-best total-offense day — 461 yards—in school history.
Robinson averaged nearly 22 yards per completion. Jeremy Broadway scored on a 95-yard pass play (the longest pass play in school history). On the ground, Kendall Hunter scored on a 36-yard run and had a fairly quiet total of 104 rushing yards.
Defense: B
The Cowboys forced a turnover on three consecutive Iowa State possessions.
Over its past six games, OSU has forced 17 turnovers. Cornerbacks Perrish Cox and Terrance Anderson each had an interception on Saturday, while tackle Jeray Chatham had a fumble recovery.
End Jeremiah Price recorded two tackles behind the line of scrimmage. OSU tackled poorly during the first half.
Special teams: F
Oklahoma State entered the game as the second-best kickoff-coverage team in the Big 12. Iowa State had been ranked No.
9 in the league in kickoff returns. But on Saturday, the Cowboy coverage unit was awful. With 319 yards on nine returns, Cyclone freshman Leonard Johnson broke the Division I-A record for single-game kickoff-return yardage. Dan Bailey connected on a 39-yard field goal.