Oklahoma
CU Buffs opponent preview: Experienced Oklahoma State takes aim at Big 12 title
At a time in college sports where player movement is more prevalent than ever, Oklahoma State’s football team might be an anomaly.
Head coach Mike Gundy comes into his 20th season with the Cowboys and they are loaded with experience and returning starters.
With 10 starters back on offense and 10 on defense, Oklahoma State could be the best team in the Big 12 and one of the top teams in the country.
This summer, BuffZone is previewing each of Colorado’s opponents for the 2024 season and in this final installment we look at Oklahoma State, which will visit Boulder for the season finale on Nov. 29.
Gundy, a former OSU quarterback, went 4-7 in his first season leading the Cowboys (2005), but has taken them to 18 consecutive bowl games since then. It’s the sixth-longest active bowl streak, with only Georgia, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Alabama and Clemson enjoying longer streaks.
This season, the Cowboys return almost everybody from a team that went 10-4 last year and played in the Big 12 title game.
“It was really fun this spring to move quickly through terminology from a football standpoint,” Gundy said recently in an interview with ESPN. “Last year we had 28 new players.”
One of those new players last year was quarterback Alan Bowman, who transferred in from Michigan. Bowman wound up as the starter, but not until after the Cowboys used three different quarterbacks early.
The Cowboys averaged just 29.6 points per game last year, the first time they finished under 30 since 2014. Gundy feels that will improve with Bowman back and firmly entrenched as the starter.
“We put a lot on our quarterbacks,” he said. “We ask them to put us in the best situation. We’ll have more availability with that this fall than we did last year because we were rotating guys through. Bowman has come though and had a terrific spring for us. He now understands our system. I think he’s very comfortable in communication and understanding where we want to attack the defense.”
It certainly helps that Bowman can hand off to last year’s Big 12 offensive player of the year, running back Ollie Gordon II, and has the entire offensive line back.
The receiver room is stacked, too, with Brennan Presley (101 catches last year) leading the way. The Cowboys should also get a boost from De’Zhaun Stribling. A transfer from Washington State last year, he missed the last 11 games with an injury. In two seasons at WSU, he caught 95 passes for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Defensively last year the Cowboys were 10th in the Big 12 in points allowed (28.6) and last in yards allowed (441.8). Ten players with starting experience are back, though, including a pair of linebackers – Nick Martin and Collins Oliver – who are among the best in the Big 12.
OSU will lean on its defensive line, led by nose tackle Justin Kirkland, to take some steps forward in order for the defense to improve as a whole.
Under Gundy, the Cowboys have been a virtual lock to post a winning season and get to a bowl. But, with a boatload of experience on both sides of the ball, the Cowboys are gunning for much more than just getting to the postseason. A Big 12 title and spot in the expanded college football playoff are realistic goals.
“We all know that we have the potential to be really good, so we just got to put the work in, come together as one and we’re going to be really good,” Bowman said during spring practices.
“Obviously we’re coming back to do one thing and that’s to win a Big 12 championship and to make the College Football Playoff. I think that’s the goal that everybody has, to take what we learned last year and use everything that we’ve done to be able to launch us forward into (this season).”
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Head coach: Mike Gundy, 20th season (166-79)
2023 season: 10-4, 7-2 Big 12; Beat Texas A&M in Texas Bowl
Series with CU: Buffs lead 26-20-1
The Game
Who: Oklahoma State at Colorado Buffaloes
When: Friday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. MT (ABC)
Where: Folsom Field in Boulder
5 Guys to Watch
QB Alan Bowman: A transfer from Michigan a year ago, he started 13 games and completed 60.7% of his passes for 3,460 yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns. In his collegiate career, he has thrown for 8,789 yards and 49 touchdowns.
RB Ollie Gordon II: The offensive player of the year in the Big 12 in 2023, he led the country with 1,732 rushing yards and was second in rushing touchdowns (21). He was also a big part of the passing game, finishing third on the team with 39 receptions for 330 yards.
LB Nick Martin: A first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2023, he ranked sixth nationally with 140 tackles, while also record 16 tackles for loss, six sacks and two interceptions.
LB Collin Oliver: Named by the media as a preseason choice for the All-Big 12 team. Last year, he was second-team all-conference after posting 73 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, six sacks, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
WR Brennan Presley: The 5-foot-8, 160-pound senior is the go-to target for Bowman. Last year, he caught 101 passes (tied for third nationally) for 991 yards and six touchdowns, while also handling punt and kick return duties. In his career, he has 225 catches for 2,548 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Good to know
• CU and OSU were previously conference rivals from 1960-2010. The two teams met every year from 1960-1997. CU’s last win in the series came in 2005. OSU has won the last three meetings, matching its longest win streak in the series.
• Oklahoma State made its first-ever Big 12 title game appearance in 2021 (losing to Baylor) and made a return trip last year (losing to Texas). OSU is the only team to reach the title game twice in the last three years.
• Quarterback Alan Bowman will be in his seventh season of college football, as he was granted a medical hardship waiver for a season-ending injury three games into the 2019 season. He played three seasons at Texas Tech (2018-20) and was a seven-game starter as a true freshman. He made 16 starts with the Red Raiders before playing two seasons (2021-22) at Michigan, where he threw just 11 passes.
• In 2023, Oklahoma State reached the 10-win mark for the eighth time in the last 14 seasons (2010-23). From 1901-2009, OSU had just three 10-win seasons.
• Last year, seven different offensive linemen combined for 70 starts, with each of them getting at least three starts. All seven are back for the Cowboys, including preseason first-team All-Big 12 choices Dalton Cooper (tackle) and Joe Michalski (center).
• While the Cowboys are loaded with returning starters, they will have a new kicker. Alex Hale, was second-team All-Big 12 last year, has graduated. Junior Logan Ward is taking over those duties. He has been the kickoff specialist the last two years, handled punting duties in 2022 and was 7-for-7 on extra points last year.
• Punter Hudson Kaak is back. He averaged 39.7 yards per kick last year, landing 20 of his 38 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Portal movement
OSU lost 11 players to the transfer portal, only one of which who started last year: receiver Jaden Bray, who caught 30 passes for 382 yards and is now at West Virginia. The other key loss was cornerback DJ McKinney (38 tackles, five pass breakups), now at CU. Running back Jaden Nixon and receiver Blaine Green (Stephen F. Austin) were also contributors last year. The Cowboys have added eight scholarship players through the portal, mainly to fill out some depth. Running back Trent Howland rushed for 354 yards at Indiana last year, while AJ Green ran for 951 yards in three seasons at Arkansas. At receiver Gavin Freeman (Oklahoma) and Da’Wain Lofton (Virginia Tech) should be in the rotation. Defensive end Obi Ezeigbo (Gannon University) could be a solid addition up front.
Putnam City West High School will shift to virtual learning on Tuesday after an incident involving two students prompted an investigation by the district and Oklahoma City police, according to Putnam City Schools.
District officials said administrators were alerted near the end of the school day Monday to an altercation involving two students in the school’s arena area.
Officials said the students left campus, and the case was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for investigation.
District officials said no students or staff were harmed and there is no ongoing safety threat related to the incident.
What we know
Putnam City West sent the following email to all families and staff at the school:
All PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st.
Today, an isolated serious incident involving two students occurred on school grounds. Near the end of the school day, administrators were alerted to an altercation between two students in the arena area. The individuals involved quickly left campus, prompting an initial fact-finding response by school administrators before the matter was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for further investigation. Because this is an active investigation involving students, no further information will be released at this time.
We understand this information may be concerning to students, staff, and families. Please know we are committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. At Putnam City Schools, student and staff safety remains our highest priority. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and to allow for a thorough investigation, all PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st. Students will need to check Google Classroom for updates from teachers.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of PC West.
Putnam City Schools
All students and staff at Putnam City West will transition to virtual learning on Tuesday, April 21, while investigators continue their work, according to the district.
Students were told to check Google Classroom for instructions from teachers.
The district said it is withholding additional details because the case involves students and remains under investigation.
School officials have not said what triggered the incident or whether any arrests have been made.
This is a developing story. Updates will be added as more information becomes available.
TULSA, OKLA (KTUL) — A new program in Oklahoma is giving adults another way to finish high school by allowing them to use past credits and test scores to earn a diploma, an option officials say could help thousands of people and strengthen the state’s workforce.
For years, adults in Oklahoma who did not finish high school largely had one main option: earning a GED. Now, Oklahoma CareerTech is rolling out the Career Readiness Diploma, a pathway designed to build on what students have already completed rather than requiring them to start over.
“So in Oklahoma right now, if you look at the demographics, we have about 279,000 people in our state without a high school diploma. So it’s almost 10% of our population doesn’t have a high school diploma,” said Lance Allee, an adult education and family literacy specialist with Oklahoma CareerTech.
Allee said the program allows adults to apply previously earned high school credit and combine different assessment scores into a single record to qualify for a diploma.
“It allows the student to use previously earned high school credit. So, it’s kind of like a portfolio where you can take multiple assessment scores and put them into one portfolio to get your high school diploma,” Allee said.
The program is open to adults 21 and older. In some cases, officials said, participants can finish in just weeks, depending on how many credits they already have.
CareerTech officials say the program is also aimed at improving job prospects for individuals while helping Oklahoma remain competitive when attracting employers.
“When you’re a company and you’re looking at moving into Oklahoma, you look at the demographics and say, is there a workforce there that we can employ? And you say, well, about 10% of the population doesn’t have a diploma, they may start looking at states that surround us. So, we definitely want to get as many diplomas out there as we can,” Allee said.
The program started issuing diplomas in recent weeks, and officials said dozens more people are already in the process. For more information or to sign up click here.
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NORMAN — Cord Rager’s return comes at a pivotal time for Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma Sooners. Not only do they get their day three starter back in time for big road matchups against Auburn and Arkansas on the horizon, but the Sooners pitching strength, their rotational depth, is primed and ready for the test.
The freshman lefty finished with eight strikeouts and only gave up one hit in only 65 pitches before his day ended in the sixth.
No. 14 Oklahoma earn its first conference sweep of the season, defeating Missouri 8-4. It was OU’s fourth conference series win.
Oklahoma (27-12, 10-8) put their best foot forward as they turn the page to the meat of their schedule where they will do battle against No. 13, No. 20 and No. 16 over the next three weeks — two of those series’ on the road.
Four runs in five hits in the second got things rolling for the Sooners.
Camden Johnson continued his brilliant play of late with a triple in the second. This came after a Brenden Brock solo home run to put OU up 1-0. Deiten LaChance grounded out to short but scored Johnson. Dasan Harris and and Nolan Stevens each found home before the inning ended.
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OU found fortune from the plate again in the fourth. Four runs off of four hits highlighted by a three-run home run by Johnson put Oklahoma up 8-0. It was Johnson’s seventh home run of the season, second on the team behind Brock’s nine.
Trent Collier got the nod in the sixth to relieve Rager.
In the seventh, Missouri finally got on the board for the first time since the ninth inning of Friday night’s Sooner victory. Cam Durnin hit a solo shot — his fourht of the season — to make the score 8-1 in favor of the home team.
The Tigers got their third hit of the game shortly after. From there, Collier’s short day was done. Gavyn Jones came on to relieve
LaChance missed a home run by inches when Tiger center fielder Kaden Peer made a leaping catch, jumping into the fence.
In the eighth, the Tigers continued to chip away. With bases loaded, Blaze Ward hit a basehit to score two Missouri base runners. OU led 8-3 heading into the final inning.
Harris led the Sooners with three hits. His day was accented by an RBI, stolen base and a run.
Oklahoma will travel to Auburn to take on the No. 13 Tigers for a three game series starting on Friday. Before that, they will host Oral Roberts for a midweek game at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. The Sooners won 4-0 against ORU earlier this season.
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