Oklahoma

CU Buffs opponent preview: Experienced Oklahoma State takes aim at Big 12 title

Published

1 year ago

July 7, 2024

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.

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy reacts with fans when leaving the field after an NCAA college football game against BYU Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Mitch Alcala)

“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

Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman looks to pass the ball against Texas A&M during the first half of the Texas Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

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.

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Oklahoma

Why Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Said John Mateer Was ‘Really Good’ vs. Missouri

Published

2 hours ago

November 23, 2025

Press Room

Why Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Said John Mateer Was ‘Really Good’ vs. Missouri

NORMAN — There were plenty of lowlights from John Mateer’s outing against Missouri on Saturday.

Of the 30 passes the Oklahoma quarterback threw, 16 of them went incomplete. He also nearly threw an interception early in the second half, when the Sooners led by just one score.

His final passing line — 14-of-30 for 173 yards and two touchdowns — wasn’t flashy. But it was good enough for No. 8 OU to beat the No. 22 Tigers 17-6.

“(He was) really good,” OU coach Brent Venables said. “Had to earn everything he was given. Made some really good plays. Every single one of his yards were earned, hard-earned yards.”

While Mateer was inconsistent, he made key plays when the Sooners needed them most.

Oklahoma punted on its first three drives and had minus-7 total yards of offense after the first quarter.

The Sooners were in danger of going three-and-out again on their fourth drive. But on third-and-7 from OU’s 13-yard line, Mateer hit wide receiver Isaiah Sategna in stride on a slant route, and Sategna took it 87 yards to the end zone for a touchdown.

“Really good job by John standing in there delivering the throw, and then Isaiah just turned on the burners going up the sideline,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “Really good execution on that play.”

Mateer said, “Really good design that Arbuckle came up with and we got man (coverage) like we wanted. And I knew there was a ‘backer underneath I had to navigate, and I did. Luckily, put it on his nose and he was able to run.”

Just a few minutes later, Mateer took advantage of favorable field position.

After a short Mizzou punt, the Sooners started their drive at the Tigers’ 35-yard line. Mateer led a seven-play scoring drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Javonnie Gibson.

Mateer’s two touchdown passes were enough on a day where the Sooners’ defense allowed Missouri to score just twice on two field goals.

“I’m incredibly proud of him,” Arbuckle said. “I’m proud of the way he leads, I’m proud of the way that he plays. Are there always things we can be better at? Absolutely. But John Mateer, he’s a great ball player.”

Neither offense played pretty football in the second half.

Oklahoma compiled only 138 total yards, and Missouri had even fewer at 122. Mateer completed only six of his 13 pass attempts, throwing for just 49 yards in the final 30 minutes.

Still, Mateer was crucial in helping OU salt away its win.

The Sooners scored just three second-half points, but they were able to register nine first downs, thanks largely to short passes and runs for decent gains. Mateer ended the game as OU’s leading rusher, finishing with 60 yards on 18 carries, and the quarterback’s legs allowed the clock to keep moving in the low-scoring contest.

“You just gotta put your head down and take a hit, you know?” Mateer said. “So I did it, and it was fun.”

Mateer still hasn’t been at his best since returning from injury against Texas on Oct. 11. The quarterback hasn’t thrown for more than 250 yards in a game since the Sooners’ win over Auburn on Sept. 20. He has thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions in the six games since the surgery on his right hand.

Still, there has been progress lately.

Mateer threw multiple touchdown passes on Saturday for the first time since OU’s season opener against Illinois State. He has also gone two games without turning the ball over. And, most importantly, Mateer has led the Sooners to three wins in a row, keeping them in the picture for the College Football Playoff.

Mateer has slowly but steadily improved in the back half of the season, and that gives Arbuckle confidence as OU prepares for LSU, its final opponent of the regular season.

“I mean, playing insanely tough, not turning the ball over, doing the little things that it takes to win and being a great teammate and a great leader,” Arbuckle said. “That’s how I’ve seen him progress and I expect nothing different from him as soon as we go back to work tomorrow. And I’m excited to watch him attack it.”

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Oklahoma

First Native woman drives Oklahoma’s iconic Sooner Schooner, a covered wagon mascot

Published

20 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

First Native woman drives Oklahoma’s iconic Sooner Schooner, a covered wagon mascot

For the first time in its 60-year history, the Sooner Schooner, the University of Oklahoma’s iconic covered wagon mascot, is being driven by a Native American woman.

Brianna Howard, a junior at OU and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, first drove the Schooner onto the field during the football team’s season opener against Illinois State.

“I only had a minute to get on the Schooner, get the reins and go,” Howard said Saturday before the Sooners’ game against Missouri in Norman. “I didn’t have enough time to get too nervous. When I went out there, it was amazing. I could not even hear the audience I was so zoned into driving.”

Members of the RUF/NEKS and the all-female spirit group Lil’ Sis take care of the Schooner and its ponies, and they take turns driving it during the game.

Members of the Oklahoma spirit groups drive the Sooner Schooner after a touchdown against Missouri during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Norman, Okla.

Alonzo Adams / AP

First introduced in 1964, the Sooner Schooner is pulled across the field before the game and after Oklahoma scores by matching white ponies named “Boomer” and “Sooner.”

Because the scaled-down Conestoga wagon is reminiscent of those pioneers used while settling Oklahoma Territory in the late 1800s, Howard acknowledged that some see the Schooner mascot as a symbol of oppression against Native people. But she said to her, driving the wagon represents taking ownership of that symbol.

“I know that for me, it’s a representation of taking back something that was used to oppress my people and my culture, and now that I’m in charge, it’s giving us the power,” she said. “Not everyone’s going to see it that way, and that’s OK.”

Jack Roehm, a senior at OU and president of the RUF/NEKS, drove the Schooner during Saturday’s game against Missouri and described the Sooner Schooner tradition as one of college football’s most unusual.

“It’s a historic tradition after every score having the ponies run across the field,” Roehm said. “There’s nothing like it in college football.”

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma Likely to Face Full Strength Missouri per Friday Availability Report

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma Likely to Face Full Strength Missouri per Friday Availability Report

It appears Oklahoma will get Missouri’s best shot.

The Tigers’ starting quarterback, Beau Pribula, was upgraded to available for Saturday’s showdown by not appearing on Friday’s SEC Availability Report.

Pribula suffered a lower leg injury in Missouri’s loss to Vanderbilt, and he hasn’t appeared since.

Pribula has completed 69.6 percent of his passes this year for 1,685 yards and 11 touchdowns, though he has thrown seven interceptions.

But the No. 22-ranked Tigers will likely have him back as they try to upend No. 8 Oklahoma’s season.

For the Sooners’ part, they’ll be working without a few pieces.

Defensive end R Mason Thomas and defensive back Gentry Williams were both downgraded from questionable to doubtful on the report.

Thomas injured his quad early in Oklahoma’s win over Tennessee in the process of returning Joey Aguilar’s fumble all the way back to the end zone for a touchdown.

Williams hasn’t featured since he exited on the first drive of OU’s win over South Carolina.

Running back Jovantae Barnes and offensive guard Heath Ozaeta were both ruled out for the contest, as was defensive back Kendel Dolby. This marked the first time all week that Dolby appeared on the availability report.

OU was already going to be without offensive linemen Troy Everett, Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor, who have been ruled out of every SEC contest this year.

Running backs Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock did not appear on the availability report, though it’s unclear if either back will be 100 percent on Saturday.

Robinson had to go to the injury tent in the second half against Alabama, and while he did return to the game, he was not as effective late.

As a result, OU coach Brent Venables said the Sooners will have to lean on the depth of the offense to keep the rushing game going against Missouri.

“It’s going to be tested, no question,” Venables said. “So hopeful we can stay healthy and we’re probably going to spread it out a little more to kind of manage the next few weeks.”

The Sooners and the Tigers will meet at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Owen Field, and the contest will be broadcast on ABC.

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