Watch fans storm field after Oklahoma State wins final Bedlam rivalry game
See what the scene looked like from above in Stillwater.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Back on the road for the second time in the last six weeks, No. 15 Oklahoma State faces Central Florida for the first time in program history in a 2:30 p.m. Saturday contest at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
The Cowboys control their Big 12 destiny in terms of getting to the title game with three weeks to play.
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But as coach Mike Gundy so adamantly explained earlier in the week, the Cowboys have to move forward from Bedlam. Central Florida is a talented enough team to pull the upset if OSU isn’t fully focused.
Here’s a look at the game in this week’s edition of Four Downs:
More: Can Oklahoma State football, Alan Bowman win against Big 12’s best pass defense in UCF?
Cowboy in the Crosshairs
Quarterback Alan Bowman: A lot has been made of UCF’s inept run defense, which ranks as the worst in the Big 12 and one of the worst in the country. But against the pass, the Knights have been stout, allowing 202.5 yards per game.
That means the Cowboys’ desire to be balanced will actually put more pressure on Bowman and the passing game, since UCF will have to go all-out to contain running back Ollie Gordon II.
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Bowman is averaging nearly 280 yards per game and completing about 58% of his passes. So a routine performance from him should be more than enough for the Pokes.
More: Oklahoma State football will visit Deion Sanders, Colorado in 2024. See Big 12 schedules.
Matchup that Matters
UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee vs. OSU safeties: Plumlee is a dangerous quarterback and the Knights’ offense is boosted by a solid run game, meaning the OSU safeties will have a lot on their plates.
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If you look at the majority of long pass plays (plus a few of the long run plays) OSU has allowed over the last several weeks, many have been because of busts by a safety.
UCF has the talent to put up a lot of points, particularly if the Cowboys are getting popped with big plays, which has been a weak spot for this defense.
OSU has been better against the run, but if UCF finds balance in its attack, it could run wild.
More: Big 12 power rankings: Oklahoma State surges, OU football slips in Week 11 poll
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Bold Bowl Projection
With a win: Cotton Bowl. A win keeps the Cowboys on track for the Big 12 title game and a New Year’s Six bowl at-large spot.
With a loss: Alamo Bowl. The top few spots in the Big 12 standings could get murky if teams start beating up on each other, but one loss shouldn’t drop OSU too far down the pecking order when the Alamo Bowl gets its turn to make a pick.
More: How does Oklahoma State football’s Ollie Gordon II stack up in the Heisman Trophy race?
Uni-Guess
All white: The Cowboys are running low on unused road uniform combinations, but the all-white look is still available. And considering it’s one of the players’ favorite styles, you know they’re going to use it every season.
If we don’t see it Saturday, look for it at Houston next week.
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If they break it out Saturday, it seems like it might be time for the traditional OSU logo, which we haven’t seen in a few weeks.
OSU vs. UCF
KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Fla. (ESPN)
Central Arkansas Bears (3-8) at Oklahoma Sooners (11-0)
Norman, Oklahoma; Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Sooners -28.5; over/under is 145.5
BOTTOM LINE: No. 14 Oklahoma hosts Central Arkansas after Jeremiah Fears scored 30 points in Oklahoma’s 87-86 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.
The Sooners have gone 6-0 at home. Oklahoma has a 2-0 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Bears are 0-6 on the road. Central Arkansas ranks fourth in the ASUN with 23.8 defensive rebounds per game led by Brayden Fagbemi averaging 4.6.
Oklahoma averages 82.0 points, 5.2 more per game than the 76.8 Central Arkansas allows. Central Arkansas averages 9.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 more made shots on average than the 6.5 per game Oklahoma allows.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Fears is scoring 17.9 points per game with 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Sooners.
Layne Taylor is scoring 17.0 points per game and averaging 4.4 rebounds for the Bears.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sooners: 10-0, averaging 80.9 points, 29.3 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 10.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.5 points per game.
Bears: 3-7, averaging 73.0 points, 34.3 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 8.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 38.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.7 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a commercial fire near the area of NW 10th and N Western Avenue.
OKCFD were at the scene of a commercial fire around 7 p.m. Saturday night, when they arrived there was heavy smoke visible from multiple floors of a boarded up building.
One adult female was found in the building and taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
At this time no cause has been reported.
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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
NORMAN — Bowl season is a bit unconventional for Navy.
The Midshipmen annually play against Army six days after the bowl schedule is released. That was the case this year, as Navy beat the Black Knights 31-13 on Dec. 14.
Beating Army is always a highlight for the Midshipmen. But the drawback for them is that they have less time than their bowl opponent to prepare for the game.
In this case, that’s Oklahoma. The Sooners will enter the game with more than two weeks of preparation for Navy’s triple-option offense.
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“It’s just a little different,” Navy coach Brian Newberry told reporters earlier this week. “They’ve known they’re going to play us for a little time now.”
Navy Coach, Oklahoma Native Brian Newberry Grew Up On OU Football
Navy does, however, enter the Armed Forces Bowl with momentum.
The Midshipmen (9-3) eased past Army last week in Landover, MD. They outgained the Black Knights 384-179 and forced Army quarterback Bryson Daily to throw three interceptions.
Navy’s rivalry win was its third in the last four games after the Midshipmen went on a two-game skid in the middle of the season. Newberry cited his team’s physicality in recent games, particularly in the Midshipmen’s drubbing of Army.
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“I was so impressed with how our kids handled the moment,” Newberry said. “Army’s a really, really good football team. I thought we physically dominated the game in the way that we blocked, beat blocks, the way we tackled. I thought we outplayed them in all three phases, so I’m really, really proud of that.”
A stark difference between the teams is the number of players that have entered the transfer portal.
The Sooners have seen 25 players from their 2024 team enter the portal. The Midshipmen have suffered only one departure in the winter portal window with defensive back Lorenzo Vitti.
On one hand, that makes Oklahoma preparation tough for Navy.
“It’s interesting,” Newberry said. “We’re going through their two-deep and trying to figure out who’s going to play and who isn’t. It’s a little bit of a challenge in that regard. And it could certainly change with a different quarterback.”
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But largely, the Midshipmen’s lack of transfers gives Newberry confidence that his team will be bought in for one more game in 2024.
“The portal can affect us, players can jump in the portal — we’re not getting that,” Newberry said. “It’s challenging to build a culture anywhere in college football right now, one that’s built on a certain level of trust. They know each other really, really well. They’ve fought through adversity. They stay the course, they pay the price and they have an opportunity.”
Navy will also play for more than just another win; the Midshipmen are looking to make history.
Navy has reached the 10-win mark just four times in program history. The Midshipmen did so three times under former coach Ken Niumatalolo from 2009-2019.
Having a shot at history while playing Oklahoma — the state that Newberry hails from — excites the coach.
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“It’s the last time that this team gets to play together,” Newberry said. “They want to go out the right way against a storied program like Oklahoma. It’s a great reward to play in a bowl game, but it’s a game we want to win.”
The Midshipmen and Sooners will play in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth at 11 a.m. on Dec. 27.
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