Kansas State has overwhelmed Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For greater than twenty years, it is simply been uncommon.
No. 7 Kansas State and its good report bought a scare, however Jonathan Beasley and a protection that allowed simply 60 yards in the second half and snagged 4 interceptions helped the Wildcats overcome a 21-point deficit for a 44-21 victory at Oklahoma State on October 23, 1999.
Okay-State entered as a 19 ½-point underdog when it visited No. 10 Oklahoma State on November 18, 2017, however redshirt freshman quarterback Skylar Thompson threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for 93 yards and a rating, whereas Byron Pringle caught three touchdowns and returned a kickoff for an additional in a 45-40 victory at Boone Pickens Stadium.
But that is the place Okay-State’s most up-to-date successes at Stillwater stops. Two victories in 26 years. It’s one in all the extra maddening and puzzling developments for Okay-State soccer in additional than 1 / 4 century.
“I don’t know why we struggle playing over there,” Okay-State fifth-year senior defensive deal with Damian Ilalio stated, “but we’re very determined to get over that hump on Saturday.”
Getting over the hump might be essential for Okay-State’s bowl hopes. The Wildcats, 4-5 general and 3-3 in the Big 12 Conference, go to the Cowboys, 1-8 and 0-6, in Saturday’s 11:00 a.m. kickoff at Boone Pickens Stadium, needing to win two of their last three video games — at Oklahoma State, at No. 13 Utah, at residence towards Colorado — to acquire bowl eligibility.
“I want us to obviously win out and go bowling,” Okay-State defensive deal with Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder stated. “Obviously, the focus is on Oklahoma State. We haven’t talked about bowls, but that’s the plan. It’s a one-week season. Just one week at a time.”
Okay-State is a heavy favourite for Saturday’s recreation towards the Cowboys, whose 38-21 loss at Kansas marked their eighth straight defeat general and 15th straight loss to a Big 12 opponent.
But loopy issues occur when Okay-State hits Boone Pickens Stadium.
“You hear that you haven’t won in Stillwater in however many years, and that kind of hurts,” Okay-State offensive lineman John Pastore stated. “I’ve been down there, and we didn’t win. It’s a little extra edge to go down there and finally win where you haven’t won in a while.”
Added tight finish Will Anciaux: “We’ve won there one time in 25 years or something? We’ll come ready.”
Saturday’s recreation marks the 72nd general assembly between the Wildcats and Cowboys in a sequence that dates to 1908. This season marks the 16th consecutive 12 months the group have performed. Oklahoma State holds a 43-28 all-time benefit in the sequence, together with a 24-9 mark in video games performed in Stillwater. Oklahoma State has received 4 of the final six general in the sequence and has received eight of the previous 9 video games performed in Stillwater.
In Klieman’s tenure, Okay-State has misplaced in Stillwater by scores of 29-21 in 2023, 31-20 in 2021 and 26-13 in 2019.
“There are a lot of guys in the locker room who were there in 2023 when we didn’t play very well, and who were there in 2021 when we didn’t play very well,” Klieman stated. “I believe that is our foremost focus, is taking part in properly in Stillwater. There have not many Okay-State groups which have performed properly in Stillwater.
“We need to flip that if we can.”
Avery Johnson in all probability remembers Okay-State’s 42-20 victory over Oklahoma State final season in Manhattan. Johnson threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 60 yards and two scores in the recreation, turning into the first Okay-State quarterback to throw for 3 touchdowns and rush for 2 extra in a Big 12 contest since Collin Klein in 2012.
Johnson is one in all 4 Power 4 quarterbacks with 16 passing touchdowns and 7 dashing touchdowns this season. He has thrown landing passes to six totally different move catchers, together with 5 to tight finish Garrett Oakley and 4 to vast receiver Jayce Brown.
Running again Joe Jackson is anticipated to make his eighth profession begin on Saturday as he averages 3.9 yards per stick with it 105 dashing makes an attempt and has scored one dashing landing.
Jackson has been the lead operating again for a number of video games instead of injured standout operating again Dylan Edwards, who will redshirt this season and is not a member of the group.
“Last week, he decided to redshirt and that he was going to leave the program,” Klieman stated. “I wish him well.”
Okay-State will miss preseason All-Big 12 junior center linebacker Austin Romaine, the group’s prime tackler, the the rest of the season. Romaine not too long ago tried to play with a forged or membership on an injured hand however apparently reached a mutual determination with Klieman shut it down, maybe choosing surgical procedure to guarantee a wholesome senior season subsequent fall.
“We needed to get something done for him,” Klieman stated. “The club was kind of the stopgap a little bit. He and I talked before the game and then after the game. We decided to shelve him the rest of the year.”
Doug Meacham seeks his first victory as Oklahoma State interim head coach after being elevated to the place on September 23 following the firing of Mike Gundy, the college’s all-time winningest head coach, whose 21-year profession included 12 bowl wins and a 2011 Big 12 Conference title.
The Wildcats and Cowboys each come off a bye week.
“It was an opportunity to reset for sure and an opportunity to reflect back on what’s occurred, and re-energize, and remember what’s important,” Meacham stated. “What’s important is these kids right now. We’re adults, we’re going to be fine, and we have good coaches in there, and they’re going to be fine, but you reflect and think about what’s most important, and it’s those kids.”
Oklahoma State ranks 100th or worse in the FBS in 14 main statistical classes. Each of its previous six opponents scored no fewer than 38 factors and 4 opponents scored greater than 40. Oregon scored 69 factors on September 6.
“Their defense has some areas we can attack in a couple different ways,” Anciaux stated. “We’ll be able to get after them a little it and hopefully get a W in Stillwater.”
Oklahoma State averages 15.2 factors per recreation. It failed to rating greater than 17 factors in a recreation throughout the month of October.
“We’re going to get physical in the trenches,” Alcorn-Crowder stated. “We have a great defensive line and a great defense overall. We get a lot of turnovers. I can’t give too much of the plan out there, but we’re going to try and dominate them.”
Okay-State comes of a 43-20 loss to No. 13 Texas Tech however has nonetheless received three of its final 5 video games. The Wildcats are additionally 1-3 in video games away from Manhattan.
“It’s just funny, man,” Meacham stated. “You watch them, they usually have some huge, bodily guys, two nice inside linebackers, the quarterback scares you to demise, a operating again that is strong, good tight finish play — it seems to be very comparable to what they’ve all the time had however they’re simply not getting the outcomes, you already know? Their numbers are good, they usually have good gamers. It’s only a play or two there, man. Every recreation boils down to about 4 or 5 performs. They’ve been shut.
“Those guys do job, they do it old-school, and have huge, powerful guys, they usually play tremendous arduous. I do know early in the season they had been ranked actually excessive, and it did not come to fruition, they usually sort of struggled there for some time.
“They’re maybe getting their second wind here at the end.”
The Wildcats hope their second wind continues with a victory in a metropolis and at a stadium that has largely been a nightmare — no matter the 12 months.