No. 13 Oklahoma State looks to avoid stumble against Tulsa with showdown vs. Utah on the horizon

Published Sep. 12, 2024 12:25 p.m. ET

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Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy knows his team was fortunate to beat visiting Arkansas after trailing 21-7 at halftime. The 13th-ranked Cowboys turned things around after that and won 39-31 in two overtimes.

“They did a better job of preparing during the week which allowed them to have free access to us for a quarter and a half,” Gundy said. “Then we did a good job in the second half. We made really good adjustments, players didn’t flinch, coordinators called good plays in the second half and we were fortunate to get out of there with a win.”

Gundy's 13th-ranked Cowboys (2-0) travel 72 miles to visit in-state rival Tulsa (1-1) on Saturday as they gear up for a Big 12 Conference showdown against No. 12 Utah on Sept. 21 in Stillwater.

Tulsa is also coming off a subpar performance. The Golden Hurricane led Arkansas State 17-7 at halftime but was outscored 21-7 in the second half and lost 28-24. Tulsa coach Kevin Wilson called it a game his team “should have won.”

“We gifted 25 points and lose by four,” he said.

Mistakes proved costly for Tulsa, which fumbled a ball out of the end zone, gave up a punt return for a touchdown and dropped a third-down pass to end a fourth-quarter drive. A personal foul penalty against Tulsa on Arkansas State's last possession cost the Golden Hurricane a final drive.

“For sure disappointed that we didn’t get the victory,” Wilson said. ”Did some good things, did some poor things. Too many missed tackles on defense ... we played hard on defense. Offensively, a decent start, but a very very poor second half."

Silver lining

Oklahoma State's biggest play of the young season — a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown by Kale Smith to get the Cowboys on the scoreboard against Arkansas — also may have been the team's costliest. All-Big 12 linebacker Collin Oliver was injured on the play and will likely miss the rest of the season.

Obi Ezeigbo, a D-II transfer from Gannon University, stepped in for Oliver and recorded nine tackles, two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. He was named Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week for his performance.

“We don’t really know how good a young man can play until he gets in there,” Gundy said. "He’s got a lot of work ahead of him and I’m certainly glad we have him. He played better than I thought he would have.”

Running on empty

Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon never got going against Arkansas' big defensive front and finished with 49 yards on 17 carries, just a 2.9-yard average per attempt. Gordon, considered a Heisman Trophy candidate before the season, will try to get back on track against Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane limited Arkansas State to 141 yards on 43 carries.

Brotherly love

For the first time in their careers, Tulsa wide receiver Braylin Presley and Oklahoma State wide receiver Brennan Presley will face each other as members of different teams.

The brothers played together at Bixby High School, a Tulsa suburb. Braylin Presley, a junior, started his career at Oklahoma State before transferring to Tulsa and is in his second season with the Golden Hurricane.

Brennan Presley, a senior, was a preseason All-Big 12 pick after catching 101 passes for 991 yards and six scores last season.

State of play

Tulsa and Oklahoma State have been playing football since 1914. The Cowboys own a 44-27-5 advantage and the Golden Hurricane haven't won since 1998, a span of nine games. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy is 6-0 vs. Tulsa.

Saturday marks the first year of an eight-year scheduling agreement between the teams, which will meet annually from 2024 to 2031.

Quotable

Wilson, a former Oklahoma assistant, on Oklahoma State's fan base in Tulsa: “When you live in Tulsa now, there's a lot more Cowboys in town then there was when I was down in (Oklahoma City). ... Up here it's kind of a 50-50 deal. A lot of prideful fans, a great school and a great challenge.”

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