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Oklahoma State big favorite heading to South Alabama (Sep 08, 2017)
STILLWATER, Okla. -- The last time Oklahoma State played in the state of Alabama as a decided favorite, in 2007, the Cowboys stumbled, putting in motion Mike Gundy's famous, "I'm a man, I'm 40" rant.
The last time South Alabama faced a ranked opponent at home, the Jaguars upset San Diego State, one of their many highlights of 2016.
Friday, the Cowboys (1-0) play in Mobile as a near four-touchdown favorite to face a South Alabama squad that could use a jolt to this season after losing its opener to Ole Miss.
Oklahoma State, which was No. 10 in the preseason rankings, will lean on its veteran leadership.
"I think any game, no matter the ranking or who you're playing or where you're playing, if you've got veteran leaders, experienced guys who have been through all types of game situations, it's great," said Cowboys senior quarterback Mason Rudolph.
"You know how to kind of approach each and every game, each and every environment you're going to play in, whether it's in front of 100,000 in Austin or 30,000 or 40,000 down in Mobile. It's definitely a plus."
The Jaguars won't be awed by facing a Power 5 foe.
Last year, South Alabama went on the road to stun Mississippi State and knocked off No. 19 San Diego State at home, 42-24, on its way to a bowl game.
Already this season, the Jaguars have played at Ole Miss, losing 47-27, so taking on heavyweights has become the norm.
"There's still a long season in front of us and we can still be a great team," said South Alabama safety Malcolm Buggs.
Oklahoma State routed Tulsa in its opener, 59-24, behind a balanced offense that feasted on big plays. The Cowboys averaged a first down per snap (10.2 yards) against the Golden Hurricane and produced seven plays of 32 yards or longer, including touchdown passes from Rudolph covering 77 and 40 yards to James Washington and 44 to Tyron Johnson.
The Jaguars surrendered too many big plays to Ole Miss wideouts, including two of 70-yards-plus for scores. Overall, Rebels quarterback Shea Patterson completed 28 of 35 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns.
"We saw some really good receivers, and I know that (Oklahoma State) has some really good ones as well," South Alabama coach Joey Jones said. "They also have the No. 1 quarterback in the country. They are going to throw it and run a hurry-up offense every snap.
"I know they are very good."
Jaguars quarterback Cole Garvin made his career debut a year ago against San Diego State, orchestrating that win. Against Ole Miss, he passed for a touchdown and ran for two scores.
South Alabama entered the season committed to improving its running game. The Jaguars ran for 170 yards against the Rebels, with junior college transfer Tra Minter going for 83, averaging 6.9 per carry.
"I think we've got two really good running backs and our offensive line is better," Jones said.
Oklahoma State is 15-1 all-time against teams from the Sun Belt. The loss, at Troy, remains attached to Gundy and the program still, especially with the 10-year anniversary of "The Rant" coming up on Sept. 22.
The Cowboys lost that night with Zac Robinson replacing Bobby Reid, the school's biggest-name recruit, at quarterback. When an Oklahoma columnist explained the benching of Reid, and the difficult reasons behind the move, Gundy went off the following week in a postgame tirade that remains relevant through repeated references to this day.
This Oklahoma State team, projected as a College Football Playoff contender, is far removed from that 2007 squad. Gundy carried a losing record through that Troy game, but now stands as the school's winningest coach, with three 10-win seasons over the last four years.
"I think we're a better team now," Gundy said, pointing to growth in the program since 2007, when Oklahoma State lost at Troy, 41-23. "I think our organization and our program is more mature now than it was in years past.
"We're still vulnerable at all times, and it's never as comforting to play on the road as it is to play at home. Our players understand that and we've had those discussions. We're holding them responsible for preparation and playing like we're playing at home."
