Oklahoma State Football

No. 12 Oklahoma State remained undefeated with a 32-24 comeback victory on the road over No. 25 Texas on Saturday in Austin.

The Cowboys (6-0, 3-0) have scored three straight wins over ranked opponents after previously knocking off Kansas State and Baylor. A potential unbeaten clash between OSU and in-state rival No. 4 Oklahoma is still on the table for late November.

Texas (4-3, 2-2) really needed a win Saturday to keep a clear path to the Big 12 Championship Game. Now the Longhorns will likely have to win out and get some help elsewhere around the conference to earn the chance to play for the title.

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Notable Stats

QB Casey Thompson (UT): 15-of-27 for 179 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

QB Spencer Sanders (OSU): 19-of-32 for 178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; rush TD

RB Bijan Robinson (UT): 173 total yards, 3 TD

RB Jaylen Warren (OSU): 33 carries for 193 yards

WR Brennan Presley (OSU): 3 catches for 30 yards, 1 TD

S Jason Taylor II (OSU): 7 total tackles, INT return TD

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Spencer Sanders' Struggles Could Cap OSU's Upside

Oklahoma State escaped its last game with a victory over Baylor despite three interceptions from Sanders thanks to a tremendous defensive performance. In many ways, Saturday's game was a repeat as the quarterback failed to impress for most of the contest, but his teammates came to the rescue again.

The junior signal-caller, who entered the week with five passing touchdowns and four interceptions, was off target on several throws, especially in the first half as Texas raced out to a 17-3 lead.

OSU's defense kept the Cowboys within striking distance. The biggest play came with Texas in the red zone trying to increase its lead to 21 when Taylor picked off a Thompson pass and returned it 85 yards to paydirt.

run it back⚡️

📺 @CFBONFOX #LetsRide | @JTII_25 pic.twitter.com/Sg1i12FSr6

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 16, 2021

To Sanders' credit, he came up with some critical throws in the second half, including a dart in between multiple defenders to Presley early in the fourth quarter as part of the comeback effort.

Sanders + Presley = 💰

📺 @CFBONFOX #LetsRide | #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/VAzuO7FsJx

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 16, 2021

Yet, based on his recent outings, Oklahoma State will have a difficult time keeping its undefeated run alive without a significant uptick in performance.

Sanders has had his moments, including a 344-yard, two-TD effort in the Cowboys' win over Kansas State, but he's been far too inconsistent and missed too many makeable throws to have a high level of confidence in his ability to push OSU toward College Football Playoff contention.

The good news for Oklahoma State is that its defense has been on a roll and is giving the quarterback every chance to get his season back on track before it's too late.

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Bijan Robinson Continues to Shine Despite Loss

Robinson showed a lot of potential while splitting the backfield duties with Roschon Johnson and Keaontay Ingram last season. Now he's starting to take full advantage of having a more expansive three-down workload on a weekly basis.

The former 247Sports 5-star prospect put his full skill set on display Saturday. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry and 12.7 yards per catch while finding the end zone three times.

Let’s go! pic.twitter.com/CkOBIIwcPU

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 16, 2021

His strong showing continued a recent run of terrific play that was highlighted by a 216-yard rushing day in the Horns' 32-27 win over TCU in Week 5. The standout numbers have even moved him into a Heisman Trophy conversation typically dominated by quarterbacks.

"It's fun to break a defense's will," Robinson told reporters after the TCU game. "When you know that defense is broken, that's when everything starts to flow and open up."

He's better suited than most backs to wear down a defense because he can make plays in so many different ways. He looks equally comfortable running between the tackles as he does running routes in the pass game. He scored in both manners against the Cowboys.

ANOTHER ONE‼️ pic.twitter.com/DcSJzlZEY8

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 16, 2021

Whether he remains in the Heisman discussion during the stretch run of the regular season will be at least some extent tied to how many games Texas wins, but there's no doubt he's been one of the nation's most impactful players so far.

UNSTOPPABLE pic.twitter.com/A8TBvwYffz

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 16, 2021

Keeping his hot streak alive against the Big 12's second-ranked defense is another strong statement, even though the Longhorns came up short.

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What's Next?

Oklahoma State faces another difficult test next Saturday when it visits Iowa State (3-2, 1-1).

Texas is off in Week 8 before returning to action Oct. 30 with a road game against Baylor (5-1, 3-1).

The No. 19 Oklahoma State Cowboys moved to 5-0 after beating the No. 21 Baylor Bears 24-14 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday.

Jaylen Warren rushed 36 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns, and wide receiver Tay Martin added seven catches for 108 yards. Rashod Owens added a 32-yard second-quarter touchdown reception.

Baylor got going in the second half with two touchdowns thanks to runs from Abram Smith (55 yards) and Gerry Bohanon. A 20-yard Oklahoma State field goal buffered the scores, so Baylor trailed 17-14 with 12:04 remaining after the second touchdown.

The Bears' offense went quiet following the latter score by turning the ball over on downs and going three-and-out on its next two possessions.

Oklahoma State then shut the door with a eight-play, 56-yard drive capped by Warren's second score from four yards out on a 4th-and-2 with just over two minutes left.

Oklahoma State won despite three Spencer Sanders interceptions. However, Sanders helped lead the offense to a 402-280 yardage differential over the Bears, who had just 10 first downs on the night.

The Bears fell to 4-1 after the loss.

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Notable Performances

Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders: 13-of-23, 182 passing yards, 1 TD, 3 INT

Oklahoma State RB Jaylen Warren: 36 carries, 125 rushing yards, 2 TD

Oklahoma State WR Tay Martin: 7 catches, 108 receiving yards

Oklahoma State WR Rashod Owens: 3 catches, 53 receiving yards, 1 TD

Baylor QB Gerry Bohanon: 13-of-27, 173 passing yards; 9 carries, 13 rushing yards, 1 TD

Baylor RB Abram Smith: 10 carries, 97 rushing yards, 1 TD

Baylor WR Drew Estrada: 6 catches, 88 receiving yards

      

Tough Running From Warren Leads Cowboys to Win

The first play from scrimmage resulted in Warren scampering 21 yards to the Oklahoma State 46.

That set the tone for the remainder of the game as Warren wore down the talented Baylor defense en route to the 10-point win.

Each Oklahoma State touchdown drive featured a heavy dose of Warren.

The first one saw him get 51 yards and score a touchdown on seven carries.

Who else? @Nunless2 getting things started in Stilly.#LetsRide I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/idavpzMI8W

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 2, 2021

Warren began the second drive with 15 yards on three rushes. Three plays later, Sanders found Owens for a 13-0 edge.

They don't get much prettier than this.@SpenceSanders ➡️ @luxury_owens12#LetsRide I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/5h2zzLbF0f

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 3, 2021

The running back then churned out more yards in the fourth quarter before delivering the coup de grace. He added 14 more yards on four carries, ending with his aforementioned four-yard scamper.

Nail, meet coffin.#LetsRide I @Nunless2 pic.twitter.com/pzB9UjvKpy

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 3, 2021

It was a crucial rush for the Cowboys, who would have turned the ball over on downs for Baylor with just over two minutes left. Instead, Oklahoma State took a 10-point lead en route to victory.

Credit goes to Warren and the Cowboys' offensive line for a tremendous performance. On a night where the passing game had its struggles, the run game came through to keep the Cowboys undefeated.

     

Too Little, Too Late for Baylor Offense

The Bears had zero points through 41-plus minutes of game action on Saturday. Their first eight drives ended in punts. Two of them resulted in negative yardage. All told, they had just 115 yards during that time, or an average of 19.4 per drive.

They went 3-and-out five times and turned the ball over on downs a sixth time. Baylor also went 3-of-14 on third down.

Three of the drives started after interceptions, with Dillon Doyle, Bryson Jackson and JT Woods notching one pick apiece. On those three drives, the Bears combined to lose six yards.

The team's offensive struggles were evident despite a 31-29 win over Iowa State last Saturday. The Cyclones outgained the Bears 479-282 and possessed the ball for nearly 36 minutes. Baylor also didn't score an offensive touchdown in the second half.

Without counting kneeldowns to end each half last Saturday, the Bears went 14 consecutive drives without scoring a touchdown. Only one of those drives ended in points, and that was after a field goal following a drive that actually went backwards by a yard following a Trestan Ebner 41-yard punt return to the ISU 16-yard line. 

Those struggles bled into Saturday. Oklahoma State gave the Bears chances to turn it around, but the Bears did not take advantage. That gave the Cowboys' offense enough chances to put this one away.

Credit to the Baylor offense for never giving up and finding a late-game spark to make this a game down the stretch, but the Bears' scoring struggles through the first two-thirds of this game proved to be their downfall.

For the second year in a row, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy will voluntarily take a $1 million pay cut, according to Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World. 

Gundy will be paid $4.375 million for the 2021 season. 

Per Haisten, no one on Gundy's staff received a raise for the 2021 season, which begins Sept. 4 against Missouri State. 

Last year, in addition to the $1 million pay cut, Gundy's deal was shortened from five years with a rollover to four years with a rollover, according to Dean Straka of 247 Sports. 

Offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will each be paid $800,000, equal to what they earned in 2020, per Haisten. 

Still, incoming athletic director Chad Weiberg is expected to negotiate further cuts with the staff when he assumes the role July 1, Haisten wrote. 

Oklahoma State saw a "severe decline" in football-related revenue during the 2020 season since capacity at Boone Pickens Stadium, which seats 55,509, was limited to 25 percent amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Athletic director Mike Holder told the Oklahoman that the football program generated $37 million in revenue in 2019 but brought in "no more than $12 million" last season, he wrote. 

Gundy is 137-67 since taking over the program in 2005. 

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy announced running back Chuba Hubbard will sit out the remainder of his junior year, including Saturday's regular-season finale against Baylor, and declare for the 2021 NFL draft.

"Chuba's not gonna play," Gundy said on the pregame radio show, per Marshall Scott of Pistols Firing. "Chuba's chosen to go to the NFL."

Hubbard was one of the nation's top running backs in 2019. He rushed for an FBS-leading 2,094 yards on 328 carries (6.4 YPC) with 21 touchdowns in 13 games. He was voted Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

The 21-year-old Canadian hasn't matched that efficiency this season. He's rushed for 625 yards on 133 attempts (4.7 YPC) and posted five scores in seven contests. He's also added one receiving TD.

Chuba Hubbard to the NFL draft, per Oklahoma State. Didn’t have the best year—I recently wrote him up as a stock down player—but his 2019 season was really good. Will be an interesting total evaluation

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) December 12, 2020

His statistical drop-off came after he expressed optimism entering the year about his physical condition.

"I feel great. I'm bigger, stronger, faster," Hubbard told Robert Allen of Sports Illustrated in September. "I fixed a lot of things that I need to work on. I feel good going into the season."

He's dealt with a leg injury throughout the year, though.

Hubbard could have returned to the Cowboys for his senior year with hope that a bounce-back could have allowed him to regain his top-prospect status. It would have come with risk, though, since another lackluster campaign would have further affected his stock.

It's now unlikely he'll land within the NFL draft's first two rounds, though that could change again should he stand out at the NFL Scouting Combine and throughout the predraft process, assuming those events resume amid the coronavirus pandemic.

His gaudy 2019 numbers could still make him an intriguing middle-round selection next spring, though.

Oklahoma State alum T. Boone Pickens will be immortalized with a statue that will stand outside of the Cowboys' football stadium. 

Per Brett McMurphy of Stadium, the university will unveil a nine-foot tall statue of Pickens on the west side of the stadium prior to the team's Nov. 28 game against Texas Tech. 

Pickens is one of the most famous alums in school history. He graduated in 1951 and went on to found BP Capital Management. 

Per Jacob Unruh of The Oklahoman, Pickens pledged approximately $652 million to the university over the course of his lifetime. That total includes a "college-athletics record $165 million" donation to the football program in 2006. 

Oklahoma State officially renamed its football stadium after Pickens in 2003. Pickens died on Sept. 11, 2019, at the age of 91. 

Oklahoma State wide receiver Tylan Wallace didn't have access to team facilities this offseason while rehabbing his torn ACL due to COVID-19, but he figured out how to make do with what was around the house.

"At one point I was doing squats with cat litter, 40-pound boxes of cat litter," Wallace said, per Scott Wright of The Oklahoman. "I was trying to make it work with whatever I had. I was working out in my living room. I was jogging around trails. I was doing whatever I could to try and stay in shape. It was definitely tough, but it was worth it now."

Wallace is one of the best receivers in the nation when healthy. He totaled 86 catches for 1,491 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2018 and followed it up with 903 yards and eight touchdowns in the first nine games of 2019. A torn ACL derailed his season, but he is looking to return to full strength in 2020.

The good news is he was finally able to get real workouts upon returning to campus June 1.

"Coming in and actually going into the training room, actually doing rehab stuff where they have the right equipment and everything I need was a big boost from the cat litter boxes," Wallace joked.

Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard is tired of replies to his social media being "a playground for hate."

On Tuesday, Hubbard announced he will not be on social media until further notice with a lengthy message:

https://twitter.com/Hubbard_RMN/status/1285671376188317697

"I have never incited or promoted violence or hate. All I've done is voice my opinion on issues I feel are not ethical! I love all! Even those that don't see eye to eye with me!

"I will continue to play football at the highest level! That won't ever stop! But I also won't stop pushing for what I feel is right!!!! With that being said.. I have noticed my social media has become a playground for hate.. That's the last thing I ever wanted to happen!

"You will hear me.. You will see me.. You will feel me!!! But not on twitter or any other socials until further notice! All love Chuba RMN"

The message came after he said Oklahoma district attorney David Prater "overstepped his position" and "must be held accountable" for how he dealt with police and protesters following the killing of 17-year-old Isaiah Lewis:

https://twitter.com/Hubbard_RMN/status/1285307095961739267

https://twitter.com/Hubbard_RMN/status/1285307732023705605

As TMZ Sports explained, Prater did not levy charges against the police who killed Lewis in 2019 and then charged protesters with terrorism charges.

This comes after Hubbard made national headlines in June for calling out head coach Mike Gundy's decision to wear a One America News Network shirt. After a picture of Gundy wearing the shirt circulated, Hubbard said he wouldn't play for the Cowboys until something changed.

I will not stand for this.. This is completely insensitive to everything going on in society, and it’s unacceptable. I will not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things CHANGE. https://t.co/psxPn4Khoq

— Chuba Hubbard (@Hubbard_RMN) June 15, 2020

Gundy eventually apologized and said, "Once I learned how that network felt about Black Lives Matter, I was disgusted and knew it was completely unacceptable to me."

Hubbard was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American last year. He is one of the best players in the country and should help the Cowboys compete in the Big 12 if there is a college football season in 2020.

Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy reportedly had his contract shortened by a year and his salary reduced on his own suggestion following an internal review of the Cowboys' program.

Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported the news Friday:

Mike Gundy’s pay cut was $1 million. “Changes were offered up by Mike Gundy. It was his idea,” OSU AD Mike Holder said https://t.co/5q8y745JdN

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 3, 2020

Gundy received criticism in June after a picture surfaced on social media showing him wearing a shirt with the logo for OAN, a right-wing news network.

https://twitter.com/Kyle__Boone/status/1272553163766317061

The 52-year-old Oklahoma native issued an apology after discussing the situation with the team, saying he was "disgusted" by OAN's stance on the Black Lives Matter movement:

pic.twitter.com/x4mjK6v3UV

— Mike Gundy (@CoachGundy) June 16, 2020

In an interview with ESPN in the wake of the criticism, Gundy called himself a "dumbass" for wearing the shirt.

Gundy has led the program since 2005 after playing quarterback for the Cowboys from 1986 through 1989 and starting his coaching career at the school in 1990.

His resume includes a 129-64 record, including a 9-5 mark in bowl games, across 15 seasons. He was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2010 and won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award as the national coach of the year in 2011 after leading OSU to a conference title.

Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder released a statement Thursday night saying the review found "no signs or indication of racism" within the program:

A statement from OSU Athletic Director Mike Holder. pic.twitter.com/1eOSujRiNv

— Oklahoma State Athletics (@OSUAthletics) July 3, 2020

Gundy's total pay of $5.125 million for the 2019 season ranked 13th in the country among college football head coaches, per USA Today.

The Cowboys posted an 8-5 record last season. It marked their 14th straight winning year under Gundy.

Oklahoma State is scheduled to open the 2020 campaign Sept. 3 against Oregon State.

Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder announced an internal review of head football coach Mike Gundy "uncovered no signs or indication of racism."  

A statement from OSU Athletic Director Mike Holder. pic.twitter.com/1eOSujRiNv

— Oklahoma State Athletics (@OSUAthletics) July 3, 2020

The review came after star running back Chuba Hubbard threatened to boycott the team once Gundy was seen wearing a shirt featuring the logo of far-right network One America News.

Other Cowboys teammates stood by Hubbard after his announcement on social media.

"This afternoon has been very disturbing," Holder said at the time, per Kyle Boone of CBS Sports. "The tweets from the current and former players are of grave concern."

Former Oklahoma State linebacker Patrick Macon also referenced a negative situation with Gundy on Twitter, saying the coach threatened to send him "back to the hood."

Gundy later apologized for wearing the OAN shirt after a meeting with team members:

https://twitter.com/Hubbard_RMN/status/1272673812795084801

He also had a side-by-side video with Hubbard, indicating they had moved past their issues:

https://twitter.com/Hubbard_RMN/status/1272673812795084801

The review from the athletic director indicated they don't believe this is a systemic problem for Gundy. It also likely puts to bed any concerns about his future with the program.

Oklahoma State tested its 110 football players for COVID-19 and returned 14 positive tests, according to senior associate athletic director Kevin Klintworth. 

He added that "only one student-athlete remains as an active case and is in quarantine."

Earlier in June, linebackers Amen Ogbongbemiga and Malcolm Rodriguez revealed they had tested positive:

https://twitter.com/closedprayer/status/1267971181715632129

Stay safe!❤️ pic.twitter.com/kgxvM5k92B

— Malcolm Rodriguez (@malcolmlrod) June 14, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to call into question whether a college football season will occur this fall, or if individual schools will choose to not participate. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt talked to Robert Allen of SI.com over the weekend and said he believed a football season would still take place:

"I agree with you that we need sports and I think we will have a football season. I've spoke to the commissioner of the Big 12 [Bob Bowlsby] and talked to the presidents at our two universities [Oklahoma and Oklahoma State] and I think we are doing everything from an Oklahoma perspective to do it, to get it going. But you also have all of the other colleges in other parts of the country that may not be as willing to do it. So, it is still a little bit up in the air."

The concern is that several states in June have seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases. There is also the concern that a second wave of the pandemic could hit come the fall and winter. 

To date, the U.S has seen 2.5 million positive cases of the coronavirus with 125,928 deaths, per CNN.com. And for now, sports around the globe are returning, including the NBA and MLB this summer. Football has yet to be impacted in a major way by the pandemic, and it remains to be seen if the sport will be at either the collegiate or professional level.