Kickoff: 6:30 PM CT
Location: Boone-Pickens Stadium (Stillwater, Oklahoma)
Television: ESPN
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network
Twitter: Follow @HeartlandPokes for live tweets during the game
Not even two weeks have passed since the Oklahoma State Cowboys suffered a gut-wrenching loss to the Oregon Ducks. While the loss was the standard expectation, the manner in which it took place was downright awful, and the season appears to be unraveled before it’s even really gotten started. Still, the Cowboys have an opportunity to shift the narrative of the season on Friday night as they host the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
Tulsa enters the game with a 1-2 record after a Week 1 win against Abilene Christian followed by losses to New Mexico State and Navy. The Golden Hurricane is not exactly a well-oiled machine, and as a result, the Cowboys are near double-digit favorites. Oklahoma State opened as the favorite by almost two touchdowns, but after their performance against Oregon, the general public seems to think this game will be a lot closer than initially predicted. Regardless of the final score, the Cowboys need to get back to the basics, lock in, and focus on getting the win so that they can better prepare for the tough conference schedule that lies before them.
How the Cowboys Win
Oklahoma State should win this game because they have a better coach and better athletes across the board. Still, this game has been closer than it should have been in recent years, so execution is going to be the key for the Cowboys. Last week, the offense was consistently stalled, and the defense had more hiccups than I’ve seen in a while. Zane Flores appeared to lack any amount of confidence as he threw back-to-back pick-6s against the Ducks, but this might be a good opportunity for him to bounce back. Flores needs to lead the offense with poise, and the Cowboys need to figure out a way to get the run game going.
On the defensive side of the ball, Oklahoma State has had nearly two weeks to prepare for this game, so hopefully they talked through some of the mishaps and breakdowns in coverage that took place in their first two games. If the Cowboys can take care of the ball on offense and create some chaos on the defensive side of the ball, they should be able to win.
How the Golden Hurricane Win
Tulsa has a great opportunity to come into Stillwater and upset the Cowboys. They’re an underdog, but not by much, and Oklahoma State is reeling after an embarrassing loss. If Tulsa actually wants to win, though, they’re going to have win the turnover battle. Forcing the Cowboys into some mistakes while taking care of the ball themselves would go a long way in their efforts to head back to Tulsa with a win.
Odds & Predictions
Staff Score Predictions
| Staff | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Caleb | Tulsa 28 – Oklahoma State 17 |
| Craig | Oklahoma State 30 – Tulsa 27 |
| Matt | Oklahoma State 31 – Tulsa 20 |
| Zack | Oklahoma State 34 – Tulsa 27 |
An Oklahoma State Win Would…
- Give the Cowboys 11 straight wins over TU to mark the longest win streak for either team in the series and match OSU’s second-longest win streak against one opponent in school history. OSU also had an 11-game streak against Kansas State from 1947-62 and a 12-game streak against Kansas from 2010-21.
- Give the Cowboys 24 straight wins over Tulsa in Stillwater. It is a streak that began in 1953 and is more than twice as long as any other home win streak against one opponent in school history. The next longest was 11 against Baylor from 1972-2013.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record in September games to 59-17.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record against teams in the American to 15-0.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record in non-conference games to 70-16.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record against Tulsa to 8-0.
- Improve the Cowboys’ all-time record against Tulsa to 46-27-5 and their record against TU in Stillwater to 29-6-3.
- Make the Cowboys 30-6 in their past 36 non-conference games and 52-12 in their past 64 non-conference games.
- Make the Cowboys 36-22 in their past 58 games overall, dating to 2020.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game
- Oklahoma State has converted 5 of its past 6 two-point conversion attempts dating to last season.
- OSU is 14-2 in the past 16 games when winning or tying the turnover battle.
- Dating back to 2008, OSU is 83-10 when winning the turnover battle.
- Dating back to 2005, OSU is 50-4 when not committing a turnover.
- OSU has held 35 of its past 52 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game.
- OSU has won 87 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003 – the longest active stretch of time in the FBS, the longest since at least 1980 and likely the longest in college football history. Including games when opponents have scored 20 points or fewer, the streak begins on the same date and includes 95 games.
- OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50% third-down conversion rate in 54 of its past 65 games.
- OSU is 40-19 in its past 59 games decided by fewer than 10 points.
- OSU is 52-9 in its past 61 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.
- OSU has won five of its past seven overtime games.