Power Lunch: Chat with OSU writer Gina Mizell
Cowboys Drawing Attention
Brandon Weeden and the Cowboys are making noise nationally.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
We’ve talked about the benefits of the Cowboys’ win at Texas A&M, from a top 5 ranking to Brandon Weeden’s expected rise in the Heisman race to all the national attention gained from an impressive comeback on the national stage.
And it continues on, which is another benefit, with OSU thrown into kind of a quiet time in the midst of an off week.
At athlonsports.com, the Cowboys are the lead focus of Mitch Light’s look at the Big 12.
While we here try to peg the significance of the win over A&M in program history, Light suggests we may have “witnessed the most important 25 minutes in the history of Oklahoma State football.”
He raises some interesting points, too, like OSU’s prominent place in a new Big 12 and the Cowboys ability to thrive despite neighboring Oklahoma, using Auburn’s 2010 national title to prove the point.
It’s a good read, so check it out.
And enjoy the news, even in a quiet week.
Mike Gundy busts a move
This video of OSU’s postgame celebration after its victory over Texas A&M is great on many different levels.
But if you’re in a hurry, skip ahead to 3:30. You’ll thank me later.
In real time: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M
Trying something new this week.
In addition to keeping my normal notes during the game, I also timestamped the moments that I thought were big or interesting. Some are the plays on the field, others are not. But here’s a look back at OSU’s huge win at Texas A&M, and my first and only trip to Kyle Field for a college football game.
12:45 About 15 minutes after we arrived at the stadium, the OSU bus pulled up. The Cowboys greeted by a fairly large group of fans (I’m terrible at estimating crowd size). The players and coaches walked straight from the bus to the field, where they gathered near the 35-yard line, locked arms and prayed. Then they headed to the locker room.
1:30 The first Cowboys are out for pregame warm-ups, sporting the fourth different uniform look in as many games, highlighted by the debut of the gray helmet to go along with white tops and gray pants. The helmet looked especially sharp from upstairs, and many in the press box compared the look to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ road uniform.
2:18 OSU leaves the field, while the A&M players gather in two lines and face the crowd. The yell leaders, well, lead a song that I couldn’t make out from the press box. But it seemed like the fans were following along.
2:28 The A&M band plays the national anthem and fight song from the stands, rather than the field. More unified cheers follow.
2:39 Ah, the swaying press box. I had been warned about this before I arrived. But because I went through an earthquake in the PETCO Park press box during a Padres game last year, the feeling wasn’t quite as jarring as it could have been. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a bit freaky.
2:41 The game kicks off, with Texas A&M starting its first drive at its own 20 following a Quinn Sharp touchback.
2:44 A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill makes the game’s first big play—with his legs. He parts the middle of the OSU defense and shows his wide receiver speed on his 65-yard touchdown run to give the Aggies a 7-0 lead barely a minute into the game. The crowd of more than 87,000 at Kyle Field was rockin’ early.
2:48 Joseph Randle takes a huge hit from A&M defensive back Terrence Frederick. But on the very next play, Randle took a handoff to the outside and gained 31 yards. That helped the Cowboys set up their first field goal—and their only score of the first half. Kind of crazy looking back on that now.
3:18 An 11-yard “catch” by Hubert Anyiam clearly hit the ground before it was corralled, and the crowd expresses its displeasure when the replay is shown on the big screen. But the Cowboys snap the ball before the officials can review the call.
3:20 After a facemask penalty and back-to-back sacks of Brandon Weeden, the Cowboys face your average third-and-43 situation at their own nine-yard line. Kidding. I know Todd Monken is an offensive guru, but I doubt he has many plays dialed up for that down and distance. This is when the Cowboy offense just looked slow, conservative and ineffective.
3:35 Jeff Fuller’s first catch of the game is a big one, as his 17-yard touchdown grab gives A&M a 17-3 advantage early in the second quarter. Markelle Martin had good coverage on the play, but Tannehill put the ball in the right spot.
4:02 A kickoff return for a touchdown by Justin Gilbert is wiped out because of a holding call, squashing a possible momentum shift late in the first half.
4:10 Weeden is sharp initially on the Cowboys’ final drive of the first half, guiding OSU to the Aggie 46. But after three consecutive incomplet passes, Mike Gundy lets the clock run down to three seconds. And rather than allow Sharp to try a 61-yard field goal, which he has the leg for, the Cowboys opt to try for a Hail Mary. But Weeden is sacked for the third time, and a brutal half for OSU comes to a close. A&M 20, OSU 3.
4:12 The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band takes the field for the coolest halftime show I’ve ever seen. The music wasn’t anything overly impressive, but the marching absolutely was. I’m no expert on marching bands, but I’ve never seen so many smooth formation changes with so much intertwining. Some people commented that the band does the same routine every game, but Berry Tramel, who has seen his far share of A&M games, said it was different. I take his word for it. Regardless, it was awesome to watch.
4:36 The second half kicks off, and almost immediately, the Cowboys march down the field and score. Jeremy Smith’s 13-yard touchdown run straight up the middle silences the A&M crowd. Cowboys pull within 20-10.
4:55 A Weeden2Blackmon 11-yard touchdown connection near the pylon of the right corner of the end zone is originally ruled incomplete, but an official review reverses the call and cuts A&M’s lead to 20-17. OSU players held their hands up signaling “touchdown” before the referee could even finish explaining that the call was overturned.
5:03 Momentum switches in about 2.5 seconds when Kenric McNeal catches a 33-yard pass but fumbles at the OSU 43. Nine plays later, Weeden finds a leaping Tracy Moore in the end zone for the four-yard touchdown. Suddenly, the Cowboys lead 24-20. Boy, that happened quickly.
5:15 Brodrick Brown adds to his resume of athletic plays in the secondary when he dives in front of Fuller to snag an interception at the A&M 23. He was then called for an unsportsmanlike penalty for his celebration after the play.
5:18 The Justin Blackmon fumble out of the end zone. Need I say more?
5:21 The Aggies can’t take advantage of the gigantic break Blackmon has given them. Tannehill tosses his second interception in less than three minutes of game time—this time to Justin Gilbert.
5:24 The wackiest quarter I’ve witnessed in person comes to a close. My mind was spinning at this point from trying to digest everything that had happened, from the quick scores to the turnovers to Blackmon’s bonehead play.
5:47 It looks like the Aggies get a big stop on third-and-one in the red zone when Smith loses three yards on a run play. But a personal foul penalty keeps the drive alive for the Cowboys and sets up an 18-yard field goal by Sharp to give the Cowboys a 30-20 lead with just over five minutes left. Weeden clearly overheard the officials discussing the penalty and showed some emotion by signaling first down before the call was announced.
6:07 The Aggies make things interesting when Fuller scores his second touchdown of the day to make the score 30-27 with 2:20 left. Apparently I was on TV at this moment as Fuller ran into that sideline. Thanks, friends who sent texts and tweets.
6:17 A&M forces OSU to punt, giving the Aggies 1:47 to try to tie or win. But Tannehill is picked off by James Thomas two plays later, which all but preserves the win. The small group of orange fans start chants of “Big 12!” It was fitting and yet ironic at the same time. They could have been chanting Pac-12 if things had gone according to plan earlier in the week. Either way, it was a jab at the Aggies that are bolting to the SEC.
6:24 In one of the more bizarre endings to a game, Blackmon lines up in the shotgun and takes the five seconds remaining on the clock to run out of the back of the end zone for a safety. Blackmon admitted that he had never run that play before in practice. After finishing off the 30-29 win, the OSU players gather near the section of orange fans and sing along to the Alma mater before heading to the locker room to celebrate.
It was definitely an entertaining contest and one of the more memorable ballgames I’ve seen. And I’m glad I got to experience the Kyle Field atmosphere before the Aggies take off.
Oklahoma State racking up awards following Texas A&M win
Are there any quarterback awards that Brandon Weeden did not win after his record-breaking performance in Saturday’s comeback win against Texas A&M?
Here’s the list of honors he’s picked up in the past three days:
Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week
Walter Camp National Player of the Week
Rivals.com National Player of the Week
Davey O’Brien Award National Quarterback of the Week
Manning Award Star of the Week
Nominated for ESPN All-America Player of the Week
Nominated for Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week
Of course, Weeden has been putting up big numbers all season. But this is another example of what a sensational performance in a high-profile game can do as far as national notoriety goes. A lot of people clearly took notice of his school records for completions (47), attempts (60) and passing yards (438) and his role in leading the OSU comeback in the second half.
I wrote today that Weeden’s showing on Saturday should officially put him in the conversation as a serious Heisman contender, so that’s where I stand on things.
Weeden wasn’t the only Cowboy picking up national awards after the game, as cornerback Brodrick Brown was named the Lott Trophy IMPACT Player of the Week Monday.
Brown had a key interception in the third quarter when he dove in front of A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller and helped limit the Aggie star to six catches and 55 yards.
Fuller did have two touchdowns, but Markelle Martin had the coverage on the first and the second came late in the fourth against OSU’s prevent defense. Brown also tallied eight tackles in the game.
Moral of the story? Play well on the big stage, and the recognition will come.
Leftovers from Thursday’s Power Lunch live chat
Howdy from DFW!
Apparently, it’s really tough to get hotel rooms in College Station, so we drove halfway today and will finish off the trip tomorrow.
Wanted to take some time to answer some questions I didn’t get to in yesterday’s Power Lunch chat. There were a lot of great ones, and it’s easy to sense the excitement surrounding tomorrow’s OSU-Texas A&M game. Let’s get to it.
What will it take to win in College Station?
These sound like cliché keys—starting fast and limiting mistakes/turnovers. But they’re cliché because they really are ways to take the crowd out of the game. OSU started terribly on offense last year against A&M (three punts and two turnovers in the first quarter) and trailed 14-0 after the first period. That won’t fly in College Station. Defensively, if OSU can establish itself along the line early, whether it’s by stopping the run or getting pressure on Ryan Tannehill, that will be huge.
Who will be the impact players on offense? On defense?
I expect the usual suspects to make big plays for the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. But I wrote about Joseph Randle for our pregame package for a reason. This will be his chance to show that he’s one of the conference’s most dangerous weapons on offense—both in the run game and as a receiver. And I expect him to have a huge game because he can have an impact in so many ways. Defensively, if Alex Elkins is back healthy, which I expect him to be, that should provide a big lift to the Cowboys’ front seven.
Over/under: 100 yards and a touchdown for Justin Blackmon?
Over on the yards, push on the touchdowns. Expect Blackmon to have a solid bounce-back game after Tulsa broke his streak for 100-yard receiving games. He’ll be hungry.
What’s your uniform prediction?
I’ve been pretty terrible at this so far this season. I still find it a bit crazy that the Cowboys have yet to wear the orange top or pants. My gut says white top and orange pants, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see all white.
Who has shined the brightest so far this season?
I answered a similar question in a video last week, and my answer hasn’t changed very much. On offense, I expected Weeden and Blackmon to be great, but I didn’t expect Randle to be this good already. On defense, I expected Shaun Lewis and Markelle Martin to be the leaders, but Elkins and Daytawion Lowe have been pleasant surprises.
Was the run defense really good against Louisiana-Lafayette and Arizona, or was that just bad competition?
A little of both, I think. Arizona’s Keola Antolin is a solid back, but the Wildcats’ offensive line was inexperienced. ULL is, well, ULL. Regardless, the Cowboys did a good job against those teams. Neither Mike Gundy nor Bill Young was happy about the 365 rushing yards given up against Tulsa, but a large chunk of those yards came after the game was already well in hand. It was also somewhere around 2:30 a.m. Still, the rush defense will need to be better Saturday, because the Aggies have one of the best backfield combos the Cowboys will face this season.
Now that you’ve been here for a while, where are some of your favorite places to eat in Stillwater?
I’m already a huge fan of Hideaway—been there four times in a month. That pizza is simply delicious. I also went to Mom’s Place for breakfast about a week ago and thought it was a neat local joint. Huge portions, good food, nice waitresses and great people watching. I’m a sucker for good breakfast and the greasy spoon vibe. I know I’ll be back.
And another food question…
Since you used to live in Texas, any recommendations on where to eat in College Station?
Unfortunately, College Station is about three hours west of Beaumont, so I’m not familiar with the area at all. I have been to Kyle Field once—to cover a high school football playoff game last season—but I ate at an Applebees before the game. My guess is that’s not what you’re looking for. Sorry!
What have you enjoyed most about covering OSU so far?
Mostly just getting to know the players, coaches and other people from the athletic department and university. It’s a good group of folks and I’ve been treated well. It’s nice when people start to recognize you, feel more comfortable around you and open up more and more during interviews. I feel like I’m building the relationships that are necessary to tell good stories. And, of course, it’s just fun to be around the excitement surrounding this program. To say I’ve had a blast so far would be a huge understatement.
Thanks again for all the questions in the Power Lunch chat. Keep checking back here tomorrow for all your game day coverage, and don’t forget to follow @OSUGameDay on Twitter. Should be an entertaining game at Kyle Field.
Shaun Lewis Could Have Been An Aggie
Shaun Lewis will be a major player for the Cowboys today.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
Shaun Lewis grew up in Missouri City, Texas.
“It’s about an hour drive from my home to Kyle Field,” Lewis said this week.
Lewis, for sure, knows the way. And the familiarity will extend to the other sideline and into the stands Saturday, when his Cowboys collide with Texas A&M in one of the nation’s spotlight games.
“I played against a lot of people in high school who go to A&M,” he said, “so it’s going to be a fun game.”
That could have been Lewis in maroon, too, if he’d paid more attention to the Aggies as a youngster.
“As a kid, I didn’t really follow A&M,” Lewis said. “I didn’t really get into college football until high school.”
Good thing, since Lewis, as a sophomore, is already one of the Cowboys’ top defenders. OSU’s only returning starter at linebacker, he’s become a stabilizing force for guys like Caleb Lavey and Alex Elkins, who are learning on the job at the other linebacker spots.
Good thing, too, since the Aggies were hot and heavy after Lewis as a prep star.
“Texas A&M was my first offer,” Lewis said.
Somehow, Lewis remained patient and resisted any local pulls and pressures and found his fit at OSU.
Good thing.
Statement from Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis committing to Big 12 conference
Here is the statement from Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis, committing to the Big 12 and outlining some of the reforms that were agreed upon at the Big 12 Board of Directors meeting earlier today.
“We had a constructive and productive conference call today. As I have said from the beginning, we thought it would be best to keep the Big 12 together, especially for our students, fans, and student-athletes.
Working with the other Big 12 presidents, we are now taking important and significant steps to forge a path where we not only keep the conference together, but also make it much stronger. We made progress. We pledged our commitment to the conference as made evident by the decision of the nine remaining members to grant our tier 1 (network) and tier 2 (cable) television rights to the conference for six years.
We re-established the expansion committee and we formed a working group to address matters and issues important to stabilizing the conference for the long term. We also have hired Chuck Neinas as the interim commissioner to lead our conference. While we decided new leadership at the conference was necessary, we also thanked Dan Beebe for his tireless efforts over the years, especially the past two years.
There is still ground to be covered and issues to be addressed. As I have said before, we want to lay a foundation to build an even stronger conference. Today, we started laying a strong foundation to take our conference into the future and make sure it remains one of the nation’s premier athletic conferences. I am encouraged.
Let me say, I have come to respect even more my fellow presidents during the past several weeks as we worked together for the greater good of the conference. I want to express my personal thanks to Chancellor Deaton for his leadership.”
Power Lunch: Chat with Gina Mizell
Full transcript of Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis’ comments after OSU/A&M Board of Regents meeting
Here is the full transcript of Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis’ comments following the OSU/A&M Board of Regents meeting that gave Hargis the authority to “assess and recommend to the Board what is best for Oklahoma State” regarding conference affiliation.
On what needs to happen to stabilize the Big 12:
I think there are a lot of things that we ought to address, I think revenue sharing is an important issue, I think the issue of the grant of rights for television contracts. There are a number of items, and most of them have been reported, or at least discussed in the press. I’m optimistic that we’re going to get somewhere on this.
On what other “options” OSU has besides staying in the Big 12, given the Pac-12’s announcement it won’t expand:
I think if we’ve learned anything in this, it’s you shouldn’t spend the money until the check clears. (Don’t worry, Hargis will be asked this question again.)
On OSU’s relationship with OU:
We’re both going to look out, of course, for our institutions, but we’re also looking out for the best for Oklahoma, as well. I think we believe that the best interest of Oklahoma and our institutions is for us to remain united in these matters. We’ve had a very steady dialogue here for several weeks about every possible ramification of this. I have enormous respect for (OU president David Boren) and the institution, their leadership and their programs, and I think that’s reciprocated. We’re going to be united on this, and whatever ends up happening, it will be a joint decision on our part.
Does OSU really have other options other than reforming the Big 12?
Oh yeah, I think so. But as I’ve said, (reforming the Big 12 is) our first priority. It’s always been our first priority to make that happen. There are a lot of conferences in this country…but I don’t want to speculate on that. Our goal is to bring that stability to the Big 12 and that will ensure its future.
On the leverage OSU has to get other schools to come around on reforms:
I don’t think we’re going to force anybody into anything. I think it’s got to be a consensus. A conference is like a family. You can’t rule with an iron hand. It has to be an equal sharing of views, and then developing a consensus that we can all stand behind. I think President Boren is talking about the importance of trust in this entire area, and I agree with that completely. We’re not going to try to force anything. We’re going to express what we think is important and is essential to the stability that we all seek.
Do you get the feeling that Texas will make some changes for the greater good of the conference?
I think there is a willingness among all the institutions in the Big 12 to seriously discuss what would be the best approach. The conference was formed at a very different time than it is today, and the recent events I think have shown that the structure that was developed way back then may not be applicable to today’s realities. I think Texas has been open to any ideas. They have expressed, I think, as well, their desire to keep the Big 12 together. It’s just like all families. You have your disagreements, but sooner or later, you come back together, and that’s what I hope happens here.
On if the Pac-12 announcement improves the opportunity to negotiate with Texas:
I don’t want to characterize it that we’re negotiating with Texas. What we’re really trying to do is identify those areas that need to be fixed, so we can move on. I just don’t think of it in terms of strengthening or weakening by hand. I think these things are either valid or they’re not. And if we all have the attitude that we want to have an equal role in the success of this conference, I think we’ll come to a consensus.
On commissioner Dan Beebe:
I’ve read all the reports that are out there about Dan, and I just don’t want to discuss personnel issues on the record.
On Texas putting Tier 1 and Tier 2 revenue sharing on the table:
That has definitely been a subject of discussion that we’ve had in the conference.
On when this will all be over
I think it will be resolved very shortly. I’m hopeful that by this weekend, we can just think about football.
On the activity of the Big 12 expansion committee:
I think it’s safe to say that there hasn’t been a lot of discussion about that recently amongst the committee, but that definitely moves to the front burner again, because we want to get that resolved. Certainly, the position of Oklahoma State—and I think most of the schools, if not all—is that we want to add a 10th team. I’d certainly consider more than 10. I don’t know about 16, but I think 12, though, is something we’d like to return to. I would, anyway.
What teams?
You’ve read all the names that are being talked about. You’ve got TCU, and all the Texas schools—Houston, SMU, TCU. BYU, Utah, Air Force Academy. There are a number of schools that have been mentioned, and two went to the ACC recently. So we’ve talked about a lot of options.
On balancing being president of OSU and conference realignment:
It has been a very intense time, but it hasn’t consumed every waking hour, by any means. I’m sure you find when you’re dealing with 10 different individuals and trying to be sure everybody knows what everybody is saying, it’s very labor-intensive. But actually, I really know my fellow presidents a lot better than I did, in many cases. Not David so much, but the others, and it’s really a great group. I’m very optimistic we’re going to get through it.
On Mike Gundy’s involvement in the discussions:
I know what Mike thinks and I know how he feels. Now he is in an all-consuming business, and I don’t want to distract him. He knows (OSU athletic director Mike) Holder and I are going to try to do what’s in the best interest of the university, and we’re certainly interested in his views, and he’s expressed them.
On what he says to fans that have been worried OSU might not have a home:
I’ve never thought we might not have a home. I’m kind of like the fans—this is unsettling. I think everybody likes some certainty, and we certainly miss that. We’re trying to move to certainty as fast as possible, by the weekend, if at all possible.
On the possibility of keeping Texas A&M:
I’d like to keep Texas A&M. I think it would be great. And then you’ve got 10, and maybe you look for another two.
On how the upgrade in facilities and Boone Pickens’ donations help OSU:
I think our football program has moved into the upper echelon in the country. That’s why I wasn’t worried about finding a home. It needs to be the right home. Sure, without the leadership of Boone Pickens and the others who have been inspired by him, we might be in a very different place.
On how long conference realignment across the country will go on:
It’s all we’ve seen for two or three years now, so I expect this is going to go on. But sooner or later, you kind of need to drop back and realize that this university is about educating people. Athletic programs are a very important asset of the school, but these student-athletes work very hard at what they do, and travel is a major factor. It’s a factor for them. It’s a factor for their studies. If we had a few more Tulsa games, getting in a 6 in the morning, it wouldn’t be very good for your academics. And their families want to watch them play. So geographical integrity, I think, is very desirable.
On why schools want to switch conferences:
Some people think the grass is greener. And I’m sure television money plays a role in it and different conferences have reached their negotiation points at different times, and so it may look like it’s a really good deal today compared to the one you have. But if you’re in a good, strong, stable, trustful relationship in a conference, it doesn’t get much greener than that.
Do you blame Texas?
No, I don’t blame Texas. I want to work with Texas and continue to be partners with Texas. It’s a wonderful school and a great program, and one of the truly storied programs in college athletics.
On the main purpose for Wednesday’s meeting:
There are a lot of moving parts here, and we may have to make decisions fast. You’ve got to give 48 hours notice to have a regents meeting, so you want to be in a position to move if you need to.
Why he believes stability can be achieved by the weekend: The issues are not that numerous and they’re not, in my opinion, that difficult. I think if we can really sit down and talk through them, I think it’s very possible we’ll get there.
Whew. Got all that? Should be interesting to see what happens at the Big 12 Board of Directors meeting Thursday. Reports have surfaced already that commissioner Dan Beebe will resign.
As always, stay tuned…
