BOX SCORE

The Cowboys certainly made the Jayhawks work for it, but the Pokes start Big 12 play with a loss.

Oklahoma State lost to Kansas 69-67 on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse after the Cowboys took at 15-point lead into the half. That lead evaporated almost instantly in the second half, and after a crazy final minute, the Jayhawks were on top when the dust settled.

There was a bit of controversy at the end of things. With 1.1 seconds to play and OSU down 69-67, Mike Boynton drew up a baseline inbounds play where the OSU faithful will say Bryce Thompson got fouled and should’ve been at the foul line with a chance to tie.

Here are five thoughts from OSU’s Big 12 opener.

1. Rebounding the Difference in KU’s Second-Half Run

Kansas made the Cowboys’ lead disappear with work on the glass.

The Jayhawks had 13 second-chance points in the second half off seven offensive rebounds. For reference, OSU had just 15 second-chance points all game. At one point, KU had 13 second-half second-chance points when OSU had only 10 points total in the second half.

2. Bryce Thompson Goes Nuclear in Old Gym

A former Jayhawk, Bryce Thompson did everything he could to take a win back to Stillwater.

Thompson finished with a game-high 23 points while going 7-for-10 from 3-point range — it’s the most 3s he has hit in a game in his college career. It continues a hot shooting spree from 3 for Thompson. Since Nov. 25, Thompson is 25-for-50 (50%) from 3.

He finished the game with four fouls and had to sit for a stretch of the second half, but he kept the Cowboys in it, hitting two 3s in the final two minutes.

The first came out of a timeout and gave Oklahoma State a 64-62 lead with 1:48 to play. It was a well-designed play from Mike Boynton, as the Cowboys needed something after hitting only one field goal in about a five-minute span.

Then in the wild final 15 seconds, Thompson nailed a heavily contested 3-pointer to tie the game at 67 before KU raced down the floor and KJ Adams got a contested layup to fall to put the Jayhawks back up.

3. John-Michael Wright Has Best Game as a Poke

For the first time this season, OSU lost a game in which John-Michael Wright scored in double figures.

Wright finished the game with 19 points, a season-high since transferring to OSU from High Point. He was 4-for-9 from 3 and had four rebounds and three assists. Perhaps his biggest bucket of the day came with 7:58 to play when he pulled up from 3 and tied the game at 55.

As good as his day was, he had a wide open look from 3 with 25 seconds to play that rimmed out. Had that gone in, it would’ve given Oklahoma State a 67-65 lead.

4. Anderson, Boone No-Shows on Offensive End

OSU needed Thompson and Wright to have the days they had because Avery Anderson and Kalib Boone just didn’t have it on the offensive end Saturday.

The senior tandem combined for four points on 2-for-9 shooting — not ideal production from two players who entered the game scoring in double figures.

The two did leave their fingerprints on the game in other ways. Anderson had three rebounds, two assists and tied a game-high two steals, and he followed Grady Dick nearly everywhere on the defensive end of the floor. Boone led the Cowboys with eight rebounds. But when it came to putting the ball in the basket, it just wasn’t their game.

5. The Gauntlet Begins

Going into a game against the defending national champs in Allen Fieldhouse, some OSU fans might’ve taken a 2-point loss, but how it came made it sting.

The Cowboys have now blown three double-digit second-half leads (13 points to Southern Illinois, 15 points to UCF and 15 points to Kansas). The Jekyll and Hyde halves continue. It felt inevitable that Kansas would make a second-half run, but to go from 15-point lead to 2-point lead in less than seven minutes was wild.

Still, if the Cowboys can compete with Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse, they can compete with anyone. Despite the loss, the Cowboys looked more like a tournament team Saturday than they have for much of the season.

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news.

Three Thoughts

• Cowboy and Cowgirl Basketball take on Kansas today – Pokes in Lawrence is always worth watching

• Big wrestling tournament starting tomorrow – Seth Duckworth pointed out this is an opportunity for OSU to size up against some Big 12 frontrunners

• If you want to be optimistic about Cowboy Football, here’s something to chew on:

“All of these guys that had or got playing experience this year, they’re going to be so much better their second time around,” defensive coordinator Derek Mason said. “When guys grow up, they become better football players.”

[TulsaWorld]

Two Quotes

• Malcolm Rodriguez seems like he’s doing alright in Detroit:

• More offers like this, please. Need two or three more defensive tackles into Stillwater.

One Question

• If you could add a five-star, can’t miss recruit to any position group to play football for OSU what would it be?

Most Viewed of the Week

• No. 1 Ten thoughts from OSU’s loss to Wisconsin

• No. 2 Auburn, Ole Miss showing interest in Spencer Sanders

• No. 3 Grading the Guaranteed Rate Bowl

• No. 4 Christmas Eve Bullets

• No. 5 Social Media Reaction to the bowl game

Non-OSU Bullets

• See things differently to do things differently
• Solid John Piper message on “beating a path to the Word” (faith-based)

Great New Years vibes off this tweet:

Here’s a solid explanation of Southwest Airlines’ massive cancellations:

Details behind the logistical collapse have emerged in recent days. While most airlines operate off a hub-and-spoke model, where most aircraft and crew are based out of a few major hubs, Southwest operates on a point-to-point model, where flights can travel from city to city without needing to stop at a central hub. The storm created a snowball effect of cancellations that overwhelmed Southwest’s outdated internal scheduling system and resulted in planes and crew being stranded throughout the country while the airline attempted to manually reset operations.

Exacerbating issues, Southwest lacks agreements allowing passengers to rebook with other airlines during emergencies. The airline now faces an investigation from the Department of Transportation.

[1440]

For the second straight year, the Cowboys will open their Big 12 slate against the league’s blueblood. After hosting the Jayhawks for the season-opener last season, Oklahoma State is headed to Allen Fieldhouse for its first conference game on New Year’s Eve.

Here are some stats and other info to know before the Cowboys’ trip to Lawrence.

Viewing Info

Time: 1 p.m. Saturday
Location: Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas
Watch: CBS Sports

Team Stats

Projected Starters

Series History (KU leads 105-48)

Boynton Previews Kansas

There’s a big tournament coming up January 1-2 for the Cowboys as they’ll wrestle in the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee. With the weirdly evolving lineup of teams slated to compete, I thought I’d take a broader look at what the Cowboys are facing and five things to watch in the tournament.

1. How does OSU stack up vs. the Big 12?

There are a few Big 12 teams here, but the biggest name sending the most complete roster is last year’s Big 12 Champs, Missouri. Missouri was my preseason pick to win the conference again this year, so this will be a good litmus test for whether the Cowboys can contend for a Big 12 title this season. If they can win here, it doesn’t make them the favorite, but would certainly be a positive sign. Iowa State has emerged as a potential new favorite in the conference team race but, due to some injuries, the Cyclones are not expected to have a full roster competing here.

Beyond that, there is North Dakota State and Northern Colorado. Matchups with any of these Big 12 teams could shape seeding for the conference tournament in a few months especially with NDSU, as OSU will not dual them this season.

2. How will the Minnesota rematches go?

The Cowboys took it on the chin in their dual with Minnesota earlier in the season on December 4. Weirdly, they won a few matches they weren’t favored in and lost a few that they were. Here they’ll have an opportunity to avenge some of those losses but also need to win the ones they won the first time to help their seeds at the NCAA tournament. Thinking toward the postseason and NCAA tournament seeding, it’s big for OSU to get some of the matches from the dual back here.

3. The two/three deep

OSU is sending a lot of guys to this. Three at some individual weights. In some areas, you’ll have an opportunity to see young guys like Jordan Williams for the first time at a big-name tournament against Division-I starters. In others, you’ll get to see guys that are trying to contend for starting spots, and it’s always interesting to see these shake out.

4. Can OSU get out from bottom?

This seems to be a prevailing area of struggle with OSU to this point in the season. A lot of guys just aren’t able to get off bottom. Fans are going to want things to start clicking from that position. If not, it could be a long season for some guys.

5. 141, 149, 157, 165, 184, 197, HWT

It’s obviously fun to see guys like Dustin Plott and Daton Fix dominate a tournament, but I don’t see much resistance for them outside of Plott’s final. They should win relatively comfortably. Pretty much every other weight is a big opportunity for the Cowboys. If Luke Surber or Carter Young or Victor Voinovich take off and win here, this will be a significant notch in their belt for their young careers, and will also have some big implications for their NCAA qualification chances and seeding prospects.

The tournament takes place January 1-2 and can be streamed on FloWrestling.

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news.

OSU Bullets

• Cowboy safety Jason Taylor is undecided about his future – could go to the NFL Draft or come back for one more year in Stillwater

• Cowgirl Basketball announced a midyear transfer yesterday, a former McDonald’s All-American

• Bill Haisten’s closing thought after the bowl game surely mimics Gundy’s thoughts moving forward:

It’s obvious, though, that Gundy has to find a veteran quarterback in the portal and somehow, some way has to oversee improvement on the Oklahoma State offensive line. The best of Gundy’s offenses began with excellent blocking, and OSU’s blocking hasn’t been consistently excellent for a long time.

[TulsaWorld]

• Mike Gundy had some strong words for PFB’s head guy after a routine question was asked. Here’s a national media member weighing in on the subject.. You may not be aware of the history of Gundy/PFB but here’s a good synopsis:

Pistols Firing, a website popular among OSU fans, had its credentials revoked in 2020 because of Gundy’s stance on blogs. Scott was not a full-time employee of the site then but attended availability sessions, and he was allowed to cover games starting last year.

[TulsaWorld]

• Carson and Colby filmed the 500th episode of the PFB podcast breaking down the bowl game

• Loved this jab by TCU’s Sonny Dykes on the difficulty of the Big 12 schedule relative to the SEC

• Big key to OSU’s success next year – good insight here on how the Pokes compete with teams more gifted in the trenches:

• Grinch Smile gif here

Non-OSU Bullets

• Writing in cursive
• Inviting God into the hard places (faith-based)

“These findings suggest that what might seem small when we are deciding whether or not to do something nice for someone else could matter a great deal to the person we do it for. Given that these warm gestures can enhance our own mood and brighten the day of another person, why not choose kindness when we can?”

[Scientific American]

This is such a fun idea for future fans:

Carson Cunningham and Colby Powell react to OSU’s loss to Wisconsin. Plus, they commemorate the 500th episode of the podcast.

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news.

OSU Bullets

• Ten thoughts from the Guaranteed Rate Bowl loss Tuesday night – plus grades from the loss

• Trace Ford is headed to Norman to play for the rival Sooners

• Give it to the Pokes, they fought until the end Tuesday night. But there are zero questions about what OSU has to fix in the offseason:

During the opening half against Wisconsin, Oklahoma State totaled 11 rushing yards and was 0-of-6 on third-down conversions.

[TulsaWorld]

• Could (prime) Barry Sanders get away from a bear?

• This is a pretty interesting note about the Pokes from the early signing day:

While recruiting did not drop, it is fair to say the rest of the Big 12 elevated, while the Cowboys remained steady.

[GoPokes]

• Best bowl performances in a Cowboy uniform

• OSU could use a year for Garrett Rangel and Zane Flores to develop:

• Concerning the Trace Ford move – I get this stance from Doug. It’ll be pretty easy to pull for Mason Cobb and Jabbar Muhammad in the Pac-12 – the exact opposite for Trace Ford in Norman. Brock Martin had the best response.

Non-OSU Bullets

• Pretty handy – a compilation of all the best book lists of 2022
• Gonzaga ponders future amid realignment
• Southwest Airlines canceled 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours

Loved this gesture by Texas Tech in honor of Mike Leach and Ole Miss to decline it:

Two-time All-Big 12 Honorable mention edge rusher Trace Ford has found a landing spot, and it’s not too far from home.

The Edmond-Santa Fe (Okla.) product signed with Oklahoma State as part of the 2019 class and immediately made in impact, recording nine quarterback hurries, four tackles for loss and three sacks as a true freshman. That production and his ability to line up as an impact player all over the Cowboys’ defensive front earned him his first of two all-conference honorable mention honors.

Ford has dealt with multiple injuries that limited his effectiveness, including sitting all of 2021 as a late redshirt season, but he still totaled 8.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss and 14 passes defended over his OSU career. He left the Cowboys’ loss to Kansas with an apparent knee injury and did not play again for the Cowboys. He announced his intention to join the transfer portal in early December and posted on social media of a visit to OU on Dec. 15.

Thanks to the NCAA’s Covid-19 rules, Ford has two years of eligibility remaining. With Oklahoma and Texas currently scheduled to leave the conference after the 2023-24 season, there is a high probability of Bedlam rematch.

Oklahoma State tried to mount a comeback late (late literally and late in the game!), but its bid failed in a losing 24-17 effort, ending a disappointing 7-6 season in which it lost five of its final six games.

Let’s get to our final grades of the season.

Mike Gundy: F

Oklahoma State led 24-7 over TCU before eventually losing in double OT. Two weeks later it lost to Kansas State 48-0 in the most embarrassing loss of the Gundy era. Then there was another blowout loss the next week to Kansas, 37-16, followed weeks later by back to back losses to OU (in lopsided fashion similar to the way it lost to Wisconsin) then to West Virginia.

It’s as if OSU wasn’t prepared in half the games this season.

Gundy on Tuesday night then went on the offensive as he does when things are not going his way. Asked postgame about potential staff changes — a completely reasonable question given circulation of rumors of late and how the season has unfolded — Gundy called Marshall an “ass” and “ignorant” while threatening to remove press access.

Gundy and his staff are paid through state funds and a little accountability as such is a reasonable ask. He took none on Tuesday. Instead, he deflects, distracts and in this case, name-calls out of insecurity. It’s a pattern. He’s long been a bully who wields his power and influence to affect and engender favorable coverage — this isn’t the first time he’s threatened to take our access or actually done so — so Tuesday was a low moment to end a low season for him.

Garret Rangel: B

Making just his third career start as a true freshman facing a pretty good Wisconsin defense, Rangel — as expected from a true freshman making his third career start — had some highs and some lows. But I was impressed with the poise he showed in this game. Yes, he sailed a few passes he probably wants back. And no, 14 of 31 passing isn’t stellar. But the underhand TD toss was a perfect example of the poise he possesses. He can make some big daddy throws downfield, too. Oh, and some of the throws he got zero help from his receivers. (The Owens catch-then-INT was particularly bad.) It’s hard to definitively say he’s a rising star or a complete whiff, but I lean much closer towards the former than the latter. He’s one of the (very few) reasons for optimism heading into 2023.

Defense: B+

In 105 games during the Gundy era in which OSU has held its opponent to 24 or fewer points, OSU has lost only seven of them. Seven. (Per CFB ref.) Safe to say OSU’s defense — despite its sluggish start — held up its end of the bargain. It allowed only one score after thee half, and that was aided by an INT that put the Badgers in plus field position.

Offense: D-

We’ve already discussed Rangel’s performance but we have not yet discussed the offense as a whole. I saved the worst for last. Predictable swing passes, dives up the middle for two yards, the play-calling on offense was awful and the execution even moreso. OSU had just 281 total yards to Wisconsin’s 357 (241 of which came on the ground). The Badgers dominated time of possession that only exacerbated the offensive production — the defense was on the field a lot — but that was a direct byproduct of the offense not being able to sustain drives.

Here’s how the possessions went for OSU on offense in this game.

• 4 plays, 12 yards, punt
• 3 plays, 6 yards, punt
• 1 play, 84 yards, TD
• 3 plays, 7 yards, punt
• 5 plays, 15 yards, punt
• 3 plays, 0 yards, punt
• 3 plays, -3 yards, punt
• 3 plays, 1 yard, punt
• 2 plays, 17 yards, INT
• 3 plays, -10 yards, punt
• 3 plays, 0 yards, punt
• 10 plays, 80 yards, TD
• 13 plays, 69 yards, FG
• 2 plays, 3 yards, INT

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news.

OSU Bullets

• Pokes fought to the end, losing 24-17 to the Badgers in Arizona

• Five thoughts on Cowboy Basketball going into conference play – OSU is the only Big 12 team currently not projected into the NCAA Tournament, lots of work to do in conference play

• Here are some fun highlights from the bowl game last night: Stephon Johnson took a quick hitter 84 yards to the house, Transfer defensive back Trey Rucker had a solid season debut, and Garrett Rangel made a heck of a backyard play for six

• Kind of an interesting interview – looking at what Wisconsin players know about Oklahoma State

• Five thoughts about Cowgirl Basketball entering league play

• If you were curious – here’s the process for turning an MLB stadium into a college football bowl game

• Gundy may not catch Saban or Mack Brown after last night:

Non-OSU Bullets

• Your career is just one-eighth of your life
• Fun article on how TCU is essentially an All-Texas team in the CFP
• In case you need it – a therapist’s guide to staying calm during the holidays

These faith-based thoughts on parenting/view of children in the vein of The Screwtape Letters are haunting me this week:

Make sure to cast the spell. When they think of the little brats, let them see sleepless nights, the death of dreams, the sacrifice, the giving up of oneself — why bother? Why not buy a pet — man’s best, and much less demanding, friend? Entice them along these lines. Keep them thinking about themselves — not the extension of themselves. Go forth and . . . follow your own life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

[Desiring God]