Game Notes: Oklahoma State Opens Big 12 Play at Iowa State
Game Notes: Oklahoma State Opens Big 12 Play at Iowa State
The Basics
The Oklahoma State football team (2-1 overall; 0-0 Big 12) opens Big 12 play this week as it travels to face Iowa State (1-2 overall; 0-0 Big 12) in Ames with kickoff set for 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, September 23 at Jack Trice Stadium.
On the Air
The game will be televised live on FS1 with Dan Hellie and Petros Papadakis on the call. It will also be carried live on the Cowboy Radio Network, with Dave Hunziker handling play-by-play, John Holcomb providing analysis and Robert Allen reporting from the sideline. Fans outside of the Cowboy Radio Network can listen to the OSU broadcast for free through The Varsity Network app. The broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 387.
In the Rankings
The Oklahoma State football team is not ranked, but has received votes in both the AP Top 25 and the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll this season. Through the 2022 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 13 of the past 15 seasons and has reached the top 10 in 11 of those 15 years. Although the first College Football Playoff rankings won’t be released until November 1, it’s worth noting that OSU has been part of the CFP rankings in seven of the past eight seasons entering 2023. Iowa State is not ranked.
The Series
Saturday’s game marks the 58th meeting between Oklahoma State and Iowa State, with the series dating back to 1926. The 2023 season also marks OSU’s earliest in the season road trip to Ames since the 1997 season opener and the 13th consecutive year the teams have met. OSU owns a 34-20-3 all-time series advantage, including a 15-13-1 advantage in Ames. OSU has won 11 of the past 14 matchups, as well as four of the past 5 played in Ames. Coach Mike Gundy is 11-4 in his career against Iowa State, while ISU coach Matt Campbell is 2-5 in his career against OSU.
Oklahoma State from a Distance
The Oklahoma State football program wrapped up the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 2-1 record and is coming off its first loss of the season. Now with their sights set on conference play, the Cowboys open their Big 12 schedule with a road matchup at Iowa State. The talk surrounding the team has centered on a three-man rotation at quarterback that includes Alan Bowman, Gunnar Gundy and Garret Rangel. They have split time equally in each of the three games so far and put up similar numbers to one other in each one. More than just the quarterbacks are rotating, though. The Cowboys are also splitting time evenly between three running backs, are consistently rotating players across the defense and even use two punters and two long snappers. The biggest storyline on the defensive side has been the Cowboys’ move to include a three-man front in its scheme under new defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo. The transition included moving former freshman All-America defensive end Collin Oliver to linebacker and involving several transfers in the gameplan. Oklahoma State has included four players from the 2023 transfer portal in its starting lineup this season and 13 total 2023 transfers have already seen meaningful playing time. This weekend’s matchup is OSU’ final game before its only open weekend on the 2023 schedule and it comes one week later than the Cowboys’ bye week in 2022. Following the open week, OSU begins a two-game homestand Friday, October 6, when it hosts Kansas State. The game marks just the second Friday home game for OSU since 1940, with the only other instance coming against Kansas on October 26, 1956. The most recent regular season Friday game for OSU was the 2019 opener at Oregon State.
An Oklahoma State Win Would …
- Make it 3-1 or better for the seventh consecutive season and 16th time during the Mike Gundy era.
- Give it wins in 13 of its past 14 September games, dating to 2019.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record in September games to 57-13.
- Make it 8-5 in its past 13 road games.
- Give it wins in 10 of its past 13 and in 23 of its past 29 games following a loss.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record in road games to 55-39.
- Improve its all-time record against Iowa State to 35-20-3 and its record vs. ISU in Ames to 16-13-1.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record against Iowa State to 12-4.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record in Big 12 games to 96-61.
- Make it 24-9 in its past 33 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season.
- Make it 89-22 in its past 111 games vs. opponents outside of the AP Top 25, dating to 2010.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game
- The Cowboy defense has produced a shutout half in two of three games this season.
- OSU has held 30 of its past 33 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game.
- OSU has won 83 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 and longest since at least 1980.
- OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 32 of its past 47 games.
- OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50% third down conversion rate in 40 of its past 41 games.
- OSU is 34-15 in its past 49 games decided by fewer than 10 points.
- OSU is 45-8 in its past 53 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.
- Dating back to 2005, OSU is 46-4 when not committing a turnover.
- Dating back to 2008, OSU is 75-8 when winning the turnover battle.
- OSU has won three of its past five overtime games.
- Over the past 40 games, OSU has held opponents to 175-for-615 (28.5%) on third down.