STILLWATER - After one of the most unusual weeks in the history of the Oklahoma State football program - the Cowboys have been playing football since 1901 and they've been playing on this field for 100 years - it was business as usual in a Saturday home opener against Lamar.
OSU took care of business matter-of-factly against an overmatched FCS opponent, scoring 21 points in each of the first and third quarters en route to a 59-3 triumph that was achieved in front of a Boone Pickens Stadium record crowd of 59,061. Jeremy Smith scored three of the Cowboys' seven touchdowns on short touchdown runs.
OSU will take a 3-0 record into an open week that precedes a Sept. 28 Big 12 opener at West Virginia. And the Cowboys will get a bit of time to breathe before the final chapter of Sports Illustrated's five-part investigative series ("The Dirty Game") pops up Tuesday on SI.com.
The first four parts of the series (focusing on money, academics, drugs and sex) were released four consecutive days prior to the Lamar game. SI's stories - and reactions to the stories - dominated local sports pages and football was pushed to the back burner.
Football "returned" Saturday night and the biggest return was courtesy of Josh Stewart. The junior receiver scooted 67 yards for a touchdown on a third-quarter punt return and, after Blake Jackson produced a fourth-and-goal touchdown catch midway through the quarter, OSU starting quarterback J.W. Walsh took a seat on the bench.
The Cowboys were up 45-3 when backup quarterback Clint Chelf entered the game with 7:19 remaining in the third quarter. Chelf ran for a touchdown on his first series and capped a 94-yard drive in the fourth quarter by throwing a touchdown pass to Blake Webb.
By then, OSU led by 56 points - and it was safe to say that a team from Oklahoma was finally going to get the best of Lamar.
Lamar, which relaunched its once-dormant football program in 2010, entered the game with an 8-0 all-time record against squads from Oklahoma. The Cardinals blistered an Oklahoma-based opponent (Panhandle State) 75-0 in a season opener and were pesky enough to give an FBS team (Louisiana Tech) fits the weekend before coming to Stillwater.
But Lamar picked a bad week to play OSU for the first time.
Stung by SI's expose, the Cowboys were probably anxious to use any opponent for a scratching post. They scored on five of their first six possessions (including three consecutive touchdown drives to start the game) and the defense failed to pitch a shutout only because a turnover put the Cardinals in position to boot a field goal on the final play of the first half.
During Mike Gundy's postgame news conference, when asked a question related to the university's reaction to the Sports Illustrated project, the coach said he is not allowed to answer questions about SI.
Walsh, in his second start of the season and the fifth of his career, hit 17-of-30 passes for 181 yards, one touchdown and one interception (it was OSU's first turnover of the season). He also led the Cowboys with 45 rushing yards.
Chelf, who started the season opener, finished 6-of-6 for 90 yards.
OSU UP NEXT
At West Virginia
TBA Sept. 28
TV: TBA
Radio: KFAQ am1170
Jimmie Tramel 918 581-8389
jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com
OSU
Two seasons ago, OSU won a Big 12 title with the aid of exceptional special teams play. One department that proved lacking was the punt return unit.
There's not enough evidence yet to declare that the defense has arrived, but evidence thus far is promising.
