OSU football notebook: Spoils of victory
BY JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
11/21/12 at 2:57 AM
What did Oklahoma State players and coaches do after a Big 12 championship-clinching victory over Oklahoma last season?
Many players stayed on the field after time expired to bask in the moment. They were swarmed by fans who stormed onto the turf.
"At the end of the game my family was on the field and I got to celebrate with them and I took my time getting into the locker room," defensive lineman Cooper Bassett said. "I went in there and took some pictures with the Big 12 trophy and celebrated with all the guys on what we accomplished."
Bassett said he went back to his apartment "to let it all sink in." And of course he didn't go immediately to bed.
"I went out on the strip and enjoyed celebrating in the way that people who are of age can celebrate," he said.
"It was awesome. It was a night that you didn't want to end, and we did as much as we could to make it last as long as we could and it was just a blast."
So, when did Bassett finally call it a night?
"The great thing was it was the last game of the (regular season), so we didn't have to be anywhere the next morning," he said. "You didn't have to feel the pains or effects of the night before for a long time, so I definitely slept in the next morning."
Coach Mike Gundy celebrated more quietly. He said he visited with tailgaters and went home.
It meant something: OSU players had many reasons to be motivated in last year's Bedlam game, but they also wanted to win for receivers coach Doug Meacham.
Meacham, a former Cowboy offensive lineman, had never beaten Oklahoma as a player or coach.
Fullback Kye Staley said offensive coordinator Todd Monken mentioned that to OSU players prior to Bedlam 2011 - and the Cowboys rewarded Meacham with a breakthrough victory.
"I know it meant a lot to him and it meant a lot to us," Staley said.
Been a long time: Bedlam was staged in Stillwater each of the past two seasons due to a scheduling quirk related to Big 12 realignment. OSU will play at OU for the first time since 2009.
Gundy was asked if there is anything about Norman that he missed in the mean time. Said the coach, "No, I haven't missed anything."
Making a point: OSU has scored 40-plus points only five times in Bedlam history. Three of the 40-or-more outings have come in the past four meetings.
Finishing strong: OSU has outscored its past five opponents 102-37 after halftime.
The Cowboys have surrendered only 13 fourth-quarter points during that span - two Kansas State field goals following drives that netted only 27 yards and a Texas Tech touchdown that was scored against reserves with 2:51 remaining. It was the first fourth-quarter TD permitted by the defense since an Oct. 13 game against Kansas.
