Cowboys look to end season on high note in Heart of Dallas bowl
BY KELLY HINES World Sports Writer
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
1/01/13 at 7:31 AM
Related Story: OSU needs to keep its balance against Purdue
DALLAS - For Oklahoma State and Purdue, Tuesday's Heart of Dallas Bowl is a chance to end a disappointing football season on a positive note.
"We wish we could get some games back and do some different things to get the wins, but we can't," OSU senior defensive end Cooper Bassett said. "Everything that has happened so far has made us the team that we are right now.
"Because of that, we're a resilient bunch and a ticked-off bunch of guys who are ready to go out there and get a win."
A year after winning the Big 12 Conference, the Cowboys finished the regular season 7-5 - dropping the final two games to Oklahoma and Baylor. Despite that, OSU is heavily favored against Purdue, with the largest point spread for any bowl this season (17 points).
After losing five straight games, resulting in the firing of head coach Danny Hope, the Boilermakers picked up three consecutive victories to become bowl-eligible.
Tuesday's game, which will be played at 11 a.m. at the historic Cotton Bowl in Dallas, is the former TicketCity Bowl. First-year sponsor Heart of Dallas is a nonprofit organization that works to eliminate homelessness in Dallas.
Proceeds from the game will provide 225 permanent residences for those who are homeless, according to Heart of Dallas Bowl officials.
Although they would rather be playing in a more prestigious bowl, each coach said much was at stake for his team.
"At Purdue, there's a flag that always flies over the stadium when we win," interim coach Patrick Higgins said. "And when we lose, that flag is not there. So it's a lot better to go to work every day when you see that 'W' flying over the stadium, than it not being there."
Said OSU coach Mike Gundy: "You get 13 opportunities in a calendar year to play a game. It's not like baseball; it's not like basketball where you get to go play 35, 40 games.
"We get 13 opportunities to compete. Our players have a responsibility to themselves and the team and the university to go compete."
Heart of Dallas Bowl
Oklahoma State (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6)
11 a.m. Tuesday
At Cotton Bowl, Dallas
TV: ESPNU-253
Radio: KFAQ am1170
Original Print Headline: Cowboys look to end season on high note
Kelly Hines 918-581-8452
kelly.hines@tulsaworld.com
