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Filling Dez's shoes
Others pitch in, patch the hole left by Bryant's absence

Hubert Anyiam had a huge game Saturday against Missouri, hauling in 10 catches for 119 yards, including a critical touchdown at the end of the first half that gave the Cowboys the lead for good. Anyiam has 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season. STEPHEN HOLMAN / Tulsa World

 
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Published: 10/20/2009  2:26 AM
Last Modified: 10/20/2009  4:01 AM

 STILLWATER — On two occasions during his high school career in Garland, Texas, Hubert Anyiam had single-game totals of at least 10 catches.

It was an impressive feat, but to get 10 catches at Boone Pickens Stadium — during a nationally televised college game — would qualify as an altogether different accomplishment.

As Colorado coach Dan Hawkins famously put it, "It's Division I football! It's the Big 12!"

Against Missouri last week, during a 33-17 Big 12 victory for 14th-ranked Oklahoma State, Anyiam collected 10 receptions for 119 yards. On Monday, he was named the Big 12's co-offensive player of the week, sharing the honor with Colorado tailback Rodney Stewart.

"We knew Hubert was capable of making plays," OSU defensive end Jermiah Price said, "but I don't know if we expected that."

Said Anyiam, who has a 38-inch vertical leap and is among the better athletes in the Cowboy program: "It was fun. It felt like high school. I got in a comfort zone. When I get in that comfort zone, I feel like I can do anything."

When Cowboy fans were informed that All-American Dez Bryant had been indefinitely suspended, it might have sounded like a death knell for the OSU passing game.

However, because of the emergence of wideouts like Anyiam, Dameron Fooks, Tracy Moore and Justin Blackmon, there has been no statistical decline.

In three victories without Bryant, Cowboy wide receivers collectively totaled 36 catches for 586 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Anyiam, who physically resembles former OSU receiver D'Juan Woods and wears Woods' No. 84 jersey, had a 27-yard TD catch at Texas A&M and an 8-yarder against Missouri.

"When everything happened with Dez — I didn't see it coming. It was a shock," Cowboy guard Noah Franklin said. "But we had great confidence (in the other wide receivers), and they've shown that they are capable of stepping up."

On Saturday, in an 11:30 a.m. contest at Waco, Texas, the Cowboys (5-1 overall, 2-0 Big 12) are matched with Baylor (3-3, 0-2).

After OSU players were told that Bryant was ineligible, Anyiam says the situation was discussed in a receivers meeting.

"We were all shocked and we were all down," Anyiam recalled on Monday. "We were all talking — 'Dez is gone. The receivers have to step up. Zac (Robinson) needs someone to throw to.'

"It didn't matter anymore about guys being (inexperienced). You just have to stand up and act like you're the man on every play."

Since the Bryant suspension, Robinson has completed 64 percent of his passes for 695 yards (14.2 per completion). In the Georgia and Houston games, with Bryant on the field, Robinson completed 55 percent of his attempts. By not so frequently locking in on Bryant as the preferred target, Robinson has distributed the football more effectively.

"Now that we don't have a marquee guy (Bryant) out there, you spread it around more," OSU coach Mike Gundy said. "It gives you a little more balance."

A redshirt sophomore, Anyiam is in his third year in the Oklahoma State program. He was a star at North Garland High School — recruited also by Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State and Louisville — but his Cowboy career started fairly slowly. As Bryant's backup last season, he totaled only three receptions. Before his 10-catch performance against Missouri, he had a career total of only nine.

"I knew this level was a harder level," Anyiam said. "I just had to chill out and wait my turn."

Trick or treat

Oklahoma State’s Halloween home game against Texas will be on national television and will kick off at 7 p.m., the Big 12 announced Monday.

The game will be televised by ABC or ESPN2. If the game is on ABC, it will be a split national telecast with half the television audience getting a USC-Oregon game. The Texas-OSU game will be shown on ESPN2 in parts of the country where USC-Oregon is the ABC game. If the Texas-OSU game is not chosen by ABC, it will be televised solely by ESPN2.

Bill Haisten 581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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13 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Gundy today: Other Cowboys stepping up in Bryant's absence," which was published on 10/19/2009.
Report Comment
Big John 2009, (10/19/2009 12:04:44 PM)
This morning the Homer Animals, I mean, the Morning Animals radio show talked about the urinals at Gaylord Stadium in Norman all morning and the last 2 minutes finally talked about the Cowboy victory.

Thank you Tulsa World for covering the 5 - 1 Cowboys the great way you do. GO POKES !!
Report Comment
PIRANA, Tulsa (10/19/2009 12:20:32 PM)
PRESS ON COWBOYS!!! PRESS ON!!!
Report Comment
TK1, (10/19/2009 12:50:09 PM)
Free Dez!
Report Comment
MexiMike, Tulsa (10/19/2009 1:26:52 PM)
I love Gundy's coach speak on the topic of penalties called.

In other words, "The zebras are being flag happy and ruining the game. Let the kids play!"
Report Comment
fld11, (10/19/2009 2:20:51 PM)
This gundy clown needs to go. He's gotten way too big for his pants. He thinks he's the best thing to come down the pike since sliced bread. Guess what? Not gonna happen.
Report Comment
Stomp, Charlotte (10/19/2009 2:56:02 PM)
and in other news, fld11 goes on ignore.
sorry your OU squad is having a down year fella. Thanks for dropping by to check in us...and...buh bye.
*clicks ignore button*
Report Comment
Cardinalsfan, Inola (10/19/2009 8:05:31 PM)
The Gundy "clown" is 5-1. As for that other Big 12 coach, well, it hasn't been quite as a good a year now has it?
Report Comment
voodoo1, Skiatook (10/20/2009 4:48:15 AM)
Need to take care of business in Waco first before we start talking about Tricker Treatin with Bevo. Yea it would be nice to have Dez and Spud back but if Hunter is still hurtin and the NCAA wants to make an example of Dez, OSU needs to make one of their own. Win without em....thats what great teams do!!
Report Comment
PIRANA, Tulsa (10/20/2009 8:14:37 AM)
Dez's absence is a blessing in disguise and will allow the extraodinary development of some fine receivers. One game at a time Boyz!

Go Pokes!!!
Report Comment
Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (10/20/2009 8:21:01 AM)
"has a 38-inch verticle leap and is one of the better athletes in the Cowboy program"

UNREAL

Go Pokes!!!!
Report Comment
definedego, (10/20/2009 11:05:42 AM)
FREE DEZ!
Report Comment
signalbob, Signal Hill CA 90755 (10/20/2009 10:35:45 PM)
Reggie: From your lips to God's ears, my friend.
Report Comment
tribefan22, (10/21/2009 12:00:11 AM)
As in the words of Dan Hawkins, "Go play intramurals brother". Just kiddin...free Dez!
 

 
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