Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on RSS
Sports Extra!
Follow us on ...
OU | OSU | TU | ORU | HIGH SCHOOLS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL | COLLEGE BASKETBALL | NFL | FANTASY | OUTDOORS | GOLF | PROS | ALL


SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS
    Sports Editor
Mike Strain

Sports Columnist
Dave Sittler

The Picker
Entertaining & Infuriating

LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

TULSA WORLD

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA

Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark

O-State needed its lost Cowboys

Zac Robinson completed one pass to a tight end during Saturday's loss to Texas. Thomas B. Shea / For the Tulsa World
 
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Published: 11/2/2009  2:23 AM
Last Modified: 11/2/2009  11:22 AM

What happened on Saturday, during a 41-14 loss to Texas, was that Oklahoma State fans got a chilling reminder: tight end Brandon Pettigrew now plays for the Detroit Lions, running back Kendall Hunter is a great college back when healthy, and Dez Bryant was a game-changer on pass plays and punt returns.

In last season's 28-24 setback at Austin, Pettigrew had eight catches for 83 yards. He was a dominant run-game blocker.

Hunter ran for 161 yards, averaging nearly 9 yards per attempt.

By his standards, Bryant had a fairly quiet performance — six receptions for 74 yards. The Texas defense was so focused on Bryant containment that it created opportunities for Pettigrew, Hunter and others.

Saturday, there was no Pettigrew. Zac Robinson completed one pass to a tight end. Hunter, after missing five games with an ankle-foot injury, finally returned to game action — for one play. One carry, 1 yard. Obviously, he's not ready. Apparently, it's a pain-tolerance issue.

Last week, the NCAA announced that Bryant's suspension would be extended through the rest of the season. The result of a reinstatement appeal should be announced soon, but OSU officials don't seem encouraged.

With 1:44 left in Saturday's first quarter, with Texas leading 3-0, OSU faced fourth-and-8 from the Longhorn 32-yard line. Hubert Anyiam dropped Robinson's pass at the 2.

If he gets that chance again, does Anyiam make the play? Probably, yes.

If Bryant had been on the receiving
end of that fourth-and-8 throw — in a nationally televised, high-stakes setting — would he have made that play? Absolutely, yes.

On what might have been the final punt return of his college career, Bryant scored on an 82-yard return against Houston. Against Texas, the Cowboys had two punt returns for 15 yards.

As coach Mike Gundy frequently says, OSU has not yet arrived at the top tier of college football. It's an ongoing process. But the process was so much smoother before Pettigrew graduated to the NFL, before Hunter's legs were damaged and before Bryant agreed to have dinner with Deion Sanders.


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

Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark


COMMENTS 
      Add your comment Show: Most Recent Comment First

17 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!

Report Comment Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you.  -- Web Editor Jason Collington
 

 
Report Comment
cowboys_r_us, Oklahoma City (11/2/2009 7:27:14 AM)
Very true Haisten. OSU fans forget this all too often. There's probably not a team in the country who can replace those 3 guys and compete against the No. 3 team.
Report Comment
BOBO1, (11/2/2009 7:56:05 AM)
I am proud of the Cowboys....they came to win. Gundy came to win...that was why he went for the 4th and long several times. He knew that to beat a top team you have to take chances and it also shows his belief in his team. The Cowboys ran the ball against Texas like no other team. Zac pressed and that is the reason for the interceptions. Texas is a good team and deserved to win. Cowboys too are a good team....and the score does not represent how good they are. If the Cowboys just played a conservative running game the score would have been lower but without a passing game the Texans would have taken over. Cowboy proud...you bet...we may not be there yet but we are a lot closer and have a bright future.
Report Comment
CowboyBobDog, Neamh (11/2/2009 8:53:40 AM)
I guess the best part about being in Stillwater Saturday was the tail gate BBQ and the prime rib 4 trucks down the row.

(Bobdog settles on the sofa for his morning nap.)
Report Comment
dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (11/2/2009 8:55:53 AM)
Bobdog takes football for what it is. Entertainment. Some years it's more entertaining than others. But if the tailgating is fun and the more wins than losses is fun then that's the right spirit for football.

Whether your team wins or loses is not going to change your bills one iota. It's simply a game.
Report Comment
SUEA, MESQUITE (11/2/2009 9:13:39 AM)
Cowboys r us....... not a team in the country who can replace 3 starters and compete against the #3 team in the country ?..............what do you think the Sooners did in the Cotton Bowl a few weeks ago without Bradford, Gresham, and offensive guard Simmons....lose by 3 on a neutral field.....that's not competing ???.....and you lose at home by 27 and cry like a baby......you guys don't play at Boone Pickens Field.....you play at NGAT Field....No Good at Football.............geeeeeeeeeeeeeez
Report Comment
statepride, Fayetteville (11/2/2009 1:19:41 PM)
Suea please go back to the OU boards to keep from further embarrasing yourself. We all know that the lOUsers have never actually lost but only "beaten themselves". I didn't hear any excuses in this story or the accompanying comments. It just states what might have been given other circumstances. By the way, those "3 starters" are all-americans without highly touted back-ups unlike the Norman guys who were all supposed to be even better than those they replaced.
Report Comment
Steff M, Claremore (11/2/2009 2:16:39 PM)
I don't know what you're smokin but OU's replacements for Bradford, Gresham and Simmons were not supposed to be better than them. Also, is it embarrassing to misspell embarrassing? OSWho grad? Good thing I didn't go to college if that's what you get.
Report Comment
SUEA, MESQUITE (11/2/2009 3:00:39 PM)
State pride - simple question.....why don't you prove to everyone that you're man enough and go out and actually beat Texas...??..simple answer.........you're not good enough......OSU 0-12 against the Steers the last 12............OU you ask ???? 6-6...
Report Comment
Cowboy stuck in MD, (11/2/2009 9:40:35 PM)
gundy is an idiot
Report Comment
statepride, Fayetteville (11/2/2009 11:45:09 PM)
Steff, really? that's the best you got? You must have blown the dust off the ole Websters huh? Suea, I haven't been on the field for 24 years. How can I prove that "I'm" man enough to beat Texas? Believe me I'd love to play again but don't think I still have it. Besides, unlike you lOUsers, I can admit my team got beat by a better team. And I don't need to ask about the OU record. You people constantly remind anyone who'll listen that you have been just as good (not better) than them over the last 12 years. Except they actually WIN the big games. Go Boise!
Report Comment
OSUfanstan, Tishomingo (11/3/2009 12:49:46 PM)
Those people either can't play, ( Pettigrew and Bryant ), or won't play, ( Hunter ). Stop worrying about them, and let's start concentrating about this week's opponent and the games to come. It's just a total waste of time and detrimental to focus on things that no longer matter.
Report Comment
Carlos, Tulsa (11/3/2009 1:28:00 PM)
SteffM,
So the truth comes out. You didn't go to college. Not that it was any surprise. You probably googled "embarrass" before posting, didn't you? Why don't you give your sausage fingers a rest and go take a nap? I love watching you OU fans get frustrated when you are having a bad season. Instead of just admitting defeat, you either disown the team or lash out at higher ranked teams (like OSU) and try to make them feel bad about their wins. Classic!
Report Comment
SUEA, MESQUITE (11/3/2009 3:13:38 PM)
State Pride - Win the big games ??? - shucks, dude I've got 7 national titles to the Steers 4 so guess I've won some big ones, hunh ????.........you have 0 national crowns so maybe you'll get to a big game some day.....hee hee
Report Comment
hokahey, (11/3/2009 3:32:39 PM)
let me understand this........OSU missing 2 starters? Horns lose starting LB Jarred Norton before OU, probable starters Brandon Collins & Christian Scott, key reserves mason Walters & Calvin Howell have been out since week 2, and all-world starting CB Aaron williams went out with an injury in the OSU game, in the first quarter............and you want a PITY PARTY for OSU ?
Report Comment
SUEA, MESQUITE (11/3/2009 3:37:52 PM)
That Aaron Williams for UT is a stud......almost touched the sky on that 4th quarter interception against the Sooners......State Pride, Carlos, Pistol Pete, and the Cowgirls need to start hitch hiking up to Ames....should be there by saturday.....hee hee
Report Comment
SUEA, MESQUITE (11/3/2009 3:42:13 PM)
That Aaron Williams for UT is a stud......almost touched the sky on that 4th quarter interception against the Sooners......State Pride, Carlos, Pistol Pete, and the Cowgirls need to start hitch hiking up to Ames....should be there by saturday.....hee hee
Report Comment
SUEA, MESQUITE (11/3/2009 4:48:42 PM)
Heck, if Aaron Williams don't go out he probably takes 2 more to the house....55-14 Steers...
 

 
Add Your Comment 
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.

 
Post Your Comment
 



Home | About Tulsa World | Advertise With Us | Privacy | Usage Agreement | FAQ and Help | Contact Us | Today's Headlines
Copyright © 2009, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.