Q&A session with OSU coach Mike Gundy from the Big 12 teleconference. tulsaworld.com/sportsextra

STILLWATER — During its contest at Missouri, against a Tiger team that was unbeaten and ranked No. 3 nationally, Oklahoma State played without injured All-Big 12 tight end Brandon Pettigrew, missed a chip-shot field goal, failed on a fourth-and-18 fake-punt run play and committed three turnovers.

And yet the Cowboys prevailed 28-23 because of their most impressive defensive performance of the four-season Mike Gundy era.

Gundy, whose team is 6-0 overall, 2-0 in the Big 12 and ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll, said OSU succeeded because of "(perhaps) the best defensive plan that I've been around in 19 years of coaching."

Second-year Cowboy defensive coordinator Tim Beckman attacked the Missouri spread with a variety of personnel combinations, blitzes and coverages.

After reviewing the video, Beckman determined the Cowboys pressured quarterback Chase Daniel on 13 pass attempts. Daniel was sacked twice and threw three second-half interceptions.

Getting the interceptions were Cowboy safety Ricky Price, safety-linebacker Andre Sexton (who popped a 39-yard return) and linebacker Patrick Lavine (at the OSU 31-yard line with 1:41 left to play).

Defense usually has been substandard for Gundy-coached teams, so the Missouri outcome was momentous for Beckman and his players. The Cowboys last year were 101st nationally in total defense. At the midway mark of the 2008 regular season, they are 62nd.

"I think we've gotten better each week," Beckman said. "(The Missouri game) just happened to be on national television, and against a very high-powered offense. We finally had things click a little better than they had."

This Saturday, in a 2 p.m. non-televised homecoming game at Boone Pickens Stadium, the Cowboys face Baylor (3-3, 1-1 Big 12). The Bears' strength is rushing, but OSU has been tough against the run. Missouri managed only 64 rushing yards.

Before facing OSU, Mizzou hadn't had a three-and-out offensive possession all season. Against the Cowboys, Mizzou had two such possessions.

Solid tackling was a key in holding Missouri to 30 points less than its scoring average and more than 100 yards below its total-offense average. Beckman defines his "tackle efficiency" statistic as having a ball-carrier stopped by the first defender who has a reasonable shot to make the play. Beckman wants at least 85 percent tackle efficiency each week, and he says the Cowboys exceeded that against Missouri.

During Monday's OSU press conference, the players seemed a bit stunned by their substantial jump in the poll — from No. 17 last week to No. 8 (the program's highest ranking in 23 years).

"I was shocked," defensive end Derek Burton said. "I didn't think we'd go that high. I definitely like being that high."

Said Sexton: "I can't really believe we're here. We've always been in the 30s and 40s. We've worked so hard. It had to happen. Finally, it's starting to happen. It seems like there's a whole different craze about Cowboy football now. There's a lot more orange being worn now."

OSU's national total-defense rankings were 89th in 2006 and 95th in 2005. Asked what it might take for the defense to be viewed as a consistently formidable unit, Sexton replied, "It's going to take us getting to the Big 12 championship, and us winning it. And it would be like, hey, maybe the defense actually was pretty good this year. Until that happens, I don't think anybody is going to truly respect us."

"Hopefully, offenses will continue to doubt us and take us lightly," he added. "It just gives us more motivation."

SIGNS OF PROGRESS

After ranking 101st nationally in total defense in 2007, the 2008 OSU team is 62nd. A comparison of the national rankings of the Mike Gundy-era Cowboy defenses:

2008 (6-0 record)

* Total defense: 62nd (357.8 yards per game)
* Rush defense: 52nd (129.2 yards per game)
* Pass defense: 88th (228.7 yards per game)

2007 (7-6 record)

* Total defense: 101st

2006 (7-6 record)

* Total defense: 89th

2005 (4-7 record)

* Total defense: 95th