Under ex-coach, Cowboys stole victories on the road.

As Oklahoma State's head football coach in 2001-04, Les Miles twice defeated Oklahoma. He beat Nebraska. He directed the Cowboys to three consecutive bowl appearances.

The success of his teams sparked a fundraising surge that resulted in OSU's stadium renovation.

But as time passes, and especially within the context of a now-vs.-then comparison, some OSU fans might consider Miles' road record to have been his greatest achievement.

In true road games (contests played at an opponent's home stadium), Miles-coached Cowboy teams were 9-10.

Mike Gundy, who was Miles' offensive coordinator before succeeding him as OSU's head coach, has a road mark of 1-11.

Gundy's roster of talent seems at least comparable to what Miles had in Stillwater, but the program has misplaced its ability to steal road victories.

Asked again this week why his teams have struggled on the road -- most recently last week, when the Cowboys turned a 17-0 lead into a 24-23 defeat at Texas A&M -- Gundy replied, "I wish I had an answer for you. Anything I told you would be me just making something up. You just have to finish the game, you know."

On Saturday, the Cowboys attempt to win on Nebraska's home field. In OSU-Nebraska games played in Lincoln, the Cowboys are 1-20 with a 20-game losing streak. The one OSU triumph occurred in 1960.

Now the third-year head coach of LSU Tigers, who are ranked No. 1 for the first time since 1959, Miles has continued to thrive in hostile settings. At LSU, Miles is 9-2 in road games. Three of the victories were recorded against opponents who had Top 10 national rankings. His overall LSU record is 28-4.

During a telephone interview, Miles said, "The key is having a really good football team that has a maturity and confidence that they'll be ready to play. It doesn't make any difference where.

"I think of preparation and understanding how to approach those games. I don't know if I have any magic there."

On Saturday, LSU has a dangerous road date with 17th-ranked Kentucky. The Tigers are driven by a 13-game win streak, the longest in college football. Last week, in a huge home game at Baton Rouge, La., Miles was 5-for-5 on fourth-down gambles as the Tigers rallied past visiting Florida.

Miles says he feels "complimented" by LSU's No. 1 ranking, "but I don't make much of it. Frankly, it is like being ahead at halftime. It is one of the scores that you don't care about. It is at the end of the game and end of the season that you care about.

"We are in great position. That's all. Let's not talk about this anymore. Let us just go on to our opponent. Our opponent gives us every reason to focus."

Entering the final two weeks of the 2001 season, Miles' first as the OSU coach, the downtrodden Cowboys were 2-7. OSU then won 38-22 at Baylor and followed with a shocking 16-13 road upset of defending national champion Oklahoma.

A year later, the Cowboys again conquered the Sooners (38-28 in Stillwater), but the 2001 Bedlam game in Norman might have had the most stunning outcome in series history. OU had been in position for a possible berth in the Rose Bowl national championship game, while OSU was a four-touchdown underdog.

"It unmasked a mystique of road games, maybe," Miles said this week. "That if you can win against a quality opponent, at their stadium, certainly you can win anywhere."

On the same Kyle Field turf where OSU faded last week, Miles' 2003 Cowboys won 38-10. In 2004, Miles' final OSU team prevailed 31-20 at UCLA, 42-14 at Colorado and 20-17 at Missouri.

The 2007 Cowboys are 0-3 on the road -- with losses at Georgia, Troy and A&M -- and now prepare to visit a Nebraska team that seems vulnerable. Last week, the Huskers were crushed 41-6 at Missouri. In total defense, Nebraska ranks last in the Big 12 and 97th nationally.

Bill Haisten 581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com