Oklahoma State Gunning to Finally Overcome Nemesis

In so many real ways Texas has been the hump the Oklahoma State Cowboys have needed to clear but for any number of reasons just haven't.

In recent years they've come oh-so-close only to fail to come away with the coveted win. A turnover here, a missed tackle there and a failed opportunity somewhere else have been all that's prevented the Cowboys from success.

"There is no question it's been frustrating to be in a situation we've been in with them and just not been able to finish the deal," OSU quarterback Zac Robinson said Monday. "We know we've been really close the past few years and just haven't been able to finish it off."

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The 13th-ranked Cowboys get another crack at overcoming the third-ranked Texas Longhorns this Saturday night in front of an expected overflow crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium in what is shaping up as a Halloween extravaganza. The two lone unbeaten teams in Big 12 play are meeting for what many consider the South division title, and for the Longhorns (7-0, 4-0) the chance to remain in the hunt for the BCS national title will be an overriding theme.

And if those reasons aren't enough to make Saturday night's showdown compelling, this series has been intensified by the close nature of the games in recent years. The Cowboys (6-1, 3-0), a program attempting to break through into the hierarchy of the South division, have given the Longhorns all they can handle but have still lost 11 straight in the series.

Two years ago in Stillwater, OSU owned a 35-14 lead going into the fourth quarter only to falter 38-35. Then last season, with both teams undefeated and in the Top 10, No.1 Texas came out of an on-the-edge-of-your-seat battle with a 28-24 win. But the win was only secured when Robinson's Hail Mary was intercepted on the game's final play.

And from 2003-05, the Cowboys led all three games at halftime but were outscored by a combined 118-0 in the second half. But the difference this year could be an improved Oklahoma State defense under veteran defensive coordinator Bill Young.

"Obviously, if you look at those games, you look at them from [a] coach's standpoint, they were able to make some plays and finish the game off or come back and find a way to win or they made some good calls as coaches," said OSU coach Mike Gundy. "I don't know that there is any one area you can point your finger at."

The Cowboys are hoping their flirtation with success against UT the last few years combined with the fact they've already been the victors in a blockbuster-type game against the Georgia Bulldogs could give them the confidence to overcome this hurdle.

"I've always felt good playing against Texas," said Robinson, who leads the Big 12 in passing efficiency with a rating of 158.3. "I've always liked personally playing in big games. I think that is the reason you play college football. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Texas coach Mack Brown, whose program owns a 21-2 record all-time in the series with Oklahoma State, is hard-pressed to explain why the Cowboys play his teams so close other than the state ties. The Cowboys have over 50 players on their roster from the state of Texas, 12 of which are starters.

"So they get really excited about this game and in some cases our kids haven't matched their enthusiasm," Brown said. "They are so good right now and Mike Gundy has done such a good job, I think our kids will be as excited as Oklahoma State for this game this weekend."

The same should hold true for the Cowboys this season, as well. They are few lapsed moments in an early home loss to the University of Houston from being undefeated.

The Cowboys, who were ranked as high as No. 5 this season, have clearly struggled to make it into the next echelon of success, where Texas and Oklahoma have roamed the last 10 years. They ran roughshod over Georgia in a heavily anticipated national game pitting the Big 12 versus the SEC in the season opener. Then came the inexplicable loss at home the following week to the then-unranked Cougars.

Still, Brown gives Gundy a great deal of credit for transforming the OSU program from a program with no identity in the South to one that has to be accounted for every season now.

"I've always really admired Mike," Brown said. "He's always been first-class with every situation I've had arise with him. He's always been honest, but he's direct, very positive and respectful and he's done a great job. Each year now they are in the mix for the Big 12 South championship and on the national scene."

This could be Gundy's most impressive run yet. The Cowboys are on a five-game winning streak and have been without the services of star receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter -- both All-American-type players -- for much of the run.

Hunter has been sidelined with an ankle injury the last month and Bryant has been suspended for the season for lying to the NCAA about his relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders. The school has appealed the NCAA's decision.

In their absence, Robinson has been unbelievable. In Saturday's rout of Baylor, Robinson completed 23-of-27 passes for 250 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. Senior Keith Toston has filled in admirably for Hunter, and receivers like sophomore Hubert Anyiam have stepped up big in Bryant's absence.

So the expected strength-on-strength matchup of the Cowboys' high-powered offense versus a stifling Longhorns defense should be very much at play Saturday.

"It is very difficult to lose your best running back at the time and now Keith Toston has stepped up and done a great job so they've obviously recruited depth," said Brown, whose team has been inconsistent all season at running back because of injuries. "It's also tough to have your top receiver step out but now Anyiam has caught 19 passes the last two weeks.

"Instead of talking about what they don't have, they've moved forward and produced with what is available on their team. So you give them credit for developing depth in their program and credit for moving on and not trying to use any of those as excuses."