OSU makes its big-screen debut
STILLWATER — Pistol Pete stood at midfield of Boone Pickens Stadium, holding a tackle dummy-sized TV remote in both arms. Proportionally speaking, the remote still was not large enough for the screen it was paired with.
With a large smack of the power button from Pete, Oklahoma State’s new 6,160-square-foot video board came to life. Live action of Pete on the field was shown briefly before the screen, attached to Gallagher-Iba Arena about 25 yards beyond the field’s east end zone. Soon, a pregame hype video took over, eliciting cheers out of an enraptured crowd.
Next came OSU’s traditional playing of “Tombstone’s” “Hell’s coming with me” scene, and the Cowboys took the field, their image shown larger than it ever had been at home.
Throughout the game, the visuals on the board were live game action and shots of fans, with ad space only occasionally filling portions of the board. Two smaller screens showed the game’s stats, which often favored the Cowboys in their season-opening victory. Cowboys deploy interesting thirddown look with Bundage
Jim Knowles, OSU’s new defensive coordinator, has promised an aggressive defensive style. It paid early dividends.
In the first quarter, the Bears had more plays (10) than yards (9). With the exception of a 75-yard scoring drive, Missouri State had only 13 yards of offense in the first half.
A lot of it had to with linebacker Calvin Bundage, who was all over the field. On a third-and-longs, Bundage made his way to the line as part of a three-man front with defensive ends
Jordan Brailford and Jarrell Owens. Through three quarters, the Bears were 4-for-13 on third down. Missouri State gets $400,000 for loss
The Bears left Stillwater with a hefty loss, but they’ll likely consider it worth the price of admission.
Missouri State, an FCS program, received $400,000 as part of a one-game contract with OSU, an MSU official confirmed Thursday. The Cowboys and Bears also played in 2014.
OSU plays FCS McNeese State in 2019, a game that will also include some kind of payout, but the Cowboys’ nonconference schedules for 2020 through 2022 are full with FBS opponents only. Boone Pickens, ‘exhausted and unsteady,’ misses game
A day after saying he hoped to make every Oklahoma State home football game, Boone Pickens posted on Twitter on Thursday afternoon that his health would not allow him to travel to Stillwater for the season opener against Missouri State.
Pickens said he was disappointed, and he apologized to the OSU fan base for not being able to make the trip. He said when he arrived at the airplane that was set to take him to Stillwater, he “felt exhausted and unsteady. Will be at the game in spirit.”
On Wednesday, Pickens posted an open letter to OSU fans on Twitter, detailing his continuing hope that Mike Gundy can coach the Cowboys to a national championship, his excitement about plans for statues of himself and legendary OSU running back
Barry Sanders outside the stadium, and a desire for OSU’s Athletic Village to be named for athletic director
Mike Holder, among other topics. Extra points
OSU corners Lamarcus Morton and Tanner McCalister and receiver LC Greenwood were unavailable. … For its opening uniform combination, OSU went with white helmets with the “Patriot Pete” logo and orange jerseys and pants. It’s the first time the Cowboys had orange jerseys and pants since their 2013 homecoming game against TCU.