Mason Rudolph recounts first meeting with James Washington

ORLANDO — Quarterback Mason Rudolph and receiver James Washington were a match made in Oklahoma State football heaven.

After Thursday’s 30-21 win over Virginia Tech in the Camping World Bowl, Rudolph told the story of the first time they met, while they were still in high school and making their visits to Stillwater:

“It was a TCU game, 2013. We were visiting and it was just like, you know, country dude, weird, kind of quiet, a little bit awkward country dude with his boots and his jeans. I came up to get something at the concession stand and he was right there. I was like, ‘James, what's up? We're going to be playing together.’ And that's the first time I met him.

“You know, he's still quiet now, but the leader that he's become over the four years and how much more vocal he is now and the way the guys listen to him and watch him in practice — he's a practice player.

“And it's very seldom you get a player of his ability to actually come to practice every single day and approach it like it's a game and set the culture for the younger guys that come in and say, ‘Hey, this is a Biletnikoff receiver, and he's not taking too many plays off from practice.’ And it's a tribute to Coach (Kasey) Dunn, too.”

Darius Curry closes career with big day

His OSU career didn’t go the way he might’ve hoped, but Darius Curry, a senior defensive back from Flowery Branch, Georgia, certainly went out on top Thursday night in the Camping World Bowl.

Curry, who has shuffled between cornerback and safety this season, entered the game when starting cornerbacks A.J. Green and Rodarius Williams were lost for the game with injuries sustained on the same play.

He finished with seven tackles — surpassing his previous season total of six — and snagged the only interception of his career, a one-handed catch in the fourth quarter, which he returned 30 yards to help seal the Cowboys’ 30-21 win over Virginia Tech.

“What a great finish to his career,” defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer said. “To have that pick at the end, I was so happy for him and his family. The kid didn’t have all the success and the career that he wanted to. But then he comes up with that big pick to basically win the game. That was huge.”

Kicker Matt Ammendola extends streak

In October, outsiders were calling for him to be benched. In November and December, Oklahoma State kicker Matt Ammendola proved them wrong by making every field goal he attempted.

Ammendola hit three kicks — from 31, 36 and 38 yards — in the Camping World Bowl win, the last one giving the Cowboys a twopossession lead with less than two minutes to go.

The performance extended his streak of made field goals to 11. He made 13 of his last 14 as well, with the only miss coming from 49 yards in the rain at West Virginia.

For the season, he was 23-of-29 on field goals, with a long of 53, and he was a perfect 70-of-70 on point-after tries. He led the Cowboys in scoring with 139 points this season.

SCOTT WRIGHT, STAFF WRITER