Oklahoma State football rewind: Mike Gundy credits team unity; Cowboys' redshirt tracker
STILLWATER — In the brief moments the Oklahoma State football team had together on the field after its 48-34 win at West Virginia on Saturday, running back Ollie Gordon II was celebrated in various ways by teammates as he did an on-field interview with ESPN.
Coach Mike Gundy led the team in the singing of the alma mater for the OSU fans in the stands of Milan Puskar Stadium, since the band was unable to make the trip.
And the Cowboys further built the bond that has been strengthening during their current three-game win streak that they'll take into Saturday's 7 p.m. kickoff against Cincinnati at Boone Pickens Stadium on homecoming weekend.
“This group has been good, the core,” Gundy said Monday in his weekly meeting with the media. “Ollie is very entertaining. Social butterfly, very vocal. The team has kind of grasped that, they like that about him.”
After the Cowboys’ 2-2 start with back-to-back losses to South Alabama and Iowa State, outside speculation questioned if Gundy was losing the players’ respect or if team morale had plummeted.
But the three-game winning streak has fortified this team, and Gundy has tried to remind his players to enjoy moments like they shared on the field and in the locker room after Saturday’s win.
“That time is special,” Gundy said. “They got a taste of winning, so now they wanna do more, because those moments are special. It’s not like basketball and baseball. We don’t play 35 or 60 games. They don’t get many times to do that.”
Here’s a look at what we learned about the Cowboys in the West Virginia win:
More: Ollie Gordon's career day and other stats from the Cowboys' win at WVU
Top 5 players of the week
Running back Ollie Gordon: With an ESPN audience watching, Gordon posted the second-most rushing yards by an OSU back in the Gundy era. His 282-yard day was one of the top performances by a running back all year.
Linebacker Nick Martin: For the second time this year, Martin posted 17 tackles in a game. Ten of them were solo stops with 1.5 for loss.
Safety Kendal Daniels: If you include fourth-down stops, OSU forced four turnovers on Saturday. And Daniels was central in two of them. He punched the ball free for a fumble in the first quarter, then tackled West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene on a fourth-down rush in the final minutes.
Offensive tackle Jake Springfield: The former walk-on has been incredibly reliable since coming back from an early-season ankle injury. He had to leave for a play in the third quarter, but returned and kept playing at a high level.
Quarterback Alan Bowman: He made one really bad decision, which led to an interception. But otherwise, his decision-making was improved over the last couple of games, and he has completed at least 66% of his passes in two straight weeks. With Gordon’s emergence, Bowman’s consistency has been an undervalued aspect of the offense’s growth.
More: Why Mike Gundy reduced Oklahoma State football's reliance on run-pass option plays
Top 5 players of the season
Running back Ollie Gordon: Averaging over seven yards per carry, Gordon is charging up the national rushing list, and his emergence behind a much-improved offensive line is the biggest key to OSU’s midseason turnaround.
Linebacker Nick Martin: With his 17 stops on Saturday, Martin is up to 71 tackles, well on his way to a 100-tackle season in his first year as a starter. He’s one of 19 players nationally averaging at least 10.0 tackles per game.
Linebacker Collin Oliver: The former defensive end continues to grow into his linebacker role while still impacting the game as a pass rusher. Heis up to 45 total tackles and is tied for the team lead with 4.0 sacks.
Receiver Brennan Presley: The creativity in finding ways to get the ball to Presley has been a crucial development in recent weeks. With his 20-yard TD catch on Saturday, Presley has already doubled his touchdown count from a year ago. He has 36 catches for 279 yards and four scores.
Safety Kendal Daniels: The 6-foot-4 safety, who says he has bulked up to 225 pounds now, had been quietly reliable through the first few games, but he is beginning to pop with big-impact plays like his interception against Kansas, then his fumble and fourth-down tackle at West Virginia. He’s second behind Martin with 57 tackles.
More: Trey Rucker, Kendal Daniels were key on late fourth-down stop for OSU defense
Ollie Gordon in the record books
Ollie Gordon II’s 282 rushing yards were the ninth-most in a game by an OSU player, though Barry Sanders claimed five of the eight spots above it. Here’s a look at OSU’s top 10 all-time single-game rushing list:
1. Barry Sanders, 332 vs. Texas Tech, 1988
2. David Thompson, 321 vs. Baylor, 1996
3. Barry Sanders, 320 at Kansas State, 1988
4. Barry Sanders, 312 vs. Kansas, 1988
5. Barry Sanders, 304 vs. Tulsa, 1988
6. Chuba Hubbard, 296 vs. Kansas State, 2019
7. Barry Sanders, 293 at Iowa State, 1988
(tie) Thurman Thomas, 293 vs. Iowa State, 1987
9. Ollie Gordon, 282 at West Virginia, 2023
10. Ernest Anderson, 270 vs. Kansas, 1982
More: Why the OSU-West Virginia game was so special for the Nardo family
Redshirt tracker
Receiver Leon Johnson III’s redshirt status remains unclear now that he has appeared in his third game of the season.
Johnson can play in up to four games and maintain redshirt status, but he could be needed as the Cowboys battle injury issues at receiver. Johnson played 12 snaps on Saturday at West Virginia after Talyn Shettron and Blaine Green suffered injuries.
Johnson is a senior who transferred from George Fox University, a Division III program in Oregon.
True freshman safeties Dylan Smith and Kam Franklin each played in their third games of the season as well. Smith has moved into a rotational spot at safety while Franklin’s participation has been limited to special teams.
Here’s a look at the redshirt tracker after seven games:
Played in more than four games, not eligible to redshirt: Longsnapper Shea Freibaum (Fr.), punter Hudson Kaak (Fr.), nose tackle Justin Kirkland (So.).
Played in four games, still eligible to redshirt: Cornerback Kenneth Harris (Sr.), receiver De’Zhaun Stribling (Jr.).
Played in three games, still eligible to redshirt: Safety Kam Franklin (Fr.), receiver Leon Johnson III (Sr.,), safety Dylan Smith (Fr.).
Played in two games, still eligible to redshirt: Linebacker Poasa Utu, (Fr.), Lardarius Webb Jr. (Jr.).
Redshirt-eligible non-freshmen who have not appeared in a game: Offensive lineman Jarrett Henry (So.), nose tackle Iman Oates (Jr.).
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy credits Ollie Gordon, Cowboys
