2008 Oklahoma State Cowboys Season

2008 Oklahoma State Cowboys Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Oklahoma State Cowboys

Dec. 30
2008 Holiday Bowl
Oregon 42 … Oklahoma State 31
Oklahoma State controlled the first half, taking a 17-7 lead into the locker room highlighted by a 33-yard Dez Bryant touchdown catch, but Oregon came out of the second half roaring with a big kickoff return leading to the first of three Jeremiah Masoli touchdown runs. The Duck quarterback blasted over OSU defenders on his way to a 41-yard touchdown run a few minutes later, and the shootout was on. OSU was able to keep pace with the second short Kendall Hunter touchdown run and a one-yard Zac Robinson scoring run, and then the Duck running game took over with LaGarrett Blount ending the fun with a 29-yard touchdown run with just over three minutes to play. The Ducks ran for 307 yards with Jeremiah Johnson getting 76 of them on a first quarter touchdown run. Both Robinson and Bryant were hurt and tried to play through their injuries.
Player of the Game: Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli completed 18-of-32 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and he ran 16 times for 106 yards and three touchdowns. In a losing cause, Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant caught 13 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 27-50, 329 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Zac Robinson, 16-54, 1 TD. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 13-167, 1 TD
Oregon- Passing: Jeremiah Masoli, 18-32, 258 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeremiah Johnson, 12-119, 1 TD. Receiving: Terence Scott, 8-125
Inside The Box Score ...  5 Thoughts on the Holiday Bowl …S Patrick Chung led the Ducks with 10 tackles … Rushing yards: Oregon 307 – OSU 119 … Average yards per play: Oregon 7.8 – OSU 5.3 … Time of possession: OSU 36:26 – Oregon 23:34 … Each team converted just one of three third down conversion attempts. … Total offense: Oregon 565 – OSU 469.

- 2008 OSU Preview
- 2007 OSU Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5
2008 Record: 9-4

Aug. 30 Wash. St W 39-13
Sept. 6 Houston W 56-37
Sept. 13 Missouri State W 57-13
Sept. 20 OPEN DATE
Sept. 27 Troy W 55-24
Oct. 4 Texas A&M W 56-28
Oct. 11 at Missouri W 28-23
Oct. 18 Baylor W 34-6
Oct. 25 at Texas L 28-24
Nov. 1 Iowa State W 59-17
Nov. 8 at Texas Tech L 56-20
Nov. 15 at Colorado W 30-17
Nov. 22 OPEN DATE
Nov. 29 Oklahoma L 61-41
Holiday Bowl
Dec. 30 Oregon L 42-31

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 9-3
2007 Record: 7-6

Sept. 1 at Georgia L 35-14
Sept. 8 Florida Atlantic W 42-6
Sept. 14 at Troy L 41-23
Sept. 22 Texas Tech W 49-45
Sept. 29 Sam Houston St W 39-3
Oct. 6 at Texas A&M L 24-23
Oct. 13 at Nebraska W 45-14
Oct. 20 Kansas State W 41-39
Nov. 3 Texas L 38-35
Nov. 10 Kansas L 43-28
Nov. 17 at Baylor W 52-17
Nov. 24 at Oklahoma L 49-17
Insight Bowl
Dec. 31 Indiana W 49-33

Nov. 29
Oklahoma 61 … Oklahoma State 41
In a fun, wild game, the two teams traded punches throughout with big play after bit play, but Oklahoma scored the final 17 points to pull away in the end. The Sooners only trailed once, 10-7 early in the second quarter, but that was it as the offense wasn’t stopped over a key stretch with six straight touchdown drives highlighted by a catch from TE Jermaine Gresham, who took a tipped ball 73 yards for a third quarter score. Sam Bradford threw four touchdown passes and ran for another, a two-yard score on fourth down, and Chris Brown ran for two scores. Oklahoma State wouldn’t go away as Dez Bryant caught two touchdown passes and Perrish Cox returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, but the Cowboys struggled to hang on to the ball late, and OU pounced. In all, the two teams combined for 1,009 yards of total offense, 52 first downs, and 19-of-30 third down conversions.
Player of the game: Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham made nine catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 17-26, 254 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Zac Robinson, 17-90, 1 TD. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 6-91, 2 TD
Oklahoma - Passing: Sam Bradford, 30-44, 370 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Chris Brown, 19-98, 2 TD. Receiving: Jermaine Gresham, 9-158, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Oklahoma State’s defense came up big early on to keep the Oklahoma offense in check, but the Cowboys didn’t take advantage and they ended up chasing the rest of the game. While it was a good thing to be up early, two good drives that resulted in field goals turned out to be costly; OSU needed touchdowns and needed a buffer to get control of the game. Outside of a lucky break on a Kendall Hunter fumble early in the second half, all the bounces seemed to fall into the OU hands, but there’s no mistake about it; OSU couldn’t get to Sam Bradford enough, and the defense couldn’t come up with a stop over the final 40 minutes.

Nov. 15
Oklahoma State 30 … Colorado 17
Oklahoma State got three Dan Bailey field goals and a 12-yard touchdown run from Zac Robinson to stay one step ahead of a pesky Colorado team that wouldn’t go away. The Buffs got a three-yard touchdown run from Demetrius Sumler in the fourth quarter to stay close, and got back in the game in the third quarter on a 28-yard Scotty McKnight touchdown catch, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an early 13-0 deficit. OSU jumped out to the early lead on a brilliant 29-yard one-handed catch-and-run from Dez Bryant.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson completed 15-of-23 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and he ran 15 times for 61 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins, 19-37, 171 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Demetrius Sumler, 22-86. 1 TD. Receiving: Scott McKnight, 4-51, 1 TD
Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson. 15-23, 217 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 11-102, 1 TD. Receiving: Brandon Pettigrew, 7-75
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Oklahoma State offense was fine against Colorado, but it wasn’t the explosive juggernaut it normally is thanks to several big bumps and bruises. TE Brandon Pettigrew took a beating, WR Dez Bryant was nicked, and RB Kendall Hunter got knocked out for a stretch. It helped to have a QB like Zac Robinson who stepped up and produced with his legs as well as his arm, and while he didn’t come up with too many big plays, he didn’t make any big mistakes in a tougher-than-expected road game. The team needs the time off, it’ll get two weeks, before the Bedlam game against Oklahoma.

Nov. 8
Texas Tech 56 … Oklahoma State 20
Texas Tech rolled up 629 yards of total offense with Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree hooking up three times for scores, with Harrell throwing for six scores overall. Oklahoma State had its chances, getting up first on a two-yard Kendall Hunter touchdown run and driving in the third quarter down just 14, but a Brandon Pettigrew fumble paved the way to a nine-play, 48-yard drive finishing with an eight-yard Crabtree score. Shannon Woods added three touchdowns for the Red Raiders on a three-yard run and two short catches.
Player of the game: Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 40-of-50 passes for 456 yards and six touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 16-28, 182 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 17-112, 2 TD. Receiving: Brandon Pettigrew, 7-72
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 40-50, 456 yds, 6 TD
Rushing: Baron Batch, 11-79. Receiving: Eric Morris, 10-97, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Cowboys ran into a buzzsaw, plain and simple. Texas Tech played at the highest level in the blowout win. It’s not that OSU was bad; Tech was that good. Zac Robinson wasn’t able to get the passing game going, but the running attack was solid, Kendall Hunter ran well, and there was a chance in the second half to start to come back, but the Brandon Pettigrew fumble opened up the floodgates. There can’t be a letdown at Colorado, and there’s still the big game against Oklahoma to close. There’s a lot to play for.

Nov. 1
Oklahoma State 59 … Iowa State 17
Oklahoma State cranked out 682 yards of total offense with Dez Bryant catching touchdown passes from one, 11, 26, and 80 yards out and Jeremy Broadway taking a Zac Robinson pass 95 yards for a score. The Cowboys got up 28-7 in the first half and were never threatened, but Iowa State got a huge day from kickoff returner Leonard Johnson, who set the NCAA record with 319 yards on nine returns. However, the Cyclones had a hard time taking advantage with penalties and turnovers stalling drive after drive. OSU got 263 rushing yards highlighted by a 36-yard scoring dash from Kendall Hunter on the first drive of the second half.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant caught nine passes for 171 yards and four scores
Stat Leaders: Iowa State - Passing: Austen Arnaud, 20-35, 240 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 15-68, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius Darks, 7-113
Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 18-27, 395 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 13-104, 1 TD. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 9-171 yds, 4 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The team seemed really down after the loss to Texas … yeesh. Home run after home run, big play after big play from Dez Bryant killed any concerns the Cowboys might have had in a sandwich game against Iowa State. There might have been a few too many yards allowed, and the kickoff coverage team might have struggled mightily, allowing the most yards ever to one player in a game, but that only meant there were plenty of chances. Zac Robinson is getting time, and he’s flawless in his ability to get the ball to his stars in the right spot. Gear up the offense, because the Texas Tech game will be a shootout of mammoth proportions. This is one team that can keep up the pace.

Oct. 25
Texas 28 … Oklahoma State 24
In an excellent game, Texas had to hold on after getting up 21-7 on 14-yard touchdowns from Jordan Shipley, on a catch, Vondrell McGee, on a run, and 17-yard Quan Cosby scoring grab, while Oklahoma State hunt around on a 23-yard Kendall Hunter run. And then the Cowboys made things interesting with a nine-yard Bo Bowling touchdown catch late in the first half and a one-yard Keith Toston run late in the third, but down four and with a 4^th-and-6 on their own 30 with just under three minutes to play, a short pass went nowhere. However, Texas wasn’t able to put the game away after getting down to the one. With 33 seconds to play, OSU was able to move out to midfield, but a Hail Mary pass was betted away and the Longhorns survived. Texas outgained Oklahoma State 504 yards to 416.
Player of the game: Texas WR Jordan Shipley caught 15 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown and ran once for 17 yards,
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 17-26, 199 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 18-161, 1 TD. Receiving: Brandon Pettigrew, 8-83
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 38-45, 291 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Colt McCoy, 10-41, 1 TD. Receiving: Jordan Shipley, 15-168, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Oklahoma State went toe-to-toe with Texas and at Texas and showed it could play with the best in America. The running game and the offensive line were fantastic against the Longhorn defensive front. The problem was on third downs as Texas converted 11-of-14 chances. On the plus side, the OSU defense forced a few Colt McCoy mistakes and held tough in the second half to let the offense get back in the game. The Iowa State game next week should be a chance to breathe before the showdown at Texas Tech.

Oct. 18
Oklahoma State 34 … Baylor 6
Oklahoma State got down 6-0 on a one-yard Jacoby Jones touchdown run, and then following a blocked extra point, came back roaring with 34 unanswered points as Dez Bryant caught touchdown passes from 37 and nine yards out in the second quarter and Keith Toston ran for touchdown from four and two yards out. Dan Bailey hit two second half field goals for the Cowboys. Baylor QB Robert Griffin set the D-I record for the most passes in a row without an interception to start a career going 155 throws without a pick.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant caught 11 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns and returned two punts for 24 yards
Stat Leaders: Baylor - Passing: Robert Griffin, 15-27, 162 yds
Rushing: Jay Finley, 9-13. Receiving: Kendall Wright, 7-80 
Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 13-20, 238 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 26-93. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 11-212, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It wasn’t a perfect performance for Oklahoma State over Baylor, but considering this was supposed to be a letdown game, 34-6 is nothing to be upset about. The defense played yet another good game while the offense was balanced and nearly flawless. Dez Bryant, after being held under wraps a bit by Missouri but came back roaring. Flying under the radar thanks to the great start by the other phases was the punting game. Matt Fodge only had to punt twice, but he hit two bombs and put them both inside the 20.

Oct. 11
Oklahoma State 28 … Missouri 23
Oklahoma State got two Zac Robinson to Damian Davis touchdown passes from 40 and 31 yards out, and the defense held with three interceptions of Chase Daniel including a diving pick from Patrick Levine on the Cowboy 37 to snuff out a final chance. Daniel hit Danario Alexander for a seven-yard score in the final five minutes, but the two point conversion was broken up. Jimmy Jackson and Derrick Washington each ran for short scores, but the Cowboys kept up the pace with a six-yard Robinson run for a score and on the second play of the second half, a 68-yard Kendall Hunter touchdown dash.  OSU’s Andre Sexton and Orie Lemon combined for 25 tackles.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter ran 24 times for 154 yards and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 27 yards
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 39-52, 390 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Chase Daniel 7-46. Receiving: Chase Coffman, 11-104
Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 19-28, 215 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 24 154, 1 TD. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 7-47
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Welcome to the big-time. Missouri made its share of mistakes, but OSU did its part by finding a pass rush for the first time all season long. When the Tigers were imploding, Zac Robinson and the Cowboys were calm and cool. There were turnovers and seven penalties, it was hardly a clean game for OSU, but it doesn’t matter. This was the program’s most important win in decades.

Oct. 4
Oklahoma State 56 … Texas A&M 28
Oklahoma State kept the offense rolling, but the defense and special teams made it a blowout as Ugo Chinasa picked off a pass for a touchdown and Dez Bryant returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown, to go along with a 29-yard scoring grab, on the way to a 21-0 lead. Mike Goodson did everything he could to keep the Aggies alive, running for touchdowns from 80 and 11 yards out, but he was banged up and only finished with eight carries. OSU kept on rolling as Bryant caught two more touchdown passes and Patrick Lavine returned an interception to stay comfortably ahead. A&M forced five turnovers and Andre Sexton made 12 tackles with a forced fumble and a sack.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State RB Zac Robinson completed 10-of-13 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran 15 times for 66 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 10-13, 186 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 21-90. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 5-103, 3 TD
Texas A&M - Passing: Jerrod Johnson, 24-43, 218 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Mike Goodson, 8-112, 2 TD. Receiving: Ryan Tannehill, 7-49, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Everything’s working and everything’s clicking. Dez Bryant isn’t just playing like an All-American, he’s playing like a Biletnikoff winner. He’s also a devastating punt returner who all but ended the Texas A&M game with his return for a score. Yeah, the Aggies might be a mess, but the Cowboys took advantage of every chance and every mistake with five takeaways. There were 10 penalties, and A&M was able to make things a little interesting with some big plays, but there’s no real complaint with a 56-28 win.

Sept. 27
Oklahoma State 55 … Troy 24
Oklahoma State rolled for 358 rushing yards and 254 through the air in a total offensive domination. Dez Bryant caught three touchdown passes in the first half from 16, 26 and 44 yards out and Kendal Hunter and Keith Toston each ran for two scores. Troy came up with a score here and there with Jamie Hampton throwing three touchdown passes to three different receivers, but they didn’t matter. Troy linebackers Bear Woods and Boris Lee combined for 22 tackles.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter ran 24 times for 169 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught two passes for 27 yards.  
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 16-21, 254 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 24-169, 2 TD. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 6-118, 3 TD
Troy - Passing: Jamie Hampton, 24-45, 253 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jamie Hampton, 9-54. Receiving: Kennard Burton, 7-65
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... There’s no stopping the OSU offense at the moment. Troy isn’t just some Sun Belt team. This is a nasty defensive team with the athletes to do far more than it showed against the Cowboys, but once again, the Cowboy O line was tremendous and the skill players had room to roam. The offense hasn’t been tested yet and it hasn’t needed to come through with a clutch drive, but it’s no t necessarily a bad thing that it’s been in so many blowouts. Dez Bryant has been uncoverable and Kendall Hunter is running extremely well. OSU held on to the ball for 40:35.

Sept. 13
Oklahoma State 57 … Missouri State 13
Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson only completed 2-of-4 passes. He didn’t need to do any more. The running game ripped off 450 yards with Robinson, Kendall Hunter, and Keith Toston all running for more than 100 yards. The Cowboy passing game worked when it had to with a 66-yard touchdown catch from Bo Bowling in the first quarter. Missouri State gained 196 yards and got a 49-yard Matthew Hottelman field goal and a 15-yard Clay Harbor touchdown catch. MSU converted just one of 17 third down chances.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter ran 11 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Missouri State - Passing: Cody Kirby, 3-15, 25 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Kingjack Washington, 15-76. Receiving: Clay Harbor, 1-15, 1 TD
Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 2-4, 82 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Keith Toston, 11-148, 1 TD. Receiving: Bo Bowling, 1-66, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Alright, we know Oklahoma State can run the ball. Missouri State was nothing more than a light breeze defensively, and once again the Cowboy offensive line was dominant as it paved the way for 450 rushing yards. The backups not only got meaningful playing time, but they produced as well as the starters. The domination was impressive, but for a game this easy, there shouldn’t have been 13 penalties for 130 yards.

Sept. 6
Oklahoma State 56 … Houston 37
Oklahoma State ripped off 699 yards of total offense as Dez Bryant caught 236 yards worth of passes and Kendall Hunter ran for 210 yards to mark the first time the school has had a 200-yard rusher and a 200-yard receiver in the same game. Houston had a 16-14 halftime lead, and then it was all Cowboys as they reeled off 28 straight points with Bryant scoring from 39, 29 and 74 yards out and Keith Toston running for a 29-yard score. Bryant also added a 71-yard punt return for a score in the fourth to put the game well out of reach. Houston rolled up 483 yard of its own with Case Keenum throwing four touchdown passes.
Player of the game:  Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant caught nine passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned three punts for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 14-21, 320 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 22-210, 2 TD  Receiving: Dez Bryant, 9-236, 3 TD
Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 35-61, 387 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Case Keenum, 9-81. Receiving: Patrick Edwards, 8-106
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Oklahoma State’s offense is humming on all cylinders. It ripped up Washington State last week and then came a yard short of hitting the 700-yard mark this week against Houston. Zac Robinson was impressive, but this game was all about Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter. Bryant was an unstoppable home run hitter, while Hunter averaged 9.5 yards per carry. Keith Toston averaged 9.6 yards per run. With all the big numbers, don’t forget about the offensive line. It’s one of the best in the country, and it’s playing like it.

Aug. 30
Oklahoma State 39 ... Washington State 13
The Oklahoma State offense was fine, cranking out 367 yards with Zac Robinson running for a touchdown and throwing for another, but it was the special teams that got the job done with Dez Bryant taking a punt for a score and Perrish Cox taking a kickoff return for a 90-yard touchdown. Washington State stayed alive with a nine-yard Brandon Gibson touchdown catch, but Cox answered with his return and the game was over. Kendall Hunter ran for scores from 11 and 10 yards out for OSU.
Player of the game: Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter rushed 23 times for 107 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 20-27, 193 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kendall Hunter, 23-107, 2 TDs. Receiving: Dez Bryant, 7-90
Washington State - Passing: Gary Rogers, 12-24, 82 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dwight Tardy, 18-59. Receiving: Brandon Gibson, 6-53, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense wasn't awful against Washington State, but it wasn't consistent and didn't seem to find any sort of a flow until late. The defense did a great job of keeping the Cougar passing game from getting deep, forcing Gary Rogers to dink and dunk while also stuffing the running game. It was the special teams that gave the Cowboys the easy win with the great play from the return game, but even though this might not have been a perfect game, it was a blowout win far from home against a BCS conference team. That's not bad for the opening day.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class
Alfred DuPree LB  6-2  215 Dallas, Texas/Skyline
A standout linebacker prospect ... Has a 39-inch vertical leap ... All-region selection by SuperPrep ... The magazine ranked him as the No. 56 player in Texas ... A Texas Super Team second- teamer as selected by Texas Football ... Honorable mention Class 5A all-stater ... Scout.com ranked DuPree as the No. 25 prospect in Texas and as the nation’s No. 11 strong side linebacker ... Played on a 12-2 team as a senior at Skyline ... Had his choice among colleges, including Arkansas and Kansas State.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Lucien Antoine  S  6-2  210  Jr.  Coral Springs, Fla./Ft. Scott CC
A safety that will join the Cowboy squad in January and participate in spring drills ... As a sophomore was credited with 110 tackles to rank second on his squad ... Led Fort Scott with 72 solo stops ... Had four tackles behind the line of scrimmage, three interceptions and caused two fumbles ... An all-Jayhawk Conference selection and a second-team All-American ... Greyhounds finished second in the 2007 conference race ... Had 50 tackles, including eight behind the line of scrimmage, as a freshman. High School: Was a basketball standout at Coral Springs and was voted a North-South all-star participant. Arkansas, Louisville and Ole Miss were among his favorites during the recruiting process

Beau Johnson RB  5-11  210  Jr. Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinnett/Butler County CC
One of the nation’s top rated junior college running backs ... Coming off a national championship season at Butler ... Was the MVP of the national title game after turning in a 288-yard, four-touchdown performance ... Rushed for 1,756 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore and 932 yards as a freshman ... An all-conference and all-region selection ... JCfootball.com considers Johnson the second best junior-college running back in the country and the 18th best overall prospect in the two-year ranks ...Butler County was 23-1 during his two years. High School: As a senior was the running back of the year in his district ... A second-team all-county selection ... Ran for more than 1,500 yards each year of his high school career ... Played on a state quarterfinalist as a senior. Picked the Cowboys over Ole Miss and Kansas

Rest of the Class

Isaiah Anderson	WR	6-0	175	Wichita Falls, Texas (Wichita Falls)
Lucien Antoine	S	6-2	210	Coral Springs, Fla. (Ft. Scott CC)
Cooper Bassett	TE	6-5	235	Tuttle, Okla. (Tuttle)
Justin Blackmon	WR	6-2	190	Ardmore, Okla. (Plainview)
Donald Booker	LB	6-0	225	Houston, Texas (Klein Forest/Navarro JC)
Brodrick Brown	DB	5-8	165	Houston, Texas (Westfield)
DeJuan Davis	OL	6-4	295	Fort Worth, Texas (Crowley)
Chris Donaldson	DT	6-1	285	Anderson, S.C. (Coffeyville CC)
Alfred DuPree	LB	6-2	215	Dallas, Texas (Skyline)
Jeremy Gray	DE	6-6	250	Sherman, Texas (Sherman)
Maurice Gray	DB	5-9	180	Kathleen, Ga. (Warner Robins/Butler CC)
Patrick Hoog	OL	6-4	295	Castroville, Texas (Medina Valley)
Justin Horton	TE	6-4	220	Henderson, Texas (Henderson)
Beau Johnson	RB	5-11	210	Lawrenceville, Ga. (Cen. Gwinnett/Butler Co.)
Victor Johnson	S	6-1	175	Waco, Texas (Waco)
Markelle Martin	S	6-1	180	Wichita Falls, Texas (Rider)
Swanson Miller	DT	6-4	300	Alachua, Fla. (Santa Fe/Butler County CC)
Travis Miller	RB	5-11	185	Marlin, Texas (Marlin)
Andrew Mitchell	OL	6-5	300	Choctaw, Okla. (Snow Community College)
Jamal Mosley	TE	6-4	230	Memphis, Tenn. (Kingsbury)
Nigel Nicholas	DE	6-3	260	Rossville, Ga. (Ridgeland)
Jeremiah Price	DE	6-2	245	Collins, Miss. (Jones County Junior College)
Adrian Richards	WR	6-4	190	Mesquite, Texas (Mesquite)
Quinn Sharp	K	6-1	185	Mansfi eld, Texas (Summit)
Kye Staley	RB	6-0	215	Guthrie, Okla. (Guthrie)
Lane Taylor	OL	6-2	300	Arlington, Texas (Martin)
Johnny Thomas	DB	6-1	175	Texas City, Texas (Texas City)

2007 Recap

Recap: More than seven wins were expected this season from Oklahoma State, who became best known for head coach Mike Gundy’s unhinged rant to the press following a win over Texas Tech.  The Cowboys scored plenty behind a balanced offense, but it often wasn’t enough to compensate for a defense that couldn’t stop the pass or get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  Gundy hit a homerun in September by handing the offense over to sophomore QB Zac Robinson, an exciting dual-threat that set the single-season school record for total offense and rushing yards by a quarterback.

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Zac Robinson

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Nathan Peterson

Biggest Surprise: Robinson.  A backup to Bobby Reid to start the season, Robinson grew into a franchise quarterback by the end of it.  Showing all of his moves in the Insight Bowl, the sophomore gashed Indiana for 372 total yards and five touchdowns in an unexpectedly easy 49-33 rout of the Hoosiers.   

Biggest Disappointment: The Cowboys had Texas dead to rights on Nov. 3, but inexplicably allowed the ‘Horns to engineer one of the biggest comebacks of the season.  Trailing by three touchdowns heading into the fourth quarter, Texas scored 24 unanswered points behind an epic performance from RB Jamaal Charles, winning on a Ryan Bailey field goal as time expired.

Looking Ahead: If Oklahoma State can solve a few problems on defense, look out, Big 12 South.  The offense will be downright scary, with stars-of-tomorrow RB Kendall Hunter and WR Dez Bryant getting expanded roles alongside Robinson.