OSU News and Notes

[Roach]

From The Daily Oklahoman:

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News and notes
2003-09-16


Road game? OSU officials estimate nearly ha/b of the 32,000 seats at Gerald Ford Stadium could be filled with Cowboy fans Saturday night in Dallas. Tickets are still available.

“There’s 10,000 active alumni in the Dallas area who are Oklahoma State people,” said coach Les Miles. “That’s a pretty stout number. It’s a tremendous advantage for us to have a venue that allows our people access.”

Last season the Pokes won only one road game - at Kansas.

“For any team that wants to win championships you have to win on the road. It’s just that simple,” Miles said. “Those teams that are good are dang good on the road. They come together and hang together. It’s a unifying aspect of the team.”

100 percent: Linebacker Paul Duren was hampered by a strained hamstring throughout two-a-days. Pagitte McGee has replaced Duren in the starting lineup, but Duren is fourth on the team with 18 tackles.

“I feel like I’m back,” Duren said. “The hamstring bothered me for a long time, and it stiffened up on me the first two games. Sometimes it was hard to really open up all the way, but it feels 100 percent now. I still go in for rehab every now and then to make sure it doesn’t get back to where it was.”

Day off: Unlike some programs, the Cowboys watch film on Sundays and go through a light practice Sunday night. Players are off on Mondays. Whether it’s an emotional win or a heartbreaking loss, the previous game is filed away after Sunday.

“That’s one reason Les likes to do it that way,” said defensive coordinator Bill Clay. “Sunday clears out the weekend. It allows coaches to get ready for the next team and let’s the kids get away from us, get away from the weight room, be a student for a day and come back with renewed energy on Tuesday.”

Gaining experience: Against Southwest Missouri State, freshman defensive lineman Marque Fountain was in for 22 plays, Brad Girtman 15, Xavier Lawson-Kennedy 15 and Darnell Smith 14. Girtman recorded six tackles but Fountain once again graded out the highest.

“These last two weeks they’ve all done a good job of getting in there and doing well,” said defensive line coach Karl Dunbar. “(Girtman’s) production was great but his technique score was bad. He made plays, but I talked to him about how I need to teach him the proper way to play technique.”

The experience is invaluable.

“You don’t want to put too much on them,” Dunbar said. “We try to put them on the field on the minus side. Usually when the ball gets across the 50 we put in the older guys, but we’re giving them an opportunity.”

Play smart: The Cowboys had only six penalties against SMS but were plagued by personal foul penalties.

“As much as I cannot stand personal fouls, there were probably two of which I have to (accept),” Miles said. “The guys didn’t hear the whistle and were blocking and playing hard. Then there are probably two (penalties) that guys will run for a long time because of them.”

EXTRA POINTS

-Tailback Tatum Bell continues to lead the Big 12 in rushing (445 yards) and is ranked sixth nationally. Bell also is the top active rusher in the Big 12 with 2,568 career yards.

-SMU leads the series 6-2-2, but the two teams have not played in Dallas since 1950. The first nine meetings were played from 1922-1950. Last season, OSU won 52-16.

-Former SMU wide receiver Jerry LeVias will be honored at ha/btime. LeVias, who played from 1996-68, was the first African-American to play football at SMU and the first to receive a scholarship in the Southwest Conference.

BY MIKE BALDWIN

[The Q]

HALF of the seats could be filled by OSU fans? That's inexcusable. I know they have a big local alumni base, but come on! Be at the game and bring someone. Your spouse, your kids, a friend - be there early and stay late.

GO MUSTANGS!