Oklahoma State Not Overlooking Texas

The Longhorns may be having a down year, but the Cowboys know that Texas will always present a challenge.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:01 pm

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Nov 8, 2010 6:20 PM CDT

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

STILLWATER, Oklahoma -- No. 10 Oklahoma State is in unfamiliar territory heading into Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns. Oklahoma State is favored and rolling as they head south, while Texas has lost five of its last six games and is having one of its worst seasons in recent memory.

However, the Cowboys won’t underestimate the Longhorns in the pivotal late-season matchup.

“Texas is Texas regardless if they’re having a bad season or not,” running back Kendall Hunter said. “Texas is always going to be Texas.”

Despite the Longhorns’ struggles this season, their defense has been the one bright spot. Texas ranks fifth in the nation in total defense and second in the nation in pass defense, something the Oklahoma State coaches are well aware of.

“They’re athletic, their schemes are sound. They play with a bunch of effort; play with a bunch of energy. It will be a challenge,” Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said. “They’re top two in every category defensively other than scoring defense, which they’ve been put in some bad situations this year too, so they’re good and it will be a challenge.”

Oklahoma State players say the Texas defense provides similar challenges to the team that handed the Cowboys their only loss of the season.

"They do some of the same stuff that we have seen,” Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden said. “They are going to be fast and athletic, just like Nebraska was."

Heading to Austin has not always treated Oklahoma State well.

In 15 meetings in Austin, the Longhorns have outscored the Cowboys 401-165 and Oklahoma State’s only win was a 13-8 game in 1944. The Cowboys have already erased decades-long, road losing streak with the win over Texas Tech, but getting a second out of the way isn’t a motivating factor for OSU.

“As much as you’d like to use it as motivation and think it’s going to make the players practice harder and play harder. It’s not,” Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said. “They have to practice because they have a purpose and a goal in mind as to get better every day. They have to go play hard because they have to be accountable to each other.”

Texas is normally the highly ranked team, looking to continue on to a conference and possibly national title game, while the Cowboys attempt to play spoiler.

The role reversal is something Oklahoma State players are well aware of, but won’t let change in atmosphere affect the way they prepare for the Longhorns.

"They are going to look at us as the game to spoil our season. But we just have to continue to focus, continue to work and to come to practice and be ready to play,” cornerback Broderick Brown said. “They are Texas, so they always come to play."