OSU Gets Ready to Hit the Road

Originally Published: Oct 6, 2009 10:17 AM CDT

JB Long
Oklahoma Sports Reporter

For the first time this year, in Week 6 of the college football season, Oklahoma State will leave behind the comforts of home and tackle life on the road.

“I think that the guys that are heavily involved in the game have had experience with that and have played some road games,” head coach Mike Gundy said.

“We had a lot of games last year with hype around them and they were put on very big stages—Texas, Texas Tech and Missouri,“ senior linebacker Andre Sexton said. “So, I feel like that experience that we gained last year is definitely going to help us on the road this year and it shouldn't be a problem at all."

On the other hand, the venue for Saturday's Big 12 opener has proven to be a major problem for the Cowboys. Oklahoma State has only won twice at Texas A&M, and not since 2003.

This year, OSU has a “College Station specialist” who might be able to reverse the series history. On Saturday, defensive coordinator Bill Young will visit Kyle Field for the third consecutive season. In 2007, his Kansas Jayhawks held Texas A&M to 11 points. In 2008, he was a part of Miami's win over the Aggies.

“Well it's odd. Generally, you go home and away, home and away,” Young said. “I’ve been changing homes. I’ve got to figure out a way to go back and forth, I guess.”

The key to Young's success has been stopping the run. In both of those victories, his defenses held Texas A&M to fewer than 90 yards on the ground.

This season, Young will have his hands full. The Cowboys face an Aggies' rushing attack that ranks 15th in the nation, averaging 211 yards per game.