Opener At Georgia An Immediate Barometer For OSU

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was out mowing his grass this weekend when neighbors who worked up the nerve to approach him asked whether he was excited about the Cowboys'

Monday, August 27th 2007, 4:18 pm

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was out mowing his grass this weekend when neighbors who worked up the nerve to approach him asked whether he was excited about the Cowboys' season opener at No. 13 Georgia.

With nearly a week of preparations left, Gundy said excitement hasn't yet set in for the Cowboys' biggest season opener in years. But he understands why others would be fired up.

``It's not just another game,'' Gundy said Monday at his weekly news conference. ``I don't think that anybody that's been around college football or obviously knows the time and effort that goes into preparing for a season and for a game would say that it's just another game.''

Oklahoma State will be opening its season against a ranked non-conference opponent for the first time since back-to-back wins against Arizona State and Washington to start 1984 and 1985 _ just before Gundy took over as the team's starting quarterback as a freshman.

It's certainly an upgrade over the Division I-AA foes the Cowboys faced to open Gundy's first two seasons as head coach.

``I'm loving the fact that we're playing a ranked team,'' said wide receiver Adarius Bowman, who led the team with 60 catches for 1,181 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. ``Hopefully after we knock them off, we end up being ranked.''

Oklahoma State enters the season with confidence after beating another Southeastern Conference team, Alabama, in the Independence Bowl and finishing last season with the No. 7 scoring offense in the country.

A win against the Bulldogs between the Hedges would only add to that.

``If we win this game, I think it'll be like a swagger motivator, a confidence-booster for all the coaches and players, and just open up a lot of eyes of everybody in the nation that didn't really think that Oklahoma State was representing,'' receiver Tommy Devereaux said.

The Cowboys have won their last three season openers, dating back to a 31-20 win at UCLA in 2004 that helped propel them to a 5-0 start and their most recent visit to the top 25.

``There's no better way to start a season than with top competition. That's the way to start off,'' said defensive end Nathan Peterson, who was a freshman on that 2004 team. ``A few years ago when we played UCLA to start off, that really set the tone for us for the next five or six games. We had a really good year that year.''

The last two seasons, Oklahoma State followers have been left wondering what to make of the Cowboys into the fourth week of the season despite consecutive 3-0 starts. In 2005, the Cowboys beat Montana State, Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State in non-conference play. Last year, Missouri State filled Montana State's spot on the schedule. Reality struck both times when Oklahoma State lost its fourth game.

This year, the I-AA foe is gone and replaced with a national power.

``I feel like if you're trying to be considered one of the best, you've got to play the best,'' Bowman said. ``So, what better way to start it out than against a ranked team? I'm all for it. I'm glad we did this.''

For Gundy, it's the culmination of months of fans asking if the Cowboys can beat Georgia. Now, he'll be able to find out exactly where his team stands.

``This is a big game, I don't think there's any question,'' Gundy said. ``You play on national TV ... and you're playing a team as tradition-rich as Georgia on the road. It would be a big win for us.''