Notre Dame has fielded a football team for 115 years. Oklahoma State has had one for 108 years. Never have the two programs played each other.
That will change on New Year’s Day.
The No. 5 Fighting Irish (11-1) and No. 9 Cowboys (11-2) are set to go head-to-head for the first time ever in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium Jan. 1 in Glendale, Ariz. Here are five things Irish fans who might not be familiar with the Cowboys need to know.
1. Oklahoma State was inches away from a potentially different fate
When this game kicks off on Jan. 1, seeing Oklahoma State on the field will likely remind Notre Dame fans about what happened on Dec. 4. Notre Dame fans were most likely huddled around TVs across the country that day rooting against the Cowboys.
Notre Dame needed two losses from teams ranked No. 2 through No. 5 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings to lose for the chance to move up from No. 6 into the top four. Oklahoma State turned out to be the only one of those four teams to suffer a loss.
Oklahoma State came within inches of scoring a last-minute touchdown against Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game. Had Dezmon Jackson capped Oklahoma State's 17-play drive off with a one-yard touchdown across the left pylon, the Cowboys would have likely won the game and stirred discussion of whether they should leapfrog Cincinnati for the No. 4 ranking in the CFP. Instead, Jackson was forced out of bounds just shy of the goal line on fourth and goal from the one.
So what type of Oklahoma State team shows up for the Fiesta Bowl? A sulking one that believes it was inches away from a CFP semifinal spot and is therefore disengaged and lethargic? Or one that views this as an opportunity to prove it was one of the best teams in the country all along by beating an elite program like Notre Dame? Odds are the latter. The next section explains why.
2. Mike Gundy has a strong record in bowl games
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy is no stranger to bowl games. Gundy took over the program in 2005 in his first season and guided the Cowboys to a 4-7 record. Oklahoma State has not missed the postseason a single time since then.
Gundy has a 10-5 all-time record in bowl games. The Cowboys have won four of their last five. This is the first New Year's Six game Gundy has brought the Pokes to since the 2015-16 Sugar Bowl, though. Ole Miss beat Oklahoma State 48-20.
Oklahoma State has been to three other BCS/NY6 bowl games during Gundy's tenure. The Cowboys have only won one of those, the 2011-12 Fiesta Bowl against Stanford. Brandon Weeden and the Pokes beat Andrew Luck and the Cardinal 41-38.
“That was a battle of two really good teams,” Gundy said. “I’m just excited about being back there again.”
3. Oklahoma State has one of the best defenses in the country
When you think Big 12, you think offense. That hasn't been the narrative for Oklahoma State this season, though. The Cowboys rank No. 67 nationally in total offense and No. 3 in total defense. The Pokes allow 278.4 yards per game. Only Wisconsin and Georgia allow less.
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees called this a "barometer game" for the Irish. Yes, the Notre Dame offense was much better in the second half of the season than it was in the first. But it has also played much worse defensive teams of late. Oklahoma State does not fall in line with that trend.
The Oklahoma State defense is stout, and it's been a long time coming.
“We made an adjustment four years ago,” Gundy said. “We moved over three scholarships from offense to defense to load up there. Felt like that would help us long-term in our conference with all the fantastic quarterback, receive, running back offensive play we've been getting the last 10 years. It was tough to slow people down.
“We felt like it could help our special teams too. Looking back, we felt like that was a really good move. We hired Jim Knowles to be our defensive coordinator, and we put our staff around him. Our players have rallied around him, and they've done a great job. I'm satisfied with the move. I think it's certainly benefitted our team.”
4. Status of Jaylen Warren will be of significance
Oklahoma State played Baylor without leading rusher Jaylen Warren who has carried the ball 237 times for 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Warren was dressed in full pads on the sideline but never entered the game.
“We didn't feel he was at full speed and we didn't feel he could protect himself,” Gundy said. “Running backs need to be able to protect themselves when they're playing in games with all the hits they take. So hopefully we can get him back.”
The Cowboys only rushed for 70 yards against the Bears without Warren. Jackson, the player who came up just short at the end, ran 19 times for just 31 yards. Quarterback Spencer Sanders ran 13 times for 33 yards.
Oklahoma State is not a menacing offensive team at full strength. Without Warren, the Cowboys are handicapped even further.
5. Spencer Sanders has much to prove
Sanders, a junior, had one of the worst games of his career against Baylor. He threw four interceptions, zero touchdowns and had a quarterback rating of less than 100 for the third time in 32 games.
Sanders has never been the most prolific of quarterbacks. He has never thrown for 20 touchdowns in a season. This year, he has 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He has thrown for 205.7 yards per game.
Still, Sanders is held in high regard by the Oklahoma State coaching staff. He arrived in Stillwater has a four-star dual-threat recruit with high upside. He hasn't quite reached the potential many around the program had hoped for, but he's capable of rising up in big games. His 37-yard touchdown run against Oklahoma was a huge turning point in that game.
What better way to kickstart a senior season than by having a chance to beat a storied program like Notre Dame in a New Year’s Six game?
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