Cameron Epps and Co. Shined in Kansas State Game With Starters Out

STILLWATER, Okla.— The Cowboys looked a lot more like themselves on Friday night even though some key players were out because of injuries. 

Thanks to consistent offense and a dominant defense, Oklahoma State pulled off the 29-21 win against Kansas State. Coming off a bye week and a two-game losing streak, there were a couple of uncertainties. 

With big names like Lyrik Rawls and De’Zhaun Stribling out this week, the backups had significant roles to fill. In for Rawls at safety was Cameron Epps, and he excelled. 

Epps, a redshirt freshman, finished the game with five tackles and two interceptions, also registering a pick-six. His first interception came with 6:44 left in the first quarter to give the Cowboys (3-2) some needed momentum to keep rolling against a strong Kansas State (3-2) team. The pick-six also came in the first half with only 34 seconds left until halftime to put OSU up 20-7 going into the locker room. 

They marked the first two of his career, as well as making him the first freshman since Ramon Richards in 2014 to record a pick six.

"I’m glad I got my opportunity and was able to help the team win,” Epps said. 

With the two interceptions and other contributions Epps made to the team’s defensive success, coach Mike Gundy sees an extremely bright future for the second-string safety. 

“Cam made plays, right?” Gundy said. “He had two picks, so we’re excited about his future. Somebody wrote it up last week; he’s kind of Tre Flowers-looking... so I’m excited about him.”

Not only did Epps make a case for himself to earn a starting job in the future, but Rashad Owens also did. Subbing in for Stribling, who is out with a broken left wrist, Owens finished the game as the team’s second-leading receiver with 73 yards. 

With a 45-yard pass from quarterback Alan Bowman late in the second quarter, Owens set the Cowboys up on the Kansas State 18-yard line. From there, kicker Alex Hale made a field goal to put OSU up by six. 

Although it was uncertain how things would play out before the matchup against KSU, the Cowboys had little trouble with players who stepped up and made essential plays. Epps and Owens picked up the slack that naturally comes with having injured players. 

Another player who proved himself was linebacker Nickolas Martin. Martin, a redshirt sophomore, had 17 tackles, one sack and one interception late in the fourth quarter. This interception also counted for the first one of his career. 

“One, he’s old school tough,” Gundy said of Martin. “Two, he loves football.” 

Martin said he can’t remember the last time he recorded 17 tackles, not even in peewee football. With a breakout performance against Kansas State, Martin still took time to uplift Epps and the show he put on against K-State.

“Man, I’m so proud of him,” Martin said. “All the preparation he’s put in these past two weeks; He had a tough game last week. It was the first game nervous jitters, slipping and falling. But I just went up to him and was like, ‘Bro, if you lock in, I’m telling you you can be as great as you want to be.’ I think this was just a little teaser of what is to come, so I’m really proud of him.”

The Cowboys obviously used the bye week to their advantage and improved on foundational aspects of their game. Now, it’s a matter of whether the team can continue to improve on the things they have addressed.