Ollie Gordon Gets a Helmet Sticker as Oklahoma State Makes Comeback on ESPN Coverage

STILLWATER – Say what you want, but ESPN is the world wide leader. No sports media entity draws more eyes or helps create, and sometimes forces, the mindset of the sports community and that definitely includes college football. However, since the third game of the season and the loss to South Alabama, Oklahoma State has been mostly hidden from the nation on the coverage from ESPN. Barely any mention on College Gameday and then few highlights on College Football Final. It was understandable, but the Cowboys are back and the biggest splash came with the win over No. 23 Kansas on Saturday. That includes the football polls where the Cowboys are getting votes again. They would be tied for No. 35 in the A.P. poll and would be No. 34 in the coaches poll.

Last week with the exciting Friday win over Kansas State, the Cowboys got some highlights early in College Gameday, but then after knocking off Kansas 39-32 on Saturday the Pokes got highlights as Matt Barre narrated the OSU upset with several plays including the jet sweep scoring play that provided the winning points, the defelection to stop a fourth down, and the tackle to end the game by the defense. 

Robert Allen - Pokes Report

Mullen puts the sticker honoring Gordon on the Oklahoma State helmet.

Then in the final segment when the hosts pass out the well known and coveted ESPPN helmet stickers there was former Mississippi State and Florida head coach Dan Mullen giving his first helmet sticker to Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon.

Gordon keyed the day on the first play of the game as he took a screen pass from quarterback Alan Bowman 50-yards and then caught a pass from Bowman for a 17-yard touchdown to finish that opening drive. Gordon went on to catch six passes for 116-yards and then he thrashed the Kansas defense for 168-yards rushing in 29 carries. Gordon scored two touchdowns as he was the first double 100-yards (rushing and receiving) Cowboy since Gerald Hudson in 1989.

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer

Gordon on the run against Kansas with his 284-yards of all purpose yards.

“That as my year,” head coach Mike Gundy said. “I remember early throwing a screen to Hudson and he took it like 80-yards. You knew he was going to rush for over 100-yards. He did that every game.”

How about this as Oklahoma State athetic media realtions clued some of us in that no other college Division I player has had that many yards rushing and receiving in the past seven seasons and only five have hit that number (284-yards) or higher since 2000.

Gordon was smiling in the locker room when I spoke to him. 

“You know, Alan threw me the ball and all of my teammates, those big guys on the offensive line, everybody did their job and helped me do what I did,” Gordon said. “I know I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”

I’m sure he is, but he also has the first helmet sticker that Oklahoma State has earned in a long time and a distinction (double 100) that a Cowboy hasn’t had in 34-years.