Just Worth Noting - Oklahoma State Football Staff (and Players) Working Overtime Sunday

STILLWATER – I know what the perception is. After reading local newspapers and having my phone alerts send me links to editorials and opinions from every source from The Athletic, ESPN, CBS Sports, and more. Then even more social media and amateur Twitter/X, Facebook reporting that something is about to happen with head coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboy Football Program I thought it might be prudent and even journalistically responsible to give a factual update. 

Inside Boone Pickens Stadium’s West End Zone and the Oklahoma State football offices and facilities, the entire football staff was there reporting from early morning to some after church services. The staff worked all day as yesterday the Tulsa game was graded and evaluated. Today work was full steam ahead on Baylor using the fresh material from the Bears 27-24 Big 12 opening loss to Arizona State. 

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Trigg had two touchdowns in the loss to Arizona State.

The Sun Devils won the game on a last play field goal by left-footed kicker Jesus Gomez. Baylor was led by quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who completed 25-of-39 passing for 250-yards with three touchdowns and one costly interception. He found tight end Michael Trigg the most often. Trigg, one of the best tight ends in the Big 12 had five receptions for 71-yards and two touchdowns. Running back Bryson Washington carried 17 times for 111-yards, but as a team Baylor had a total of less than that with 107-yards. 

The Bears dropped to 2-2 and 0-1 in the Big 12. The Baylor defense allowed 400-yards total and 179-yards rushing. The Bears lost starting linebacker Travion Barnes to a season ending injury and they were already missing several top defenders. 

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Travian Barnes yells at his teammates and the crowd as he is carted out of McLane Stadium.

This will be the first week for Oklahoma State to have to submit the Big 12 mandatory injury report that was announced earlier in the summer.

The OSU team had an optional lifting session where players could get the first lift of the week in on Sunday versus Monday morning. We were told that over 80 percent of the players came in and did that on Sunday afternoon. 

We were also told that a number of players went on upstairs after and started watching video on Baylor. 

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer

Flores is young, but he is mature and a good leader.

I am positive that included quarterback Zane Flores.

“We're obviously going to take one week at a time, but I think we're capable of winning any game that's in front of us,” Flores said after the loss to Tulsa. “We just need to learn to put it all together. We need to continue to grind each week and take one day at a time. 

“Coach has been awesome. You know, he's continuing to motivate us. You know he knows what we're feeling,” Flores said of his head coach. “We know what he's feeling, so we're all kind of in this together. But you know him, he's motivating us. He's taking one day at a time. You know he's working his butt off too.”

The world around them is extremely negative and abusive toward the current leadership in the program, but the coaches and players are keeping their heads down and doing their job.