Oklahoma State limps home for its first game in Stillwater in four weeks, winless in the Big 12 and one of only two power-conference teams with a single FBS victory.
But the Cowboys (1-8, 0-6 Big 12) emerge from a bye week singularly focused on Saturday’s matchup with Kansas State (4-5, 3-3), a team with more than its share of struggles at Boone Pickens Stadium.
“There’s not very many K-State teams that play very well in Stillwater,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said.
In the all-time series, the Cowboys are 24-9 against Kansas State in Stillwater. Klieman is 2-4 vs. Oklahoma State.
Attrition is hitting both sides, impacting preparation and forcing coaches to figure out physical adjustments and creative ways to teach and inspire. Most notably for the Wildcats, preseason All-Big 12 junior middle linebacker Austin Romaine is out for the season with a hand injury.
Kansas State used its backup safeties as running backs during the bye week to get looks at what Oklahoma State might present in terms of formations and reads.
“We’re down more bodies than I’ve ever been down before,” Klieman said of his team’s overall health. “Part of that is our roster number is so small, and we have a bunch of guys hurt. But that’s everybody right now. In the past, you always had those numbers, which we don’t anymore. It’s piecing it together. Practice is different out there right now.”
Kansas State follows Saturday’s game with a trip to Utah. The Wildcats can still qualify for a bowl game with two wins. The regular-season schedule ends with Colorado, the only team above Oklahoma State in the Big 12 standings, coming to Manhattan.
Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson has 16 touchdowns and four interceptions but is coming off a two-interception game in K-State’s 43-20 loss to Texas Tech on Nov. 1. With the Wildcats in comeback mode early, Johnson had a season-high 15 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
It’s a show all too familiar to Oklahoma State. Johnson led a 42-20 beatdown of the Cowboys last September with three touchdown passes and two TD runs.
“The quarterback scares you to death,” Cowboys interim head coach Doug Meacham said of Johnson.
Meacham wants to get Oklahoma State its first win since August.
The 27-7 season opener against FCS UT Martin was followed by a string of brutal losses. The Cowboys have their work cut out for them. Oklahoma State is 126th in total offense at 297.7 yards per game, 130th in scoring offense (15.2 points per game) and 128th in total defense (443.8) and passing defense (274.2). Their 17-point loss at Kansas before the bye week was the closest game the Cowboys have played since Sept. 19, a 19-12 loss to Tulsa.
“You take this week that we just had of and it’s an opportunity for them to reflect back on what’s occurred and re-energize, remember what’s important,” Meacham said. “You know what’s important is these kids right now. We’re adults. We’re fine. We’re going to be fine.”
Meacham gave players four days off between Wednesday practice and the start of the full-bore prep for Kansas State. He offered coaches a chance to get away “a stay-cation type of thing” to recharge while also diving into plans for slowing down the Wildcats.
Freshman Zane Flores was the latest quarterback to get a shot at lifting the Oklahoma State offense. He was efficient (22 of 28) and aggressive, averaging 8.4 yards per completion in the Cowboys’ 38-21 loss at Kansas on Nov. 1.
Igniting the passing attack is vital to any success the Cowboys can achieve the rest of the season. They have six TD passes as a team, led by Flores’ two and Sam Jackson and Noah Walters with one apiece.
Meacham said Hauss Hejny — the No. 1 QB to begin the season, but injured in the first quarter of the opener — has been jogging and throwing in practice but continues to weigh a medical redshirt. Henry also had a TD pass in August.
“It says a lot about him. He’s not going to waste any opportunity he gets,” Meacham said of Hejny. “It’s kind of the way it used to be. And it makes you feel good that they want to be around the team and care about our success.”
