A pair of college football coaching veterans meet Saturday when No. 12 Utah visits No. 14 Oklahoma State in a Big 12 showdown that could have College Football Playoff implications.
Utah’s Kyle Whittingham and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy are in their 20th seasons leading their respective programs with nearly identical records. Gundy (169-79) has just a few more wins than Whittingham (165-79).
“I’ve certainly been aware of his success, and he’s done a terrific job,” Whittingham said. “If you’re not successful, you’re not going to be in a job for very long. He’s done a good job of winning and being consistent. Every year you know what you’re going to get from them.”
Utah (3-0) is playing its first Big 12 game since leaving the Pac-12 after last season. The Utes, preseason favorites to win their new league, have one of the nation’s best defenses. They rank 22nd nationally in yards allowed per game at 252.7 and are tied for 21st in scoring defense, giving up 11 points per game.
Oklahoma State (3-0) returns 21 of 22 starters from a team that played in the Big 12 title game last season. The Cowboys are coming off a dominant win over Tulsa.
Gundy said Saturday’s game is significant, but he declined to give it any extra buildup.
“It is (big), but they’re all big, right?” Gundy said. “That’s the good thing about college football, every game matters. You try to do the best you can, it’s week-to-week, but we’re playing a very good football team. (A) very sound football team that plays physical, tough football, so it’ll be a real challenge for us this week. Obviously, looking forward to playing the game.”
Bowman shines
Oklahoma State’s passing game has been the story through three games, with quarterback Alan Bowman accounting for 967 yards and eight touchdowns. Bowman has taken advantage of defenses designed to stop All-American Ollie Gordon II, who won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back last season and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy race. Gordon has rushed 34 times for 90 yards, (2.6 yards per carry) in the Cowboys’ last two games.
Stars sidelined
Both teams have dealt with key early season injuries. Utah quarterback Cam Rising, who threw five touchdowns in Utah’s opener, injured his finger against Baylor the following week and didn’t play in a win over Utah State. He is expected to play.
If Rising doesn’t start, true freshman Isaac Wilson will get the nod. Wilson passed for 239 yards and three touchdowns against Utah State last week.
Oklahoma State linebacker Collin Oliver a preseason All-Big 12 selection, injured his leg in a win over Arkansas and is not expected to return this season. Last season, Oliver tied teammate Nick Martin for the team lead with six sacks on his way to second-team AP all-conference honors in his first year as a linebacker.
Senior citizens
The coaches aren’t the only ones who share longevity. Rising and Bowman are each in their seventh year of eligibility, and their combined age is 49. Rising, born May 13, 1999, is 25 while Bowman, born March 6, 2000, is 24. Rising previously played for Texas and Bowman for Texas Tech and Michigan.
Big honor
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden will be inducted into the school’s Hall of Honor this weekend. Weeden passed for 9,260 yards and 75 touchdowns in his career and led the Cowboys to a 23-3 record overall and a No. 3 final ranking in 2011.
Quotable
Whittingham on keeping Rising healthy: “Just doing a better job of (keeping him out of harm’s way). It goes against his grain. He’s a tough competitive guy, as I’ve said dozens of times, and it just is not natural for him to turn anything down, but he’s got to. He’s got to be able to do that.”
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