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The Basics

The No. 21/21 Oklahoma State football team (8-3 overall; 6-2 Big 12) returns home this week for the regular season finale, hosting BYU (5-6 overall; 2-6 Big 12) in Stillwater for the first time in program history. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, November 25, in Boone Pickens Stadium and a spot in the Big 12 Championship game is potentially on the line.

On the Air

The game will be televised live on ABC with Anish Shroff, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra on the call. It will also be carried live on the Cowboy Radio Network, with Dave Hunziker handling play-by-play, John Holcomb providing analysis and Robert Allen reporting from the sideline. Fans outside of the Cowboy Radio Network can listen to the OSU broadcast for free through The Varsity Network app. The broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 137 or 199.

All Seven Home Games Sold Out in 2023

Tickets sold out months ago for Oklahoma State's matchup against BYU, and all seven home games for the Cowboys have sold out this year. While no tickets remain for the 2023 season, there is a waitlist for 2024 season tickets that fans can join now through the OSU ticket office. For fans seeking seats at OSU's final home game season, tickets may still be found on SeatGeek, the official resale market of Oklahoma State Athletics.

In the Rankings

The Oklahoma State football team is ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25 and No. 21 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. Including the 2023 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 14 of the past 16 seasons and has reached the top 10 in 11 of those 16 years. The Cowboys came in at No. 23 in last week's College Football Playoff Rankings, and this week's will be released on Tuesday. OSU has been part of the CFP rankings in eight of the past nine seasons, including 2023. BYU is not ranked.

The Series

Saturday’s game will mark the third overall meeting between Oklahoma State and BYU, with the Cowboys winning each of the previous two matchups at neutral sites. The first was the 1974 Fiesta Bowl that saw OSU knock off No. 17 BYU, 16-6, in Tempe, Arizona, and the second was the 1976 Tangerine Bowl that saw the No. 14 Cowboys defeat the Cougars, 49-21, in Orlando, Florida. Jim Stanley coached each of those games for OSU, while LaVell Edwards coached each of them for BYU. The 2023 game will mark the first conference game between the programs, as well as the first on-campus matchup for either team in the series. Mike Gundy has never faced BYU and BYU coach Kalani Sitake has never faced Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State from a Distance

With one week left in the regular season, Oklahoma State is tied for second in the Big 12 standings and is squarely in the hunt for the 2023 Big 12 Championship. The simplest way for the Cowboys to get to the championship game is for both OSU and Texas to win this week then meet in Arlington a week later, but there are other scenarios where the Cowboys can make it to the game with a win and a Texas loss. Oklahoma State has won six of its past seven games to earn its spot near the top of the standings, defeating Kansas State, 29-21; No. 23 Kansas, 39-32; West Virginia, 48-34; Cincinnati, 45-13; No. 9 Oklahoma, 27-24; and Houston, 43-30, along the way. The Cowboy defense has produced 16 total turnovers in the past seven games while the offense has turned it over 10 times during that stretch. Sophomore running back Ollie Gordon II is the favorite for the Doak Walker Award and has inserted himself into the race for the Heisman Trophy. He has produced seven 100-yard rushing games in the past eight games. He ranks No. 1 in the FBS in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, 20-yard carries, 30-yard carries, 40-yard carries and 200-yard games. He's also third in all-purpose yards per game. Gordon had 282 rushing yards in the win at West Virginia to rank as the most for any FBS player in a game this season and followed that up with 271 rushing yards against Cincinnati to join Heisman-winner Barry Sanders as the only two players in school history with back-to-back 250-yard rushing games. Prior to that, he had 284 yards from scrimmage against Kansas, making him the only FBS player in the past 10 seasons to produce three consecutive games with more than 250 scrimmage yards. Quarterback Alan Bowman has also impressed since taking over as the full-time starting quarterback, averaging 281.5 passing yards per game and accounting for 12 total touchdowns in the eight games he has played as the full-time starter. On the defensive side, linebacker Nickolas Martin is making his case for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and All-America honors. The Cowboy sophomore leads all Big 12 players and ranks No. 13 in the FBS in total tackles with 10.2 per game and is first in the conference and No. 7 in the FBS with 5.7 solo tackles per game. He's joined by linebacker Collin Oliver and safety Kendal Daniels as the biggest defensive playmakers this year, as Oliver ranks No. 2 in the FBS with four forced fumbles and Daniels is No. 17 in the FBS with 2 fumbles recovered. Martin and Oliver are tied for the Big 12 lead in sacks by linebackers with 6.0 each. Other notable Cowboys this season include center Joe Michalski, an All-America candidate who ranks among the best Power Five centers in pass blocking efficiency according to Pro Football Focus, and Lou Groza Award candidate Alex Hale, who ranks No. 1 in the FBS with 24 made field goals.

Senior Day

Oklahoma State's 2023 roster includes 28 players listed as seniors. Although many can return for another season by using the NCAA's extra year provided for COVID-19, all will have the chance to be honored Saturday in what is potentially their final game at Boone Pickens Stadium. OSU's seniors:

An Oklahoma State Win Would ...

• Secure at least a tie for second in the final Big 12 standings, potentially earning a Big 12 Championship game berth for the second time in the past three seasons.

• Give it at least nine wins for the 10th time in Mike Gundy's tenure as head coach.

• Give it wins in seven of its past eight games.

• Improve Mike Gundy's record in November games to 41-31.

• Improve Mike Gundy's record in home games to 95-29.

• Improve Mike Gundy's record in Big 12 games to 102-63, moving him closer to matching Bill Snyder's 104 wins for the second most in the history of the conference.

• Improve its record against BYU to 3-0 and its record against BYU at home to 1-0.

• Improve Mike Gundy's record against BYU to 1-0.

• Make it 30-11 in its past 41 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season.

• Wrap up its 2023 home season with a 6-1 record, giving it at least six home wins for a third consecutive season.

• Give it wins in 20 of its past 22 and 23 of its past 26 games played at Boone Pickens Stadium.

• Make it 156-73 in its history when playing as an AP-ranked team.

• Make it 143-44 in its history when playing as a higher AP-ranked team than its opponent.

• Make it 93-24 in its past 117 games vs. opponents outside of the AP Top 25, dating to 2010.

Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game

• Ollie Gordon II has rushed for more than 100 yards in seven of the past eight games.

• Ollie Gordon II has rushed for more than 270 yards in two of the past five games.

• OSU has forced 16 turnovers and surrendered 10 turnovers in the past six games.

• OSU's offensive line has not allowed a sack in five of its past seven games.

• OSU has held 34 of its past 41 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game.

• OSU has won 85 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003 – the longest active stretch of time in the FBS and longest since at least 1980. Including games when opponents have scored 20 points or fewer, the streak begins at the same date and includes 92 games.

• The Cowboy defense has produced a shutout half in two games this season.

• OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 38 of its past 55 games.

• OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50% third down conversion rate in 45 of its past 49 games.

• OSU is 37-16 in its past 53 games decided by fewer than 10 points.

• OSU is 48-8 in its past 56 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.

• Dating back to 2005, OSU is 48-4 when not committing a turnover.

• Dating back to 2008, OSU is 80-8 when winning the turnover battle.

• OSU has won three of its past five overtime games.

• Over the past 47 games, OSU has held opponents to 221-for-727 (30.4%) on third down.

• OSU has held its opponents to just 3-of-22 on fourth down attempts this season - the No. 2 percentage in the nation.