2008 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Breakdown

The Oklahoma State Cowboys finished 4th in the South Division of the Big 12 Conference, one of the toughest in all of football. The Cowboys posted a 9-3 record, their only losses coming to the #1, #2 and #3 teams in the nation at the time they faced them (Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma). Coached by Mike Gundy, Oregon finished the season ranked 14th in the Coaches Poll and 13th in the AP.

Oklahoma State's offense ranks 7th nationally in total yards with a nearly 496 average per game, and the defense ranks 86th in yards allowed per game.

This season, Oklahoma State began the year 7-0 after notching wins over teams such as Houston, Troy and Missouri. After reaching the top 10, the Cowboys lost by a narrow margin in Austin, Texas before later being beaten badly by Texas Tech (36 points). The Cowboys hung with the Sooners for much of the Bedlam game but lost by 20 points after a tough 4th quarter.

Key offensive players for the Cowboys include a talented group of triplets. QB Zac Robinson is a duel-threat signal-caller that threw 24 TDs. Kendall Hunter was named All Big 12 1st team running amassing over 1400 yards and 15 TDs, and wide receiver Dez Bryant also received numerous national awards as one of the best in the country, nabbing 18 TD passes on the season.

Key defensive players include Andre Sexton, who led the team with 92 solo tackles and Jacob Lacey, who picked off 2 passes on the year. Linebacker Orie Lemon also emerged as a valuable player and finished 2nd on the team in tackles. Finally, keep an eye on Perrish Cox in the return game.