Friday, October 24, 2025
Investigation continues for on-campus shooting
A week of celebrations ended with the sound of multiple gunshots in a residence hall parking lot.
Although there are people of interest in the investigation, there have been no arrests for a Sunday shooting that injured three at Carreker Hall East. OSUPD Chief Beckner said Thursday that the officers at OSUPD are having a meeting every morning and afternoon to see where they’re at with the investigation.
“It takes time,” Beckner said. “Unfortunately, a lot of people
watch CSI and stuff and all of those things are solved in 60 minutes because it’s TV… I want to answer all the questions, but it’s like putting a puzzle together. You have to make sure that all the pieces are in the right place before you actually charge them.”
See SHOOTING on page 3A
The
Canvas fails, OSU adapts
Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced a widespread outage Monday, taking down major apps and websites — including Canvas, Snapchat, Venmo, Reddit, College Board and more.
At Oklahoma State, students were unable to access Canvas for assignments and class materials, while other apps tied to AWS crashed or stalled.
“I opened Canvas and it just said the page was gone,” psychology and pre-med major Katherine Rouner said. “The widespread outage of Canvas led to distressed students and a halt on homework.”
Not every student was upset, though.
“Honestly, I was kind of excited,” Rouner said. Mechanical engineering student Isais Sanchez said the outage disrupted his coursework.
“I tried logging into Canvas to get some homework and a pre-lab done, but it wouldn’t load,” Sanchez said. “I was a little frustrated because I had a lot of things due and was worried they wouldn’t be done on time.”
cloud network.
BY CALESON COON I STAFF REPORTER
Oklahoma State alumnus Gandhi Kumar credits OSU for paving the way for his success. Kumar is back to where his career and love story first began; on campus at OSU. It’s his first time back since graduating in December 2015 with a master’s in telecommunications management. Kumar traveled to Stillwater
from Seattle, Washington the week of Oct. 8. Associate professor Matt Bowler invited him to assist in judging OSU’s 2025 MBA Case Competition. The annual Big 12 Case Competition consists of MBA students applying what they have learned in the classroom to real-world settings through analyzing, researching and generating business solutions in competition.
Courtesy Gandhi Kumar Gandhi Kumar visited his alma mater to judge the MBA case competition.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Canvas, OSU’s learning platform, was down following a power loss to AWS’s
Payton Little, The O’Colly
OSUPD partners with other agencies during large events including OSU Homecoming events. An on-campus shooting occured following a post-Homecoming game party off campus early Sunday.
Raynee Howell
Bryson Thadhani SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
On This day
2002. 23 years ago.
Following the OSU-Nebraska football game in 2002, fans carried a goalpost off of the field.
For the past five years, the idea of replacing the current goal posts with indestructible goal posts has been discussed by the athletic department and the Oklahoma State University Police Department.
Harry Birdwell, OSU athletic director, said the so-called indestructible goal posts are capable of being torn down...
Birdwell said the athletic department purchased new uprights a week before the Nebraska game in anticipation of a victory celebration. He said the uprights cost about $3,000 each.
“We ordered them early for two reasons,” Birdwell said. “One, we wanted to say to our players that we believed they would win and were ready in case we did have to replace the posts. Secondly, we have three more home games this year, and if you beat any team that you’re not favored to beat, the likelihood is that in the celebration that follows could result in the loss of one or both of the goal posts and we wanted to be ready in case.”
JOSH CONNER | THE DAILY O’COLLEGIAN, 2002
Stillwater Fire Department names OSU grad as new chief
Raynee Howell CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The extensive search for the next fire chief at the Stillwater Fire Department has come to an end.
Duane C. Helmberger II, an Oklahoma State alumnus and longtime Stillwater resident, was hired as the new fire chief. He will replace former Chief Terry Essary who accepted a job with Edmond Fire Department in July after four years as chief and 28 years total with SFD.
Helmberger earned a bachelor’s degree in fire protection and safety engineering from OSU. He also completed a master’s in business administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Helmberger has completed multiple trainings including designations in the role of chief fire officer and fire marshal. For the past nine years, Helmberger has been working for the Midwest City Fire Department. He serves as assistant chief and fire marshal for the six-station, 89-member department. Stillwater is a 74-person department, as of July, but it is home for Helmberger.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the Stillwater community and lead the Stillwater Fire Department,” Helmberger said in a press release. “My family has called Stillwater home for 14 years and this role represents not just a professional milestone but a personal commitment to the city that has given us so much.” During his tenure at MWCFD, Helmberger focused on creating initiatives for prevention and quicker, more efficient emergency responses. He launched the FireLink Midwest City program, which reduced 911 calls by up to 90% through compassionate intervention strategies, according to the City of Stillwater.
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Deputy City Manager Christy Driskel said Helmberger brings more than a decade of experience in progressive fire service leadership.
“His experience developing innovative programs and fostering collaboration will serve the department and our residents well,” Driskel said in a press release.
City Manager Brady Moore said Helmberger’s experience will benefit the fire department, but paired with his roots in the city, his dedication will go beyond that.
“Chief Helmberger’s blend of leadership, technical expertise and deep community ties made him an outstanding choice,” Moore said in a press release. “... He has been a longtime Stillwater resident and is excited to serve the community he loves.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Continued from 1
The outage’s ripple effects forced professors to adapt.
“One of my labs was canceled because we couldn’t watch the safety videos we needed before class,” Sanchez said. “The instructor extended everything to next week instead.”
AWS’s U.S. East region, one of Amazon’s largest cloud networks,
powers thousands of platforms. Users reported login errors, failed payments, slow load times and complete service outages.
OSU Provost Jeanette Mendez sent an email Tuesday asking faculty to “make reasonable accommodations for students whose learning has been disrupted.”
By early evening, AWS updated its status page to indicate the issue had been resolved. Canvas and other services appeared to be back online and functioning normally.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Editorial board
Raynee Howell & Parker Gerl editorinchief@ocolly.com
Design editor Katie Lehew design.ed@ocolly.com
Social media editor Bryson Thadhani news.ed@ocolly.com
Assistant social media editor Jose Brito news.ed@ocolly.com
Assistant photo editor Payton Little photo.ed@ocolly.com
David Nemcock, The Daily O’Collegian, 2002
Students climb on top of a goal post at Lewis Field after a 2002 game against Nebraska.
Courtesy City of Stillwater
Duane C. Helmberger II, an Oklahoma State alumnus and longtime Stillwater resident, was hired as the new Stillwater Fire Department chief.
Courtesy Creative Commons
Amazon Web Services started experiencing outages at 2:11 a.m. on Monday.
North Commons floods
Bryson Thadhani SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Water pooled across the floors of North Commons on Monday night after a toilet overflow caused some flooding that spread through multiple floors of an Oklahoma State dorm.
Some students described the scene as chaotic and said the cleanup process has been slow, with lingering smells still affecting hallways days later.
Around 9 p.m., residents began reporting water pouring from bathroom doors and leaking through light fixtures. The flooding started on the third floor and spread quickly downward through the walls and stairwell. Some students waded through several inches of water as maintenance crews worked to contain the damage.
“It was literally like a giant puddle, you could waddle through it,” said Jasmine Page, a resident assistant at North Commons. “There was toilet paper floating through the water. It went from the third floor to the second to the first. Buckets and buckets of water had to be cleaned up.”
Page said she received photos of the flooding in her group chat before sprinting upstairs to find residents standing in the only dry section of the hallway. She and several friends began moving students’ belongings out of the affected rooms while waiting for facilities staff to arrive.
“It was crazy,” Page said. “I was there until about 11:15 (p.m.) making sure everything was dry. The staff came in with vacuums and buckets, but it was a huge mess”
Three rooms were hit the hardest, forcing some students to temporarily relocate. Residents said the flooding started when someone flushed hygiene products down a toilet, clogging the pipes and sending water into closets and living spaces.
Edie Tillery, a North Commons
resident whose room was affected, said it took roughly two hours for cleanup crews to respond.
“It was very frustrating,” Tillery said. “From the time we discovered what was happening to when they actually brought in Shop-Vacs to get everything cleaned up, it took about two hours. We had to move furniture out of our closets, rearrange everything and stay up late trying to dry it all out.”
Tillery said that while maintenance cleared most of the water, the carpet in the hallway was not fully dried, leaving a strong odor throughout the week.
“We had to call maintenance again because it started to smell horribly,” she said. “They’re supposed to come back and deep clean.”
Despite the damage, most students were able to remain in their rooms that night. Tillery said she skipped her first class the next morning to finish cleaning and reorganizing after the disruption.
Both residents said they were frustrated with the lack of communication and the slow pace of follow-up repairs. Page said she has continued calling facilities daily to check on the bathroom’s condition and ensure the issue won’t happen again.
“I’ve been calling to ask, ‘Is the toilet fixed? Are the pipes leaking?’ but we haven’t heard much back,” Page said. “I’m going to hold a floor meeting soon just to remind everyone — be careful what you flush. Apparently the toilets are very sensitive.”
For students like Tillery, the experience has been more of an inconvenience than a crisis — but one she hopes won’t repeat.
“Our room’s OK now,” she said. “Nothing major was ruined, but it’s not something you ever expect to happen in your dorm. Hopefully they can get the smell out soon.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Continued from 1
Beckner confirmed there was no ongoing threat on campus shortly after the shooting, but he said he realizes how scary the situation can be for students and parents. His priority is to show OSUPD is committed to student safety.
“I want our students to know, if they’re scared or not even scared, if they’re apprehensive, about anything… I want them to know we’re here 24 hours a day. Call us and we’ll make sure that they’re safe.
Following a post-game Homecoming party off-campus, an OSU student and others arrived for an after party at Carreker Hall East early Sunday. An argument outside in a breezeway led to shots fired in the parking lot and street area around 3:40 a.m. OSUPD confirmed it started receiving calls around 3:55 p.m.
Three individuals were injured, including the OSU student who has not been named.
One freshman living in Payne Ellis Hall awoke to the sound of gunshots. After a quick conversation with a roommate, the student, who asked The O’Colly to withhold his name for safety reasons, called OSUPD. They told the dispatcher they heard popping sounds and commotion outside.
“We’re looking outside of our window from the third floor of Payne Ellis, and we just saw a lot of people running from the parking lot,” they said. “I heard someone in a car say ‘Go, go, go,’ and I kind of assumed that looking back at it that that was probably a victim that was shot.”
The OSU student was dropped off at Stillwater Medical Center and flown to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Another victim, the only one with multiple wounds, drove themselves to a nearby McDonald’s on McElroy Road. They were later medflighted to OU Medical Center. The last victim went to Hillcrest Hospital in Cushing and was transported to St John’s in Tulsa and later released.
OSUPD released updates in the immediate hours after the incident. In the emails sent to students, it was stated that there was no imminent threat to campus. OSUPD Chief Michael Beckner said the threat left campus along with those who fled the scene.
More updates are still being released. OSUPD stated in an email Thursday that it appears as though the OSU student was truly a victim. They are still recovering in the hospital as of Thursday. The investigation
also indicates the shooting involved individuals from Oklahoma City who are unaffiliated with the university.
The face sheet of the report stated the type of report is gang related.
OSUPD Chief Michael Becker said it’s protocol to check that box for the state if anyone in the investigation is affilated with a gang in any way. Beckner said he cannot confirm whether the shooting was gangrelated, but the student was not.
“This started as a party way off campus, where none of the people were probably even from Stillwater,” Beckner said. “They were all from Oklahoma City, so we’re going to contact somebody that’s probably a member or affiliated with something or been listed as affiliated with something. So, under state law, we actually have to check that box.”
The student who called OSUPD recalls feeling panicked as he saw other people fleeing from the building they lived in and considered safe.
“I didn’t know if this was a school shooting threat or if my safety was at risk,” they said. “Through the whole night, I was kind of on edge. I was thinking, ‘What should I be expecting? What do I need to do to stay safe?’”
Other students woke up to some misleading headlines being shared on social media. The term “active shooter” used in those headlines incorrectly described the situation, Beckner said. The calls coming into OSUPD were classified as a disturbance and not confirmed to be shots fired right away.
“This was not an active shooter,” Beckner said. “If our call would have been, ‘You have a person shot at the residence hall in the parking lot.’ Our dispatcher would immediately hit a button and everybody on campus would have been notified. Everybody in the world would have been notified that this had happened, but we had nothing like that.”
Beckner said his department was prepared for the week and worked with other agencies throughout the Homecoming festivities to maintain safety on campus as thousands returned to Stillwater. Following the game Saturday, Beckner said he felt it was finally over before he was woken up in the middle of the night to the call.
“It’s unfortunate,” Beckner said in a press conference following the shooting. “People are here to celebrate and relive their youth when they were in college. And there’s multiple events… the Walkaround, the parade and then the football game, so we don’t want this to overshine what it’s all about on Homecoming.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Laken Chambers, The O’Colly
A toilet leak caused flooding in North Commons Residence Hall.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Stillwater Police Department patrolled alongside OSU during Homecoming festivities. SPD responded to a local McDonald’s in response to a victim arriving with multiple gunshot woulds after the shooting on campus Sunday.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Lance Roark performs at Joe State Tailgate on Elm Street near Eskimo Joe’s.
Payton Little, The O’Colly Fraternity and sorority members pomp overnight to finish Homecoming decs.
Andon Freitas, The O’Colly
OSU band marches in the Sea of Orange Parade in downtown Stillwater.
Kristyn Lacki, The O’Colly A sign competition takes place on Edmon Low Library Lawn each Homecoming.
Kaitlyn Robertson, The O’Colly
Eskimo Joe’s mascot participating at the Hester Street Painting.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Homecoming attendee takes a photo of others with a blow-up Pistol Pete.
Connor Fuxa, The O’Colly Sigma Phi Epsilon and Phi Mu partnered on the above Homecoming dec.
Cristian Mendoza, The O’Colly
Students, alumni and friends enjoy the sights, sounds, food and company of Walkaround in the Greek neighborhood.
Kia Mace, The O’Colly
Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. strolling during the MGC and NPHC Homecoming greek show at the Wes Watkins Center.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Les Miles gives the mic to OSU fan.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Sorority member puts finishing touches on house dec the night before Walkaround.
Lifestyle
A guide to avoiding sickness on campus
Avery Miller STAFF REPORTER
As temperatures drop and gatherings move indoors, you might have noticed more of your peers getting sick.
During this time, viruses like the flu and RSV thrive, but getting sick does not have to be inevitable. With the right practices and knowledge, chances of staying healthy significantly increase.
It is typically around fall and winter that “sick season” makes its debut and the number of people contracting illnesses spike. There have been around nine to 40 million illnesses, 120,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 6,300 to 52,000 annual deaths resulting from the flu between 2010 and 2014, according to the CDC. There are many ways to stay healthy throughout this upcoming season and many resources to utilize if sickness does strike.
Hand washing
One of the simplest ways to protect yourself and others is hand washing. Many diseases and conditions are actually spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. If soap and water is not available, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is a temporary alternative.
Key times for hand washing include before and after handling and eating food, before and after caring for sick or wounded individuals, after handling animals or animal food and after using the restroom or sneezing, coughing or blowing nose.
Avoid face touching
A habit as small as face touching can also significantly increase an individual’s likelihood of contracting illnesses. Researchers suggest that people touch their face anywhere from nine to 162 times per hour, according
to the Cleveland Clinic. After touching an infected surface, and later your face, especially in the eye, nose or mouth area, sickness could spread easier.
One of the best ways to prevent face touching is by being aware that it is happening. The first step to changing a bad habit is noticing it in the first place.
Other useful tools are putting some sort of scent on or near the wrist area, using a stress ball or other object to keep hands occupied or keeping a tissue nearby as an alternative in case an itch appears.
Practicing a healthy lifestyle
There are many other ways to prevent illness by changing up a few habits, but one of the best ways to avoid getting sick is by simply living a healthy lifestyle. Prioritizing sleep, eating a nutritious diet, staying physically active and managing stress all play a role in how the body recovers.
Oklahoma State offers many services, such as access to the Colvin Recreation Center, a clinic staffed by health professionals, courses on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and more.
Resources
OSU Health Services play a crucial role in maintaining student health. Students can make an appointment at the student health clinic where a variety of paths can be taken to support the student. Since cost can sometimes be an issue when seeking ways to fight off illness, UHS has made it easier for students to drop that assumption as a reason for not seeking medical help.
Insured student patients can pay a flat office visit fee of $50. For uninsured or self-pay students, a prompt pay discount of $20 is offered. UHS’ website states it will not refuse student care on the basis of pay.
“Our goal is to take care of student’s healthcare needs first and foremost,” the website stated.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Downtown scarecrow contest brings community together
Kaitlyn Robertson STAFF REPORTER
This fall, the businesses in downtown Stillwater are coming together for the second annual Downtown Scarecrow Contest.
For $25, groups can decorate a scarecrow into four categories: traditional, fantastical, business and kids. This competition runs from Oct. 4 through Saturday. The creator of the contest, Collette Cambelle, director of The Downtown Stillwater Association, came up with the idea after talking to a friend about their Halloween festivities.
When pitching it to businesses and groups in Stillwater, she talked about how convenient it is timing wise.
“It always works with Homecoming falling into the month we do this and all the orange and black of OSU,” Cambelle said.
Cambelle’s goal is to fill all 42 poles across downtown Stillwater. This year, there were 16 poles decorated. The first year they started this competition
there were 20 poles decorated, but they were mostly from the shops around downtown, instead of the rest of the community.
This year, most of the businesses, are from all over the city and not just along the main street.
Cambelle said her favorite thing about this year is more than half of this year’s participants are new. The winners for this year were Hideaway Pizza for the traditional category, Walgreens for the business, Stillwonder for fantastical and Payne County 4H for kids.
Winners are chosen by a random group every year to keep the winner fair.
Cambelle is hoping this tradition will continue until they “have to turn people away.”
These scarecrows cover 6th through 10th street and will stay until downtown gets decorated for the Downtown Halloween festival on Saturday.
news.ed@ocolly.com
“America’s Brightest Orange” took on a new meaning during Homecoming.
A large orange laser shot 11 miles into the sky during Walkaround and the Homecoming football game Oct. 17 and 18. The laser was placed on the center of Edmon Low Library lawn and could be seen from miles away hitting 500 watts.
OSU alumnus Austin Smith founded Austin Smith Events, which owns the laser. It is one of only two in the U.S. and one of six in the world.
Payton Little, The O’Colly Student can schedule an appointment with UHS on their website or call (405) 744-7665.
Kaitlyn Robertson, The O’Colly
The Hideaway Pizza scarecrow, decked out in overalls and a tie-dye shirt, won the Downtown Scarecrow Contest in the traditional category.
- Photos by Chance Marick
Employees on the OSU/A&M employee group health care plan will not receive coverage for GLP-1 medications for weight loss after Dec. 31.
GLP-1 coverage cut for weight loss affects employee health
Caden James STAFF REPORTER
GLP-1 medication for weight loss will be cut from the OSU A&M employee healthcare plan.
In a faculty council meeting Oct. 14, Christa Louthan, OSU’s chief human resources officer, said the savings from cutting the medication for weight loss only, not for treatment of Type 2 diabetes, saved upwards of $2 million.
“The interesting thing about that is when we made the decision to exclude GLP-1 for weight loss only, savings was anticipated to be $1.7 million,” Louthan said. “(It) went to publication, (and) it was over $2 million. That’s the reason why you saw that number in that communication when I had the community discussion. I think we had it last week. It’s almost $3 (million). So, the projected savings on there are exponentially increasing.”
Michelle Kuehn, senior administrator support specialist, was receiving the GLP-1 medication on the plan. She said the experience for trying out these medications can be difficult and now the option is being taken away.
“It’s been over the last two or three years and because of insurance and their policies, I have had to change medicines probably three times,” Kuehn said. “But this last year has been probably the best year and I’ve been able to stay on the same medicine, and then we get the email.”
An email was sent Sept. 3, updating
faculty and staff on the cut.
“Recent review of the plan has indicated the current coverage of GLP-1 medications prescribed for weight loss is unsustainable and could adversely impact the benefits the system is able to offer,” the email stated.
The email told healthcare subscribers that a little under a month later the medication would no longer be covered for those who are working through prior authorization or exploring medications. On Oct. 1, it would no longer be covered for those new to therapy, but those who already were prescribed have access until the end of the year.
Stopping GLP-1 medication without tapering off can lead to weight regain and reversal of health benefits such as blood sugar, cholesterol and more, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine.
Kuehn said she doesn’t think the cut is OSU’s fault as much as it is Big Pharma’s — which is large companies in the pharmaceutical industry. But the late notice can be harmful to employee’s health.
“I totally understand the reasons but to me it needed to be more than just the Oct. 1 deadline,” she said. “(It) did not give people a chance to taper off or make any changes or anything like that. If they’re gonna go ahead and pay for it ‘til the end of the year, then people have these next 2 or 3 months to find plan B or taper off their medication.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
“One of the things that I really want to share is the perspective I did not have in 2014...” Kumar said.
Kumar said he wanted students to be able to learn from the mistakes he made rather than make their own as he took master of science in engineering and technology management courses back when he was a student here at Stillwater. He said he hoped to help students who are graduating with lingering questions.
“That’s the perspective I want to give, along with you know, anything that I can help with the case study itself,” Kumar said. “The main thing that I think when I get an opportunity to speak to students is I want to share all this and say, ‘Here’s how I want you all to think.”’
When it comes to questions, Kumar said some things you can only learn in a decade’s time through trial and error as he did. He’s worked in four or five different industries just in the last five companies he worked for while playing many different roles.
Currently, Kumar is a principal engineer for Twilio, a cloud communication platform that enables businesses to build as well as scale communication solutions while using application programming interfaces. The platform provides for a wide range of products and services that allow companies to send and receive text messages, voice calls, videos, email and more, programmatically. Kumar’s role makes him responsible for some of Twilio’s main products.
“It’s absolutely crucial for these to be up and running at all times. So, one (of) my roles are to make sure I work with engineering teams,” Kumar said. “If you’re traveling, for example, and you realize something’s not right with the driver and you choose to call, that call goes via Twilio service.”
Kumar said a lot of the stuff he learned and opportunities he gained while attaining his masters degree from OSU allowed him to apply it to his role today at Twilio.
Humble beginnings
Kumar speaks of the proud and special moment his graduation was as his parents came from a simple background. Growing up his father worked incredibly hard to bring them up, while his mother was the homemaker, so it was a bittersweet moment for them.
“It’s that moment where you work hard for several years, and that
moment arrives,” Kumar said Before graduation, Kumar worked for University Dining Services. He says its an integral part of his story and that those opportunities make you who you are over the course of time.
“It keeps me humble regardless of where I go, because it reminds me of everything from the start,” Kumar said. In 2014, Kumar was selected to receive the RA Bass Memorial scholarship. He then went on to become the 2015 recipient of the Outstanding TCOM Graduate Student award, which allowed Kumar to gain recognition and the learnings that came with it. While getting a fully-funded master’s degree as well. Kumar said it was phenomenal to have such support and backing fresh out of college.
Not only did OSU give Kumar a foundation to build his career upon, but also provided the chance of meeting his wife, Kirthi Krishnamurthy, who began only as a fellow neighbor and classmate to Kumar as she pursued her master’s in electrical and computer engineering at OSU.
“She moved to Qualcomm in San Diego; I moved to Boulder, and that was for our first jobs,” Kumar said. “We stayed in touch for about four to five years after graduation and our friendship grew, and we realized we missed that sense of friendship that we had during our master’s.”
Things worked out from then on as they now share a 2-year-old daughter, whom they hope follows their footsteps to OSU one day. Kumar is hopeful in planning to set up a scholarship in his daughter’s name with the OSU Foundation.
“Wherever I am right now is because of OSU,” Kumar said. “So, I wanted to give back to OSU to see if there’s a scholarship I can fund or anything I can do to give back to one of the most important places, which gave me everything in life.”
Kumar said its important to think about the value you’re adding wherever you are, and if it’s not adding value then you’re not going to grow. And that it is absolutely critical that you become your biggest advocate. He said to his students that you want to make sure whatever you’re doing is significant enough that it influences the next generation positively.
“One of the quotes that I really like from Pepsi CEO, Indra Nooyi, is ‘You have to pull up your chair,”’ Kumar said. “You know at every table that you’re in, no one is going to give you that chair, pull up a chair.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Courtesy Creative Commons
Courtesy Gandhi Kumar
Gandhi Kumar (middle) was invited to join a panel of judges for a master’s program competition. He thanks OSU for his success in life.
lifestyle
of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. strolling during the MGC and
Homecoming Greek show on Oct. 17.
Fifth annual step show honors culture, community
Marcus Mesis STAFF REPORTER
For the fifth year straight, the Multicultural Greek Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council put on a Homecoming Greek Show to showcase fraternities and sororities stepping, strolling and storytelling.
The event has grown in the number of fraternities and sororities that have joined to participate and compete. This year there were more than 15 different groups that participated in the event. The show serves as a way to build community and celebrate the different cultures that are represented.
“It’s so special,” said Bret Stewart, alumnus of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. “Having all of our people in one spot. To celebrate our culture like this, it’s a special event.”
Alumni, like Stewart, come back to support and cheer on their fraternities and sororities as they compete.
“I come back every year because both my sons are members of Alpha Phi Alpha here at Oklahoma State University,” said Ken Jones, alumnus of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. “I live in Norman and I make it down here each year to be able to cheer them on.”
The event is a culmination of hard work and preparation from the competitors.
“We’ve been practicing since the start of the semester,” said Johnny Jones, member of Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc. “So, finally being able to put our work together and what we’ve done to just play a show now is more excited than it was before.”
The event had two different winners, one from the Multicultural Greek Council and the other winner from the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
The first runner-up from the Multicultural Greek Council was the alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority.
“It feels really good,” Mary Singman, member of alpha Kappa Delta Phi said. “We worked really hard... we’ve been doing this since the summer now. I’m just happy it feels good to see our hard work come to a good end.”
The winner of the Multicultural Greek Council competition was Omega Delta Phi.
“It means everything all the hours, the blood and the tears that we actually poured into it,” Muriel Ramirez, a member of Omega Delta Phi said. “I think all the frustrations, all the big problems that we had when we practice came out and gave us the advantage.”
The National Pan-Hellenic Council first runner up was the Theta Beta chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
“It was stressful but I think that just adds to the homecoming vibe,” said Zhoe Ouimette, a member of Theta Beta chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
“It feels amazing to win at a place like this,” said Edi Adams, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. “We worked so hard for the last two weeks and it’s absolutely amazing that we got to do it with the Alphas.”
The winner of the National PanHellenic Council was the Epsilon Epsilon chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
“It feels pretty good,” said Jonathan Jackson, member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Inc. “I’m grateful and thankful that I was able to compete for my senior year. It means a lot to just actually to be apart of an OSU tradition.”
Fall semester bucket list
Kaitlyn Robertson STAFF REPORTER
With eight weeks left in the semester, there are still many things to do on campus and in Stillwater.
In these next weeks there are ways to fill your time easily, a few of them are major events or fun activities to get you through the rest of your semester, including stories to bring home for the holidays. But first, what you may of missed that you’ll have to do next year.
What you missed
Of course, when walking around campus, it is easy to tell that Homecoming is over and the fun of last week now shifts to the ongoing assignments and classes until Thanksgiving break. But if you missed Homecoming this year, next year it will return and be just as fun for all students, family and alumni.
Several sport teams are also far into its seasons. Football and soccer held some amazing games for the student section. The themes enhanced the experience.
Soccer season has had themes like Goofy Goober night and dog night, which invited dogs to Neal Patterson Stadium for a Dog’s Day game.
What you still can do
But there are still things you can do to make the fall semester worthwhile.
Fall sports are coming to a close just
in time for the multiple winter sports housed in Gallagher-Iba Arena to start. Basketball and wrestling seasons start the first week in November and last into the spring semester.
LexiCon — Stillwater’s own Local Comic Con featuring artists from across Oklahoma — will start Saturday. Lexicon kicks off with a concert featuring popular soundtracks from different shows and movies and continues with various game competitions, art projects and community building.
The theatre department brings some student entertainment. The OSU Department of Theatre performed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in early October, but if you missed it the next show in their 2025-26 season is “Urinetown,” a Tony-Award winning musical about a revolution in a town with not enough water for everyone to have it for free. It’s a satirical musical about revolution and rooting for the underdogs.
Late night pancakes is another iconic event you can’t miss. The first two nights of Pre-Finals week may involve stress over tests and finalizing projects, but it also comes with free pancakes in the Student Union. Giving you an opportunity to take a break and have breakfast for dinner with friends before the chaos of the last week and a half of this semester.
news.ed@ocolly.com
TIME OF GOD’S FAVOR!
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Is.55:6 NIV)
It is worthwhile to take the time; to stop and consider your way of life and make resolutions; new steps to take to make your life more meaningful or productive. Maybe you are doing this, or maybe you have just given up on the whole idea.
Can you remember when you were a child, how time went by so slowly? It seemed like it took forever for the holidays to arrive. Now time passes so swiftly; the years seem to rush by. The turn of the century seemed so far away when I was younger. Now we are nearly twenty years into the 21st century.
I want to encourage you to stop and consider your life; especially the remainder. None of us know when our life may end. Jesus spoke of those who
would come into their purposes in the “eleventh hour;” right at the end of life’s work day.(Mt.20) You may think that it is too late to turn your life over to Christ; there is such little time left on “your calendar.” Yet, those who come in at the “eleventh hour” will receive the same wages as those who labored the whole day. We need to work in God’s purpose for our lives while we still have time. The Bible tells us the time is coming when “no man can work.” (Jn.9:4)
As you set your heart and get definite about trusting God with your life and serving him, you will find wonderful opportunities will open for you. You see God has his purposes for you planned out, and he will begin to open doors that you know nothing about. There will be such great satisfaction in serving and finishing what he has for you to accomplish. When your life does end, and it will, you will be so glad you have followed Christ. The Bible tells us that your labor for him is not in vain. (1 Co.15:58)
Kia Mace, The O’Colly
Members
NPHC
Lilian Easter, The O’Colly Cowgirl Soccer games are one of the many events you can attend during the fall.
New Tame Impala falls below expectations
Richard Robertson STAFF REPORTER
Tame Impala is one man.
One man who has completely changed the face of music.
One man who, through “Currents,” released one of the most important albums of the century. One man who has been through radio silence and the Billboard Top 100.
This man is named Kevin Parker. He has released five albums under the name Tame Impala. The latest of these albums, “Deadbeat,” came out on Oct. 17. To the world’s surprise, this man was not done making music. To no one’s surprise, Parker made what he wanted, not what the world expected him to make.
A Tame Impala song is pretty easy to identify. It probably has a lot of filters, noisy snares, slapping bass and vocals that fit like a puzzle in the music. To put it simply, Tame Impala sounds like Tame Impala.
“Deadbeat” is not like this. Instead of his usual psychedelic, synth-pop lane, “Deadbeat” is house music. It is filled with empty beats, quiet moments, subtle music and slow pacing. “Deadbeat” is different. Regardless of what the fans or the world want, Parker made an album that sounds nothing like his others. Can his talent translate into a new genre?
The short answer is: kind of. “Deadbeat” is mixed in its genre, pacing, theming and success. Kind of is the answer for every question about “Deadbeat.”
Does the album show off Parker’s musical talent? Kind of. This new genre is not playing to his strengths. Iconic bass licks become boring sub bounces. Bright soundscapes become empty
spaces. To the dismay of all, groovy drums become a simple four on the floor kick. On this new album, Parker not just ditched what Tame Impala is known for, he also ditched what made Tame Impala great. What we’re left with is decent but not amazing. No doubt Parker succeeded in making a house album. All of the sogs could be played
at a club without much resistance. But he did not succeed in creating a great album.
Of course, there are excellent songs. “Dracula” is a banger, and “Old Ways,” is a great intro, but they are overshadowed. A lot of the songs feel half-baked, which is ironic because it’s been five years since Tame Impala’s last album.
“Loser” is one of the better tracks on the album because it’s one of the only songs that feel complete. You put “Loser” on the “Currents” album and it does not beat the top half of the tracklist. Even if you put “Deadbeat,” in a vacuum, it’s hard to justify high regard.
Parker’s voice in all of these songs has a sleepy, bland delivery. Songs are way too long. Concepts are boring. Just
because someone switches genres does not mean we should settle for bad music. Overall, “Deadbeat” is fine. There is plenty of good and bad. While it can be boring at times, it is hard to justify calling it bad. Falling below Tame Impala’s capabilities, “Deadbeat” produces a lackluster but listenable product.
Anna Kurth, Tribune News Service
Kevin Parker, known as Tame Impala, released a new album, exploring the genre of house music on Oct. 17.
Friday,
Cowboys travel to Lubbock
Oklahoma State football is expected to have its hands full this weekend.
And the Cowboys are still sorting through who will lead them into a difficult challenge.
On Monday, OSU interim coach Doug Meacham said the Cowboys aren’t set on a starting quarterback for their game against Texas Tech and that multiple scenarios are on the table. OSU (1-6) is set to travel to Lubbock to face the No. 14 Red Raiders 6-1 Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Cowboys’ Week 1 starter, Hauss Hejny, remains out with a broken left
foot. But Zane Flores, who missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, could return after not being listed on the injury report. Sam Jackson V — the wide receiver who began his college career as a quarterback — could see action behind center, too.
“Zane has come a long way (with the injury), but we’ll know probably a little bit more about that part once we get through practice,” Meacham said.
“There’s nothing that says it can’t be a two-quarterback platoon. Or it could be Sam all the way, or it could be Zane all the way.”
Despite what the score showed in last week’s 49–17 loss to Cincinnati, Oklahoma State’s offense looked reinvigorated — and the most significant change came not from a new player, but a new play-caller.
Quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns took over play-calling duties for the first time, a move interim coach Doug Meacham, who previously called the plays, said was made to give the Cowboys their best chance to
succeed.
“I didn’t feel like those guys were getting my best because of the mental aspect of it all,” Meacham said. “You’re dealing with 100-something players and trying to figure out if I should do this or that. There’s a lot of mental gymnastics in that. I just unplugged myself and said, ‘You guys can go make this what you want moving forward,’ and they did that.”
The result was one of OSU’s most balanced offensive performances of the season.
The origin of banana costumes in OSU’s football crowd
Nobody expected bananas at Boone Pickens Stadium, but Pete’s Peelers stunned the Oklahoma State faithful.
Pete’s Peelers became an internet sensation overnight after their appearance at OSU’s Homecoming game. They formed a conga line around the stadium, created their own chants and kept the crowd entertained all night. They even created an Instagram account that grew to two thousand followers in just a couple of days.
The idea for Pete’s Peelers was the brainchild of five guys, Jake Goodman, Cy Barker, Hayden Andrews, Joel Schuermann and Tyler Blake. They thought they could get around 20 guys to join, but didn’t think they would grow like they did.
“We kind of had the expectation that we could get like 20 people,” Goodman said. “That was like our guys, but we were like ‘oh, it’d be fun if we had this many people.’ We had hopes, but didn’t really get our expectations too high.”
At OSU’s game, speculation began to swirl that the bananas were a part of a fraternity. But, instead of being tied to OSU’s Greek houses, they were a group of guys from the different Christian ministries on OSU’s campus. All five of the Founding Peelers are members of OSU’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry. They originally got members of BCM to become Pete’s Peelers, but saw their most growth, once they expanded their invitation to other campus ministries.
See BANANA on page 5B
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Wide receiver Sam Jackson V has made two starts at quarterback this season and could make a third Saturday against Texas Tech while OSU deals with injuries.
Wertzberger STAFF REPORTER
See JOHNS on page 4B
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
Homecoming football crowd went viral after a group of fans showed up in banana costumes.
Cayden Cox STAFF REPORTER
OSU shouldn’t ignore Napier in its football coaching search
Parker Gerl CO-EDITORIN-CHIEF
For the last season and a half, the same question surrounded Billy Napier at Florida.
Can he save his job?
Napier did just that in 2024, but couldn’t hold on and do it again this season. The Gators fired the coach on Sunday after a 3-4 start, ending Napier’s four-year stint in Gainesville at 22-23 with a 12-16 record in SEC play.
Head-scratching errors and a refusal to give up play-calling duties left Florida fans and administration frustrated. That’s mostly how Napier’s run with the Gators will be remembered.
But if you’re Oklahoma State, a small-town school in the market for a coach, you should at least interview and discuss the job with Napier. He shouldn’t be No. 1, 2 or even 3 on your list, but he shouldn’t be ignored entirely in the search with his prior track record.
Athletic director Chad Weiberg should prioritize former Cowboy Zac Robinson, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, North Texas coach Eric Morris and Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein. Those candidates, along with a couple of other names, should be on Tier 1 of Weiberg’s big board.
But Robinson could choose to stay in the NFL, as he now calls plays for the Atlanta Falcons. Sumrall might be in line for a bigger job and Morris and Klein could stay where they’re at or go elsewhere. A coaching cycle is unpredictable.
So, Weiberg and Co. will need to talk to several
Quarterback
Continued from 1
Jackson started OSU’s previous two games against Houston and Cincinnati, playing quarterback again for the first time in two years. He made plays in spurts, but neither he nor the Cowboy offense held up for four quarters.
Against UH, Jackson’s first start, he went 7-of-16 passing for 84 yards with an interception. He improved against Cincinnati with an 11-of-19 day for 149 yards and a pick. OSU scored 17 points in both defeats.
A two-platoon system could be deployed in different ways. Jackson and Flores could just split reps. Or, Jackson, the more mobile player, could be used in running packages and trick plays, while Flores handles most of the downfield passing. Either way, Meacham could dial it up using several scenarios.
Although Jackson made some mistakes in his two starts, Meacham has been encouraged by his effort and has seen him slowly shake off the rust at quarterback.
“(Jackson) is an accurate thrower,” Meacham said. “It’s just like anything, though. You haven’t done so in a while, you’re gonna have moments where it’s not great. But yeah, he’s made some (good throws).”
Whether it’s Jackson, Flores or both, the Red Raiders’ defense is a tough draw for OSU.
TTU has given up 14.1 points per game, the lowest in the Big 12 Conference, and is tied with Houston for most fumbles forced with 11. OSU hasn’t scored more than 17
potential suitors, and Napier, 46, should at least get an interview.
Why? He had an ultrasuccessful stint in his previous head-coaching gig at Louisiana and has been on coaching staffs for three coaches who have won a national
championship: Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney and Jimbo Fisher.
capable of winning games at a place that doesn’t always land 4-star talent. That should be enough to warrant consideration for the job.
The Cowboys were one of the winningest teams in the country during Mike Gundy’s 21-year tenure. But now, they’re trying to escape a dreadful year-and-a-half stretch in which they haven’t won a conference game since 2023, a major factor in Gundy getting fired in late September.
When Weiberg and his search team discuss the job with candidates, they want to hear a plan for navigating the revenue sharing and NIL times.
“I’m going to be interested in hearing how they see building the program, building the vision for how they establish a winning program,” Weiberg said. “We’ve proven we can win here. That goes back to Coach Gundy… The ingredients are here (to win) and I feel very, very confident about that.”
Although Napier’s run at Florida didn’t go well, he has several years of head coaching experience and knows what goes into running a program in the modern era. He’s been successful as a head coach before and has experience on multiple high-level staffs. Napier shouldn’t be one of Weiberg’s top candidates, but he shouldn’t be ignored in the process. He’ll likely be a head coach again — whether that’s next season or in the future — and needs a plan for cleaning up some of the mistakes he made with the Gators.
Lafayette is a bigger town than Stillwater, but the Louisiana job is a smaller program with far less success than OSU. There, Napier showed he understands recruiting challenges and is
From 2018-21, Napier went 40-12 with the Ragin’ Cajuns and 27-5 in Sun Belt Conference play. The program also received its first-ever national ranking under Napier and was tabbed in the AP Poll twice.
But if he can do just that, Napier has the ability to succeed again with another program. OSU should at least do its due diligence on him in case it misses out on its top choices.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
points in its last three games. And David Bailey and Romello Height are capable of mucking up the Cowboys’ passing attack. Bailey has 10.5 sacks this season, and Height has five. Both players
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores missed the last couple of games with an upper-body injury but could return Saturday. sports.ed@ocolly.com
consistently disrupt offenses. Since Meacham has taken over, a fair share of OSU’s offense has been generated off trick plays and downfield shots. Now, the Cowboys will have to protect against
TTU’s pass rush to keep that possibility alive for Jackson or Flores.
“That’s an issue because now you have to chip and do things with tight ends and backs,” Meacham said. “When
you’re throwing passes, you don’t have the stretch horizontally that you want because those guys have to kind of chip to get out late or get eaten up by the d-ends.”
Stephen M. Dowell, Tribune News Service
Florida coach Billy Napier was fired on Sunday and could be in the mix for other jobs this cycle.
our best photos from OSU vs Cincinnati
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State offense and Cincinnati defense prepare for a play at the line of scrimmage.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
OSU women’s basketball coach Jacie Hoyt cheers for the Cowboys with the viral shirtless student section.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Doug Meacham and Scott Satterfield shake hands.
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
Cowboy Wrestling alum Wyatt Hendrickson waving his shirt during the Cowboys’ game against Cincinnati.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
Sesi Vailahi runs with the ball out of the backfield.
Andon Freitas, The O’Colly
Running back Rodney Fields Jr. runs the ball to the outside.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Safety Kenneth Harris celebrates a third down stop.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Quarterback Sam Jackson V throws the ball to wide receiver Gavin Freeman.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly OSU shirtless fans in section “2-no shirty-1” cheering for OSU.
Our best photos from OSU’s open practice
Oklahoma State guard Anthony Roy catches a pass and prepares to shoot the ball.
Guard Kirk Cole dribbles the ball and looks to get past a defender in a scrimmage drill.
Guard Ryan Crotty looks to get the ball.
Guard Vyctorius Miller takes a photo with a fan after the Cowboys’ open practice.
OSU coach Steve Lutz speaks to fans.
Guard Jaylen Curry dribbles the ball.
Guard Isaiah Coleman dunks the ball in the Cowboys’ open practice.
Oklahoma State guard Kanye Clary dribbles the ball and talks to a coach.
The bosses got participants of Pete’s Peelers to join a group chat. Initially, it was the five founders, then it grew to their closest friends, and before they knew it, more than 100 people had signed up to dress as bananas.
“Praise God,” Andrews said. “It started off pretty slow when we started about a month ago. It really blew up when we reached out to other campus ministries. That’s when it exploded. We got (guys from) CRU, RUF, The Table and FCA.”
Following the firing of Mike Gundy, the founders wanted to do something special for Homecoming. An outfit that differs from their normal attire for football games would be unusual.
They debated on going with orange and black striped overalls, then the idea of wearing a costume came to them. They bounced off ideas, and ended up settling on the idea of bananas.
“We wanted to do something out of the ordinary and spice things up a little bit,” Barker said. “Hayden Andrews had a banana costume already. It’s what sparked the idea for banana costumes.”
Before meeting up pregame, the bananas had only planned which section they would sit in. Everything that they did at the game, from the conga line to the chats and joining the shirtless guys in 231, came to them on the spot.
Looking back on it, the banana bosses reflect on how their idea sounded with no plan but are glad it worked.
“We planned the chants at the gate,” Goodman said. “The conga line came about in the second quarter. Running up to 231 at the end was a spur of the moment. I don’t think we really had much of a plan. Now that I think about it right now, it’s
The
wore
kinda dumb. We were just like, ‘Let’s just show up to a football game dressed as bananas.’ But, it all worked out.”
Pete’s Peelers has grown past what the founders could have imagined. Now, with the popularity that they have, the founders would love to
OSU’s homecoming football game call themselves ‘Pete’s Peelers.’
collaborate with OSU.
“(We’re going) wherever the Lord takes us,” Andrews said. “I think it would be nice to become an OSU-affiliated Homecoming tradition. Most of us are graduating. We would just like it to be something that maybe other students could try and do.”
The bananas not only caught national attention but also caught the attention of several OSU coaches and players, including men’s basketball coach Steve Lutz and women’s basketball player Stailee Heard.
“We may make another appearance or two,” Goodman said. “Plans are in the works, we can’t reveal it yet.”
The founders of Pete’s Peelers haven’t officially made a decision on what their future looks like, but are remaining open to all ideas.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
OSU’s Mantzoukas, Guetta adjusting to U.S. lifestyle, basketball
Lefteris Mantzoukas and Daniel Guetta each say their first practice with Oklahoma State basketball was the hardest they’ve been a part of.
The consistent running and conditioning. The physicality. Everything coach Steve Lutz put them through opened their eyes.
“I drank like six bottles of water immediately after the practice,” Guetta said.
Mantzoukas and Guetta are in the midst of a culture shock, both on and off the basketball court. They each came to Stillwater as overseas players — Guetta from Israel and Mantzoukas from Greece — to begin their collegiate careers and are adjusting to life in the States.
Guetta, a 6-foot-2 guard, and Mantzoukas, a 6-foot-9 forward, are enrolled as freshmen and have played at high levels. Guetta is a former member of Israel’s junior national team and helped his home country earn a silver medal at the FIBA European Championship in 2023.
Mantzoukas, 22, has spent parts of eight seasons on club teams competing in the Greek Basketball League and has more than 50 appearances in EuroLeague, which is widely considered the second toughest basketball league behind the NBA. Both players said that when they arrived in the US, they noticed differences in the styles of play and how they would have to adjust.
“Here, the game is way more physical,” Mantzoukas said.
“In Europe, the game has a lot more structure… (in the U.S.) it’s way more up and down.
So, you have to be in shape. You have to be stronger. The transition game over here is playing a bigger role than it is playing in Europe.”
When Mantzoukas and Guetta were each still in their home countries, Lutz and assistant coach Keiton Page, who has delved into international recruiting,
reached out to them about coming to the U.S. Mantzoukas and Guetta were intrigued by the opportunity and wanted to see what they were capable of in the NCAA, a different basketball landscape than what they were accustomed to.
So, after discussions with their families, both players
went all in and chose to come to Stillwater.
“I felt (as if) it’s a good opportunity for me to see something different and to excel my game in a lot of different kind of ways,” Mantzoukas said.
“In my career, I take myself to the limit,” Guetta said. “I challenge myself… It’s a very
good challenge to go play American basketball (and I told myself), ‘Let’s see what I can do.’”
Both players are also adjusting to life off the court in Oklahoma.
Mantzoukas said he misses his family, but that his mother is in Stillwater helping him ease into a new chapter. His father hasn’t come yet, but likely will down the line, and is still helping support Mantzoukas. Guetta is in a more calm setting, he said, and has been eating pancakes, omelets and hash browns in the absence of his mother’s cooking and the restaurants he enjoys back home.
“Everyone is quiet,” Guetta said. “No one beeps (the horn) on the cars. In my country, after five minutes, everyone (honks and says), ‘Go! Go!’” Mantzoukas and Guetta got their first taste of NCAA basketball on Oct. 15 when OSU defeated Auburn 97-95 in overtime in an exhibition. Mantzoukas scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds, while Guetta scored one point, grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists.
Now, with the Cowboys’ season opener less than two weeks away, Mantzoukas and Guetta are looking to help OSU reach the tournament for the first time since 2021 in their first year playing in the U.S. “We come from different parts of the world, but it doesn’t really matter,” Mantzoukas said. “We’re here for one purpose. We’re here for OSU basketball to win with everybody, every individual to excel our games and to excel as individuals.
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
fans that
banana costumes to
Parker Gerl
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
Lefteris Mantzoukas is adjusting to the U.S. after coming over from Greece to join OSU basketball.
Tech’s high-powered offense a challenge for OSU defense
Will Thorogood
Oklahoma State, after falling 49-17 to Cincinnati, has another tough task ahead, as it faces No. 14 Texas Tech on the road Saturday.
The Red Raiders are looking to respond to their loss against Arizona State and the Cowboys will need to be ready for that. But the most important thing for OSU to look out for is TTU’s high-powered offense, led by offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich.
Starting at the quarterback position, Behren Morton has looked great this season, throwing for 1,501 yards on 104 completions with 13 touchdown passes. Morton’s last full game was against Houston, where he went 28 for 40, throwing for 345 yards and one touchdown. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Thursday that backup Will Hammond is in line to start, as Morton is still dealing with a leg injury.
Fortunately for TTU, Hammond has been solid. He’s thrown for 578 yards on 60 completions and recorded six touchdowns. Against ASU, Hammond went 22 for 37, passing for 167 yards and two touchdowns. He also played a big role in the 34-10 win over Utah, going 13-for-16 with 169 yards and two touchdowns. Hammond can be effective on the ground as he is the Red Raiders third-leading rusher this season with 278 yards and five touchdowns on 39 carries.
The run game consists of a tandem between sophomore running backs
J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey, who have done a great job filling the role that Tahj Brooks previously held. Brooks rushed for 4,557 yards for TTU from 2020-24.
The duo has combined for 1,011
rushing yards and 12 touchdowns this season, as Dickey has rushed for 631 yards and eight touchdowns on 100 carries, while Williams has 380 yards and four touchdowns on 71 carries.
The Red Raiders are one of 18 teams in the country to have multiple players with at least 350 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns this season.
TTU’s receiving group has a lot of depth with five players currently recording at least 200 receiving yards this season. That consists of wide receivers Caleb Douglas (414), Coy Eakin (407), Reggie Virgil (336), tight end Terrance Carter Jr. (297) and the running back Williams (235). Virgil, Carter and Eakin have been prominent scorers on the receiving end, with Virgil and Carter currently at five touchdowns and Eakin at four.
OSU interim head coach Doug Meacham spoke about TTU’s firepower.
“If you think about Tech’s offense, they are number one in the country in total offense,” Meacham said. “They are minus a quarterback potentially, but we will have our work cut out for us.”
Cowboys defensive back Landyn Cleveland said sticking with Cincinnati for the majority of the game can be a confidence booster for Saturday.
“As long as we (the team) continue to look ahead and put our head down and work, we going to be straight,”
Cleveland said. “We (the defense) just gotta clean up a little inside, a little outside, front seven and back five we all just got to clean it all up. Once we clean it all up, we gonna be good.”
Behind freshman running back Rodney Fields Jr. and an improved ground attack, the Cowboys totaled more than 200 rushing yards against the Bearcats — the first time this season they reached that mark. Fields alone rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, showcasing the burst and balance that had been missing from the offense.
Meacham said Fields’ breakout performance was a sign of what the unit can become under Johns’ direction.
“(Fields) played pretty well, and he was hitting gears this last weekend that I hadn’t seen him do before,” Meacham said. “He’s healthy, finally, and he looked fresh; he looked good. He’s going to be a really good player in the future, and I’m really pleased with how he played last week and how he battled.”
For Meacham, handing over playcalling wasn’t difficult — it was a relief.
The Cowboys’ offensive line also embraced the shift in approach. The group paved the way for Fields and the running game, something sophomore lineman Jakobe Sanders said has helped build confidence across the unit.
“The thing you notice about them is their relentless pursuit of the football — they fly to it. They’re well-coached, and I know coach McGuire is a defensive guy. They’re really good on that side of the ball.” Continued from 1
“That was the best decision I ever made this year, period,” Meacham said. “Kevin (Johns) put a phenomenal game plan together last week. I think they ran the ball really well… It’s more of a run-game-type plan, and quite honestly, I’m an air-raid guy. Maybe that’s not something I’m great at. But I think they did a great job with the plan and the play action.”
“Going out there and seeing the rushing yards and how we’re doing out there, it just gives us more and more confidence,” Sanders said. “Coach Mitchell and Coach Bassett give us tips on what we need to work on each week and how to get better. But there’s nothing better than just going out there and playing, seeing how you do.”
Now, as the Cowboys prepare for Texas Tech, they’ll face one of their toughest defensive challenges yet. The Red Raiders rank 11th nationally in total defense and seventh in scoring defense, anchored by two disruptive edge rushers who can change a game on their own.
“If you think about their defense in general, it’s their two defensive ends, Romelo Height and David Bailey,” Meacham said. “Bailey has about 11 sacks and the other kid has around five, so that’s an issue because now you have to chip and do things with backs and tight ends.
Smiley N. Pool, Tribune News Service
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire has guided the Red Raiders to a 6-1 start.
Courtesy OSU Athletics
Quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns is heading into his second game calling plays.
Texas Tech players to watch
Will Hammond, QB
Texas Tech has one of the country’s best passing offenses in the country this season, averaging more than 300 yards a game. Behren Morton has been the catalyst of the Red Raider Air Raid system, but Hammond will start in Morton’s place this week, as Morton is dealing with a leg injury. Hammond will make his third career start and has shown promise filling in for Morton. He has thrown for more than 500 yards in six appearances this season. Hammond could be in for a big day against a struggling Cowboys secondary.
SEASON STATS: 578 PASSING YARDS, 6 TOUCHDOWNS, 3 INTERCEPTIONS, 73.1 QBR
Will Rodney Fields Jr. play?
Fields Jr. has emerged as a key contributor for the OSU offense this season. Fields rushed for a career high of 163 last week and has eclipsed 100 all purpose yards four times this season. However, Fields found himself on the Cowboys injury report on Wednesday with a questionable tag. Sesi Vaiahi, Kalib Hicks and Trent Howland have all split time with Fields in the backfield, and could play larger roles for OSU if Fields is unavailable.
David Bailey, LB
The Red Raiders enter the game with the nation’s No. 1 rushing defense. Bailey has played a big role in creating negative plays this season. He is in his first season in Lubbock and has already surpassed his career season high in sacks. He has totaled 10.5 sacks this season with seven of those coming in Big 12 play. Against the Cowboys rushing identity, Bailey could work his way into the backfield.
SEASON STATS: 22 TOAL TACKLES, 14 SOLO, 10.5 SACKS, 2 FORCED FUMBLES
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Running back Rodney Fields Jr.
Sam Jackson V has started the Cowboys’ past two games because of Zane Flores’ injury, but Flores had his injury tag on the availability report removed this week. When Doug Meacham was asked about the QB situation, he said “I don’t know yet.” Jackson has showcased his ability to scramble and generate big plays in his time serving as a quarterback.
Kaytlyn Hayes, The O’Colly
Quarterback Zane Flores
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
Wide receiver Terrill Davis Oklahoma State has had struggles with its passing offense this season. The Cowboys have yet to have a quarterback that throws for 250 yards in a game this year and haven’t had a passer eclipse the 200 mark in the last three weeks. OSU has built its offense on Rodney Fields and the rushing attack and could have a difficult time rushing the ball against Texas Tech’s defense.
The o’colly sports picks
ABOUT OUR GUEST PICKER:
Patrick Prince is the interim local news editor at the Tulsa World. He’s also an Oklahoma State graduate and an O’Colly alum.
CAYDEN COX
Sesi Vailahi should. He has averaged the second-most yards per carry with 4.2 per touch, and has receiving upside, too. Vailahi has shown promise recently, picking up 27 yards on seven carries against Houston and 38 yards against Cincinnati.
PARKER GERL
Trent Howland is the easy choice for me. He’s the most physical running back OSU has and has averaged more than 5 yards per carry in two games this season. At 6-foot-2, 247 pounds, Howland is effective in short-yardage downs, too.
