Oklahoma State Cowboys News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Oklahoma State running back Kalib Hicks is brought down by a pack of Oregon defenders as the Oregon Ducks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 6, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State Looking to Bounce Back Against Tulsa

Originally posted on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI
By Alec Elijah | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 10:54 AM ET

Coming off a much-needed bye week following their excruciating loss in week two, Oklahoma State will look to rebound as best as they can against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes next Friday.

Mike Gundy and the Pokes should certainly come in with a chip on their shoulder, not just because of the critical loss but also because of the comments first-year Tulsa head coach Tre Lamb made during the offseason about Oklahoma State.

"We’ve got money in the bank. We’ve got NIL. We’ve got rev share. There’s no reason we can’t compete with the Oklahoma States and Kansas States of the world. We don’t need those people coming into our backyard and taking our players."

NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It certainly was interesting to hear Coach Lamb name-drop both K-State and OSU when comparing Tulsa's NIL value.

As it currently stands, Oklahoma State has invested approximately $7 million into its program, according to Coach Gundy in a recent media scrum.

While, Tulsa is estimated to have spent about $13,000 NIL value this season, according to On3.

I asked Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy if Saturday’s 69-3 loss at Oregon was reflective of his expressed concerns during the week regarding teams with a lesser NIL budget playing non-conference games against team with a greater NIL budget in college football. His response … pic.twitter.com/SZvQ8rkN2n
— Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) September 6, 2025

NIL has seemingly been an ongoing topic of discussion for Mike Gundy lately, as he has already had verbal exchanges with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning regarding the NIL comparisons between OSU and the Ducks.

The two in-state rivals have a decorated history dating back all the way to 1914 when the schools first faced off. Since then, OSU has managed to capture 44 wins against Tulsa, while the Golden Hurricanes have been able to notch 27, along with both schools ending in a tie five times.

In their past 10 meetings, the Pokes have run the table, beating Tulsa in every matchup since 1999.

The last game between the two schools last season wound up being a blowout win for Oklahoma State, beating Tulsa 45-10.

Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Now, as both teams prepare to face off in Week 4 at Boone Pickens Stadium, the Pokes will look to add to their win streak while Tulsa attempts to finally snap two decades' worth of losing to the Cowboys.

Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

This game will be a great way for Zane Flores to take full command of this offense after starting the season as QB2 on the depth chart, before finding himself commanding the offense by the middle of Week 1.

The freshman QB has generated just 205 yards of total offense, but a solid outing against Tulsa could do wonders not just for Flores' confidence, but the team's as well going forward with the season.

Kick off is set to begin at 6:30 pm CT on Sept. 19, we will have a recap following the games end.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: