Five Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s 38-6 Victory Against Utah Valley

The David Taylor era of Cowboy wrestling started with what he tends to always do: Win.

Oklahoma State beat Utah Valley 38-6 on Friday night in the Cowboys’ season opener and Taylor’s head coaching debut. Here are five thoughts from the dual.

1. Reality Check

For the first time in 34 years, there was someone other than John Smith coaching the Cowboys. Even after months to process Smith’s retirement and David Taylor’s hiring, it still didn’t seem real actually seeing it. And even more unfathomable is that it’s four-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist David Taylor, a Penn State legend, leading OSU.

The dual was all the way in Orem, Utah, but even thousands of miles away in enemy territory there were still lines of fans wanting to get autographs from Taylor inside a full UCCU Arena. Not only was Friday night a reality check for the new era of OSU, but also how big of a deal the new leader is. Gallagher-Iba Arena should be full next weekend for the Cowboys’ first home duals under Taylor, but even on the road, OSU will be drawing sizable crowds everywhere because of the buzz surrounding the coaching change.

2. Smith Should Be Proud

Even if Smith’s view wasn’t from the bench for this one, he had to be smiling wherever he was watching from.

Smith preached bonus points — win or loss — after nearly every outing. That was emphasized because that could be the difference not just in duals, but in winning a championship or just placing at tournaments, which OSU experienced last season when it lost out on a Big 12 title to Iowa State.

Friday night, the Cowboys performed like expected against a lackluster Utah Valley team, tallying bonus points in six of 10 matches. Consistent performances against competition of that level and eventually racking up bonus points in the early rounds of tournaments will be paramount in the Pokes reclaiming the Big 12 title and narrowing that margin between Penn State at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Friday night was an early sign of that coming when it really matters.

3. Transfers Made Expected Impact

It was obvious the Cowboys got better with three additions from the transfer portal this offseason, and that improvement was instant.

Transfers Cameron Amine, Dean Hamiti Jr. and Wyatt Hendrickson, all multi-time All-Americans, transferred to OSU and immediately cracked the starting lineup. Hendrickson and Hamiti both notched technical falls in their OSU debuts at 285 and 174, respectively. Amine, though, lost a dogfight to Terrell Barraclough in ride outs. It was the only top-10 matchup of the dual, with Amine ranked fifth and Barraclough at No. 6. Barraclough is also a transfer, coming from Penn State.

This trio has immediately taken this OSU team to a different level, and Friday night was only a preview of what’s to come from a group of successful guys who are now wrestling in the best room they’ve ever been a part of.

4. Uncertainty at 141 Pounds

When Taylor announced his first starting lineup, 141 pounds was the only spot that wasn’t solidified.

Taylor ultimately went with true freshman Kolter Burton, a four-time state champion from Century High School in Idaho. Burton lost his debut to 26th-ranked Haiden Drury, 5-0.

Tagen Jamison was OSU’s guy at 141 last season. He went 21-10 and qualified for the NCAA tournament as a redshirt freshman. Those accolades had Jamison starting this season ranked 14th. He competed last week in the Michigan State Open, where he went 4-0 with four bonus-point victories and won the tournament. Burton also competed in the same tournament and placed second but was entered in the freshman/sophomore division.

Burton will obviously get better than what he was in his dual debut, but considering what Jamison has proven OSU has with him, I’m not certain Taylor can keep Jamison on the bench for long.

5. There’s a Difference in a Healthy Surber

Luke Surber told the media last week that it literally hurt him to shoot a takedown most of last season as he battled injury after injury. He said his goal was to essentially score one takedown and hope his defense was good enough to make sure that was enough for a win at 197 pounds.

After the up-and-down 13-9 campaign Surber had last year, some might have forgotten what a healthy Luke Surber is like on the mat. Friday night was a reminder as he pinned Kael Bennie in the third period while already holding a 10-3 lead. Surber, ranked 19th, scored two quick takedowns in the first period alone.

Welcome to the 2024-25 season, Luke Surber!#GoPokes l @lukesurber4 pic.twitter.com/DshGseRYKF

— OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) November 16, 2024

It was only one match against an unranked opponent, but it was still enough to show that the 197-pound spot for the Pokes will be superior to what it was in 2023-24 with Surber healthy again.