Game Preview: Cowboys Open Season with Transfer-Loaded Missouri State

STILLWATER — The Cowboys will kick off their 2021 campaign in just over 24 hours.

Oklahoma State starts its season against Missouri State on Saturday night in Stillwater. Here is some last-minute information on the matchup.

Viewing Info

Time: 6 p.m. Saturday
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium
TV: ESPN+ (Courtney Lyle, Brandon Weeden and Shane Sparks)

Influx of Transfers Should Strengthen Missouri State

Bobby Petrino’s Bears were 5-2 in their spring season last school year, and they seemed to have strengthened in a few areas.

To start, Jason Shelley enters at quarterback after transferring in from Utah State. With the Aggies last season, Shelley threw for 420 yards and a pair of touchdowns in four games before moving to Springfield and beating out Jaden Johnson for Missouri State’s starting spot.

“Jason Shelley will start the game for us,” Petrino said. “We feel like he had a great camp. … I think his consistency, his quick release and his ability to understand defenses just a little bit more (separated Shelley). His experience really showed up throughout practices and his ability to adjust to the defense and get the ball out of his hand.”

On the opposite side of the ball, Petrino brought in Dimitri Moore from Vanderbilt. A linebacker, Moore played in 28 games across three seasons with the SEC squad where he had 219 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Moore was a preseason All-SEC selection ahead of last season.

Petrino was also able to land defensive tackle Allen Love out of the transfer portal from Mississippi State.

On Missouri State’s two-deep, 15 of the potential 25 starters (including ors) started their college careers elsewhere, whether that be a junior college or otherwise.

Missouri State got drummed 58-17 in Boone Pickens Stadium in 2018. For comparisons sake, the Bears’ 2018 team had four transfers from FBS schools. This 2021 squad has 15.

It is still an FCS opponent for the Pokes, yes, but this is far from the same team Taylor Cornelius ran out of Stillwater a few years back.

Coaching Tale of the Tape

* includes 10 games at the FCS level