Reliving the Top Play From Every Season of the Mike Gundy Era: Part 2

We’ve already gone through the best plays of the first half of Mike Gundy’s storied tenure, now let’s move on to Part 2, starting with one of the more memorable in all of OSU history.

2011 – Weeden2Blackmon Ties Fiesta Bowl

The Fiesta Bowl after the 2011 season is arguably the most celebrated game in OSU history, but it didn’t start off great.

The Cowboys first play from scrimmage was an interception, and OSU was down 14-0 in the second quarter. Then, Weeden2Blackmon struck.

The two connected for two touchdowns within three OSU offensive plays. The two catches were Blackmon’s first of the game. He went on to catch nine balls for 186 yards and three scores, and the Cowboys beat the Andrew Luck-led Cardinal in overtime.

Although all of Blackmon’s touchdown grabs were important, his second was the longest, and it reset a game the Cowboys’ trailed by two touchdowns.

2012 – Gilbert Goes 96 Yards

Justin Gilbert was dynamic while in Stillwater.

On Nov. 10, 2010, the Cowboys hung 55 points on West Virginia, including Gilbert’s 96-yard kick return.

Gilbert tucked behind his four-man wedge, essentially walking for a few yards. Then he saw his lane and left the Mountaineers on their country roads.

2013 – Stewy Streaks 95 Yards

There’s a general rule for fielding punts: if you’re standing on the 10-yard line and the ball is going over your head, let it go. Josh Stewart doesn’t conform to such societal standards.

On Oct. 19, 2013, Stewart brought back the longest punt return in school history, a 95-yarder against TCU. The Cowboys went on to win the game 24-10. Stewart had 265 all-purpose yards that day.

2014 – ‘There Goes the Cheetah’

One of the most important plays in OSU history came from a team that was 5-6.

The 2014 Cowboys were in a rough spot, and so was Gundy. The decision was made the week before to burn highly touted quarterback Mason Rudolph’s redshirt with only two games guaranteed in the season.

With under a minute to go, it looked as if OSU’s season was going to be over. Tyreek Hill had fair caught a punt on the Cowboys’ 15 yard-line. The Pokes were going to have to drive the length of the field to even force a tie.

But on that punt, Jordan Sterns’ helmet clipped punter Jed Barnett, and it what was probably the biggest blunder of his coaching career, Bob Stoops chose to repunt to the fastest player in the nation.

Surrounded by Sooners at his own 8-yard line, Hill chose to not fair catch this punt, and he raced down the OSU sideline to tie the game, a game OSU would go on to win in overtime. The win granted the Cowboys bowl eligibility, where OSU would go on to beat Washington in the Cactus Bowl.

Hill’s return turned a dreadful OSU season into a hopeful building block for the program’s future.

2015 – Boykin Gets Stuffed

There are few times I have heard Boone Pickens Stadium as loud as when Trevone Boykin got stuffed on fourth and goal from the 1 in 2015.

The Horned Frogs came to Stillwater ranked No. 5 in the country. OSU was ranked 12th despite being 8-0 entering the game. Much of the pregame chatter centered on Boykin and TCU receiver Josh Doctson, but when TCU left BPS, the country was signing a different tune.

Already up 42-23 late in the game, OSU’s defense made a goal-line stand to secure the Pokes’ victory, and it sent the 59,061 in attendance into a frenzy.

2016 – Rudolph to Washington against Pitt

The Mason Rudolph to James Washington post route is a piece of art.

The two combined deep downfield with each other many times in their OSU careers, but perhaps the most beautiful one was the longest, a 91-yard play against Pitt on Sept. 17, 2016.

It was the Cowboys’ first play from scrimmage after their Hail Mary defeat against Central Michigan the week before, and it turned out to be important. The Cowboys won 45-38 in a game that lasted five hours and 40 minutes because of lightning.

The 91-yard passing play is the second longest in school history, only trailing Zac Robinson and Jeremy Broadway’s 95-yard connection in 2008.

2017 – Rudolph Finds a Home in Pittsburgh

Back-to-back plays against Pitt?

Mason Rudolph avoided all four of Pitt’s rushers as he rolled to his left before swinging his shoulders around and delivering a strike to Marcell Ateman. Ateman’s work on the play wasn’t too shabby either. He got out of a shoe-string tackle attempt as he tip-toed the sideline to the 69-yard score.

It wasn’t the biggest moment of the season, as the Cowboys went on the drill Pitt 59-21, but what a beautiful play it was.

2018 – Wallace Mosses the State of Texas

As I saw Taylor Cornelius give a pump fake to his left before readying to throw in Tylan Wallace’s direction, I thought, “Well, that’s a terrible decision.” Wallace didn’t think so.

On fourth down, Mike Yurcich called on a fade route against the No. 6 team in the country, and it somehow worked. Wallace out-jumped two Texas defenders, earning the title King of Contested Catches.