Three Cowboy Starters Injured In Win Over Colorado

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STILLWATER — Just days after Oklahoma State ruled out starting safety Mose Phillips for the season, fellow starting safety Quinton Hammonds left the game against Colorado in the third quarter.

His absence was suspicious for two reasons.

First, he hadn’t missed a snap all season against FBS competition. Second, on the play before, he recovered a fumble and returned it nine yards.

As it turned out, that fumble recovery might cost him some time, as Hammonds reappeared on the sideline wearing street clothes with a sling on his left shoulder.

TE Carson Kolb also showed up on the Cowboy sideline in street clothes in the final quarter. Instead of a sling, he appeared on crutches with a boot on a leg. Kolb was unable to haul in his lone target in Saturday’s game when quarterback Drew Mestemaker targeted him roughly 20 yards downfield on a pass that might have been grazed by a Colorado defender.

Left guard Johnny Dickson also left the game at one point. In his absence, the Cowboys turned to Desmond Magiya and later tackle Braydon Nelson when the second-string offense rotated in with the first-string offensive line. Nelson also split time at left tackle when the Cowboys’ starters were still playing.

“We had a bunch of guys step up tonight. … Just kind of like next man up, and our guys didn’t waver and went out there and competed,” coach Eric Morris said.

Morris said there was no further update when asked about Hammonds and Kolb specifically. He did praise the effort of safety Cameron Epps, who came off the bench to replace starter Evan Jackson, who quickly returned to the game in place of Hammonds.

Cornerback LaDainian Fields also complimented both safeties who were lower on the depth chart before the recent injuries.

“They came up a step, big time,” Fields said. “They came up, did their role, they did their job. … That’s all coach Cassity was preaching. ‘Everybody do your job and play fast,’ and that’s what they did.”