PHOTO/Getty Images-Brian Bahr
It had been about as depressing as a Wednesday could be. Three players hurt in practice center Johnny Wilson, safety Tre Sterling and superstar, All-American wide receiver Tylan Wallace. It was hoped Sterling and Wilson could make it back at some point but Wallace would not, at least not this season.
"It’s hard for a coach to swallow. It just almost ruined my week when I left the office," head coach Mike Gundy told reporters after the game. "When I’m here, I don’t flinch; I stay the course. When I get home it just makes me sick to where I can barely function at all. It’s hard to lose a guy like that, not only as a player but as a person."
Gundy was primarily talking about Wallace, an irreplaceable force at his position but he quickly included Wilson and Sterling.
"Same thing with Johnny. He’s a vet. He’s a really good offensive lineman. He’s a warrior. It’s hard to lose a guy like that. Tre has been playing well all year. He has been our defensive player of the week I don’t know how many times. I’ve done this a long time, and it was a challenge for me to keep my head up and say it’s going to be OK."
But Gundy's coaches came up with plans, the players executed them and Chuba Hubbard ran wild again using two cross country runs to help send the Cowboys to a 34-27 win over TCU.
Hubbard's 223 yards rushing were the most ever given up by a Gary Patterson defense. The Frogs had come into Stillwater with the Big 12's best rushing defense giving up just a shade more than a hundred yards a game.
Hubbard now has 1,604 yards rushing, the eighth best season in Cowboy history with still three regular season games and a bowl to go. If he stays true to his averages he would end up with more than 2,300 yards.
The OSU defense also came up big forcing the Frogs into four turnovers.
"Sometimes, they come in bunches," said defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. "We were able to start picking them up last game. I feel like our guys are playing with a lot more confidence. They know where they are supposed to be and they are cashing in."
Kolby Harvell-Peel especially cashed in on Saturday coming up with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
The Cowboys will try to heal up the injuries they can and get ready for the Kansas Jayhawks and former Cowboys coach Les Miles, a week from Saturday.
You can watch all of Mike Gundy's postgame news conference in the box below.