College Sports

SEATTLE (AP) -- Getting quiet Tylerite Kendall Hunter to say a lot is like trying to drill for oil: you may be there a while. Yet he recently told some folks on campus in Stillwater, Okla., that he's gunning to rush for 1,000 yards this season.

He's on his way.

In his first collegiate start, the native of Tyler produced like that old "Tyler Rose," former Heisman Trophy winner and Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell. Hunter ran 23 times for 119 yards with a career-best two touchdowns, Zac Robinson passed for 182 yards and ran for another score and Oklahoma State made Washington State's new offense look inept in the Cowboys' 39-13 rout of the Cougars on Saturday.

Reminded of his prediction last week that he'd become the 12th Cowboy to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and join the likes of Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas and Dantrell Savage, his predecessor at OSU, Hunter smiled and said: "True, that."

"It's kind of crazy," Hunter said of his debut, which steadied an uneven day of 367 yards for an offense that finished last season seventh nationally in total offense at 486 yards per game.

With coach Mike Gundy primarily calling the plays for the first time in his four seasons as head coach, 12 of their first 25 points came thanks to a 42-yard punt return by Dez Bryant, a safety and a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Perrish Cox.

Their no-huddle, spread offense didn't find a groove until the fourth quarter. Robinson, who set an Oklahoma State record with 3,671 yards in total offense last season, and Bryant connected on four passes for 65 yards to set up a 1-yard touchdown sneak by Robinson. That put Oklahoma State up 32-13 with 9:45 left. Hunter ran in untouched from 10 yards two minutes later.

Gundy called the game "unusual" for having so many opportunities inside Washington State's 20-yard line, thanks to Oklahoma State shredding the Cougars' special teams on kickoff and punt returns.

"Well ... obviously we'll have to look it over," Gundy said of the offense. "I'll be real honest with you: We don't have a lot of play calls inside the 20."

New coach Paul Wulff, the first graduate to lead the Cougars since Phil Sarboe left after the 1949 season, also became the first coach to lose his debut game at Washington State since Jackie Sherrill in 1976. By the end of another three-and-out series late in the fourth quarter, the 41-year-old former Cougars lineman was angrily slapping his hand in silence of young Washington State's annual "home" game across the state.

"We stubbed our foot a lot ... It doesn't surprise me we made mistakes," Wulff said, pointing to his youth.

Oklahoma State was encouraged by its defense that allowed 443 total yards per game last season - 101st out of 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Cowboys held Washington State to 51 yards on its first 28 plays into the third quarter.

"We wanted to come out fast and keep it on them," said end Derek Burton, who supplied the first of two hits that dropped WSU's Dwight Tardy in the end zone for a safety that put the Cowboys up 12-0 midway through the second quarter.

Added Gundy: "I feel like our defense is better."

But fact is, Wulff's own no-huddle, spread offense showed it still has huge kinks from its summer implementation. The Cougars trailed 18-0 before they finally crossed into the Cowboys' side of midfield, midway through the third quarter. That drive ended with star receiver Brandon Gibson, who had three drops but finished with six catches for 53 yards, making a twisting catch in the end zone of 9-yard pass from Gary Rogers.

Then Washington State's problems in its kicking game turned decisive. Wade Penner shanked the extra point to keep the Cougars down 18-6 with six minutes left in the third quarter.

Then Cox zigzagged without a WSU player getting near him for his third career touchdown on a kickoff return to send the Cowboys cruising, up 25-6. Gundy called it the game's biggest play.

"I was feeling good. I was kind of confident on that one," Cox said, apparently after paying close attention to the Cougars' far-from-special teams.

Rogers, a fifth-year senior making his first career start after record-setting Alex Brink graduated, was 12 of 24 for 82 yards passing with a touchdown, one interception and two sacks while continually skipping passes low and behind receivers. He had Gibson open running toward the goal line at the Oklahoma State 20 in the first quarter but threw behind him. That allowed Jacob Lacey to break up the pass. Gibson then dropped a throw while open near midfield on WSU's final drive of an inept first half and another in the end zone in the second half.

The Cougars' day in reverse reached its lowest point midway through the second quarter when four consecutive plays over two drives totaled minus-12 yards, the final play being that safety by Jeray Chatham.

"We were slow and dry and boring in the first half," Gibson said.

The Cowboys made it 15-0 at the end of the half on the second of three field goals by Dan Bailey, from 21 yards.

Robinson was less than satisfied. But he was encouraged that he's coming back to Stillwater and four consecutive home games with a defense that is hinting it could make life easier on last season's OSU record-setter for total offense (3,671 yards).

"I feel totally confident in our defense," Robinson said. "And watching them today is more encouraging."

Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter runs the ball against Washington State during the first quarter of a college football game in Seattle today.
((AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey))