It wasn’t long after Oklahoma State beat rival Oklahoma, 16-13, in Norman that Les Miles, who had just completed his first year as head coach, made a bold proclamation.

"We’re ready to go to the next level," Miles said.

Beating Oklahoma can pump that kind of confidence into any Cowboy. This victory was even more stunning. Oklahoma was playing for the Big 12 South title and a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. It was ranked No. 4 and ready to defend its national championship.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, were seemingly playing out their season. They were 3-7, going nowhere. They were 27-point underdogs and had given up 424 or more yards in each of their previous six games, including 517 the week before in a victory over Baylor.

Team Info Location:   Stillwater, OK   Conference:   Big 12 (South)   Last Season:   4-7 (.364)   Conference Record:   2-6 (5th)   Off. Starters Returning:   8  Def. Starters Returning:   8  Nickname:   Cowboys   Colors:   Orange & Black   Home Field:   Lewis Field (48,000)   Head Coach:   Les Miles (Michigan '76)   Record at School:   4-7 (1 year)   Career Record:   4-7 (1 year)   Assistants:   Bill Clay (Arkansas '63) Defensive Coordinator      Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State '90) Special Teams/Cornerbacks      Calvin Miller (Oklahoma State '76) Defensive Line      Cale Gundy (Oklahoma '94) Running Backs      Chuck Moller (Minnesota-Morris '83) Offensive Line      Todd Monken (Knox College '89) Receivers      Doug Mallory (Michigan '88) Secondary      Josh Henson (Oklahoma State '98) Tight Ends      Larry Porter (Memphis '96) Running Backs   Team Wins (last 5 yrs.):   8-5-5-3-4   Team Rank (last 5 yrs.):   44-43-47-67-35   2001 Finish:   Beat Oklahoma in regular-season finale.

Suddenly, the Cowboys’ defense stiffened. They held the Sooners to zero rushing yards and intercepted QB Nate Hybl three times. After recording just 18 sacks in their first 10 games, the Cowboys sacked Hybl seven times.

Freshman Josh Fields came off the bench and threw the winning touchdown, a 14-yarder to All-Big 12 player Rashaun Woods , with 1:36 left in the game. Fields replaced Aso Pogi after the fourth series of the game.

"This team has too much character to quit," Miles said after the game. "It’s not a part of their makeup. They kept telling us they’re a good football team and just needed the right day and opportunity to show it."

The Cowboys carried momentum from the season finale into the off-season, but soon it was marred by a couple of unfortunate turns.

Miles went for a run one morning in December and came back feeling sick with nausea and a severe headache. Miles went to see a doctor, then a specialist in Oklahoma City. The diagnosis: a cyst had caused fluid buildup around his brain. Although doctors said it wasn’t life threatening, they started talking about surgery to place a shunt to drain the fluid and eventual removal of the cyst.

As Miles waited the surgery, the program took another blow when Pogi, the starting quarterback, suffered serious injuries to his left arm and shoulder in a car accident. Then running backs coach Tommie Robinson and passing coordinator/wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt left the program.

As he spoke to a crowd during the Cowboy Caravan in Oklahoma City, Miles, who underwent the surgery in the spring, was philosophical about the off-season’s events.

"It’s unfortunate that Aso had that accident," Miles told the audience. "We’re looking back, and we’re happy that he’s alive.

"The same can be said for me. You get in a situation where the score of a game really doesn’t make much difference. You’re looking forward to simpler pleasures."

Miles, however, hasn’t lost his competitive nature. After the season finale in Norman, Miles wants more than four wins in a season. The win over the Sooners gave the Cowboys consecutive victories to end the 2001 season -- they had beaten Baylor, 38-22, the previous week -- and left them optimistic about the future.

Pogi (6-4, 225), a junior, was slowed late in the 2001 season by a thumb injury, but still managed to play. In December, Pogi was involved in the car accident and began rehabilitation from the shoulder and arm injuries.

Pogi spent the off-season and spring in rehabilitation, and although he was not full speed, took part in spring practice.

Fields (6-1, 215), a sophomore who played at Stillwater High School, came off the bench in the 2001 finale and led the Cowboys to the victory over Oklahoma.

Fields spent the spring battling with Pogi for the starting job, and the competition will continue into the fall.

Pogi started all 11 games last season and completed 60.4 percent of his passes (179-of-296) for 1,854 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was intercepted seven times. Pogi was seventh in the Big 12 in passing efficiency.

Fields played in six games and completed 50.7 percent of his passes (35-of-69) for 451 yards and three touchdowns. He threw three interceptions.

Fields spent part of the spring playing baseball for Oklahoma State. He completed 8-of-19 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in the last spring scrimmage.

Despite his bumps and bruises, Pogi was impressive at times in the spring. He completed 15-of-22 passes for 187 yards and seven touchdowns in the last scrimmage.

Fields was slotted as the starter at the end of spring practices.

Led by junior Tatum Bell ( 5-11, 190), the Cowboys’ running backs return intact.

Bell, who started nine games last season, led the rushers in 2001 with 776 yards, averaging 3.9 yards per carry, and scored six rushing touchdowns. He finished seventh in the Big 12 in rushing.

Bell posted his first 100-yard game in the second game of the 2001 season when he rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries against Louisiana Tech. He also scored on a 1-yard run.

Bell was also the team’s fourth-leading receiver with 18 catches for 97 yards last season.

In 2000, Bell rushed for 251 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, and scored one touchdown.

In the spring, Bell reported to practice 10 pounds heavier, having hit the weights hard in the off-season. Bell, however, was slowed by injuries for much of the spring and did not take part in the spring scrimmage.

With Bell out, sophomore Seymore Shaw (6-0, 215) took advantage of the chance to show his stuff.

Shaw rushed for 131 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries in the final spring scrimmage. He scored on runs of 20, 12, 4 and 50 yards.

Sophomore tailback Greg Jones (5-9, 195) will also push for playing time. Jones, the No. 2 tailback at the end of the spring, rushed for 58 yards on 21 carries in the last spring scrimmage.

At the end of spring practice, junior Mike Denard (5-11, 235) was slotted as the No. 1 fullback with Burrough as the backup.

Every player who caught a pass in 2001 is back this season, so the Cowboys’ starting quarterback -- whether it’s Pogi or Fields -- will have plenty of targets.

Oklahoma State has one of the best receivers in the nation in Woods (6-2, 187), a junior who led the Big 12 in receiving yardage with 1,023 yards on 80 catches. He was one of 22 Division I-A players with more than 1,000 receiving yards last season.

Woods averaged 12.8 yards per catch and scored 10 touchdowns. He was second in the Big 12 in catches per game (7.27), setting a program record for catches in a season and becoming only the second player in school history with more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Some of his biggest games came against the better teams in the Big 12. Woods, who had five 100-yard games, had six catches for 109 yards against Colorado and 10 catches for 109 yards against Texas Tech. He also caught 10 passes for 139 yards against Southern Miss in the season opener.

Senior wide receivers Terrance Davis-Bryant (5-9, 185) was second on the team with 38 catches for 368 yards and John Lewis (6-0, 185) was third with 24 catches for 455 yards and one touchdown.

Also returning are senior Willie Young (6-2, 222) and sophomore John Wohlgemuth (6-2, 190). Young had four catches for 16 yards last season and Schwarz had three for 27 yards.

At tight end the Cowboys are set with the return of sophomore Mark Milosevich (6-4, 255), who started 10 games last season. Milosevich was fifth on the team in catches with 17 for 158 yards and one touchdown. Also a good blocker, Milosevich was voted to the All-Big 12 Freshman team along with quarterback Fields.

The biggest void offensively was left by three departed starters on the line -- left guard Jeff Machado, center Jon Vandrell and right guard Bryan Phillips.

Both starting tackles return with senior Kyle Eaton (6-8, 290) on the left side and senior Jason Russell (6-6, 280) on the right side. Russell started nine games last season and Eaton started 10 games.

Russell, however, did not practice in the spring because of a knee injury.

Sophomore Sam Mayes (6-4, 330) was the backup right tackle as well as the starting center at the end of the spring.

Mayes, however, broke his thumb early in the spring and missed significant time.

Junior Jon Hayhurst (6-3, 285) was slotted as the starter at left guard with red-shirt freshman Corey Curtis (6-4, 250) as the backup.

At right guard, senior Dustin Vanderhoof (6-4, 310) was the starter and red-shirt freshman Kellen Davis (6-5, 290) was the backup.

Junior Sam Hall (6-4, 276) is expected to contend for the center’s job along with sophomores Chris Akin (6-2, 290) and Derek LaFargue (6-5, 276).

Hall is a transfer from Navarro (Texas) Junior College.

Sophomore tackle Matt Wakefield (6-5, 267) also showed promise in the spring.

Junior Luke Phillips (6-1, 160) has a hold on the kicking job after a solid sophomore season.

Phillips, a candidate for All-Big 12 honors, made 15-of-17 field-goal attempts last season and all 27 of his PAT kicks. His long field goal was for 52 yards.

Last season, Phillips finished third in the league in field goals and he is the leading returning kicker in the Big 12.

Sophomore Cole Farden (6-0, 200) was Phillips’ backup in the spring.

All four starters on the defensive line return -- senior LeWaylon Brown (6-5, 294) at nose guard, senior Kevin Williams (6-5, 284) at tackle, and juniors Greg Richmond (6-2, 240) and Khreem Smith (6-4, 234) at ends.

Brown and Smith started 11 games each, Williams started nine games and Richmond started eight games.

All were slotted as the starters at the end of spring practice.

Brown was fifth on the team in tackles last season with 47 and had six tackles for loss and four sacks. Williams had 36 tackles and a team-high 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

Richmond, the rush end, had 36 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks and Smith had 33 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Senior Kyle Beck (6-3, 235) may have the best chance of bumping one of the starters. Beck is pushing Smith for the starting job at end.

Red-shirt freshman Jerry Don Bray (6-5, 240) was Richmond’s backup at rush end when the spring ended.

At nose guard, junior college transfer Lance Carson (6-5, 270) was the backup for Brown.

Sophomore Clay Coe (6-2, 270) was at tackle behind Williams.

Carson, an NJCAA All-American, enrolled at Oklahoma State in the winter but had knee surgery and missed spring practice. He was also recruited by Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Missouri.

It won’t be easy replacing linebacker Dwayne Levels, the team’s leading tackler and most consistent defender last season. Levels had 110 tackles, including 53 solo tackles, and 11 tackles for loss. He also returned an interception 57 yards.

Two other solid linebackers, Robbie Gillem and Ron Able, are also gone.

The top returning linebacker is senior Terrence Robinson (6-1, 230), the team’s third-leading tackler last season with 75. He also had 10 tackles for loss, two sacks and led the team with five quarterback hurries.

Senior Justin Deason (6-2, 220) was slotted behind Robinson at linebacker when spring practice ended.

There is youth at the other linebacker, the "Mike" spot. Sophomore Paul Duren (6-2, 210) was the starter and was backed up by red-shirt freshman Trumain Carroll (6-5, 210) at the end of the spring.

Duren was the leading tackler in the spring game with seven.

Three of the five players who started in the secondary in the season finale against Oklahoma return this season -- senior strong safety Chris Massey (6-0, 210), junior free safety Elbert Craig (6-2, 205) and sophomore cornerback Darrent Williams (5-9, 170).

None were full-time starters in 2001, however.

Massey is the veteran of the secondary. Last season, he had 46 tackles and one interception. Craig has become perhaps the most consistent player in the secondary and last season ranked second on the team in tackles with 98. He had four tackles for loss.

Williams played as a freshman last year and is ready for a breakout year. He moved into the starting lineup in the sixth game of the season when the Cowboys played Texas. It was one of four games in which he started.

The Cowboys must replace starting strong safety Marcus Jones and right cornerback Paul Jones. Also gone is Roger Bombach, who started five games at weak safety.

Senior Ricklan Holmes (5-11, 200) started seven games at right corner and will likely retain that starting job. Holmes, who had 21 tackles last season, was slotted as the starter at the end of the spring and was backed up by sophomore Chris Wright (5-11, 170).

At weak safety, Kirk Milligan (5-11, 180) started against Baylor when Craig was injured. Milligan was slotted as the starter in the spring ahead of sophomore Charlie Ward (6-1, 190).

Craig should hold his spot at free safety, although junior Fath Carter (6-3, 217) is a solid player and could challenge for the job in the fall.

Scott Elder, the Cowboys’ starting punter last season, has departed. Elder ranked fifth in the Big 12 last season, averaging 43.6 yards on 53 punts.

Farden, the backup kicker, was the No. 1 punter at the end of spring practice. Junior Sky Rylant (6-0, 210) was Farden’s backup. Also vying for the job is sophomore Ryan Wimberly (6-0, 190).

Phillips, the kicker, can definitely get the job done, but there is more to field goals than just the kicker. In the last spring scrimmage, Phillips was 7-of-9 on field-goal attempts. His kicks ranged from 20 to 57 yards but three of his kicks were blocked.

Elder’s departure hurt the Cowboys in more ways than one. He was also the holder on field goals and PAT kicks.

Rylant appeared to be the No. 1 holder during the spring.

The return game should be solid again with Massey and Davis-Bryant returning.

Massey led the nation in kickoff returns last season, averaging 34.8 yards on 15 returns.

Davis-Bryant averaged 22.5 yards per return and John Lewis had three returns for 52 yards. Young also returned kicks in the spring.

Davis-Bryant was also solid on punt returns, averaging 13.5 yards per return. Williams will also return punts.

Williams displayed his ability during a spring scrimmage when he dodged several tacklers and scored on a long return.

The majority of the Cowboys’ 28 recruits were high school players, but the three junior college signees could step into key roles this season.

Several other freshmen could even play roles this season.

Jamie Beeghley (6-3, 190) of Midland (Texas) Christian High School is a promising quarterback prospect. In his career, Beeghley threw for more than 7,900 yards. As a senior, he threw for 2,013 yards and 27 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 313 yards and four touchdowns.

Another top recruit is linebacker Lawrence Pinson (6-2, 245) of Jenks (Okla.) High School. Pinson led Jenks to its sixth straight state title last season. He had 92 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and three caused fumbles. He also played fullback and chose Oklahoma State over Nebraska, LSU, Missouri and Kansas.

Pinson was one of five linebackers signed. "We had to get linebackers in this class," Miles said.

Offensive lineman Kurt Seifried (6-4, 290) was a teammate of Pinson’s at Jenks High School. Seifried earned first-team all-state honors.

Oklahoma State returns most of its skill players, including quality quarterbacks in Pogi and Fields. Leading rusher Bell and starting fullback Denard also return. So do all of the Cowboy receivers, led by All-Big 12 player Woods.

The big question is the Cowboys’ offensive line after the departure of three starters. Several young players could find their way into the depth chart. If the Cowboys are to improve on their rushing game -- it ranked 11th in the Big 12 last season, averaging 93.6 yards per game -- the line will have to come together in a hurry.

The Cowboys ranked ninth in the Big 12 in total defense and ninth in scoring defense last season, and they should improve on that in 2002. The defensive front is solid, and there is talent and experience in the secondary. Eight of the top 11 tacklers from last season return. The biggest loss was linebacker Levels, the team’s leading tackler.

On special teams, the Cowboys have several dangerous returners, but must solidify the punting and holding jobs. Luke Phillips could become an All-Big 12 kicker.

Miles put together a game plan that beat rival Oklahoma in the 2001 regular-season finale, then survived a rocky off-season. Several of the key offensive players missed spring practice, but they should be ready for two-a-days.