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BIG 12
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OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OKlahoma State wide receiver Hubert Anyiam, right, heads up field following a pass reception in the first quarter of a game against Missouri in Stillwater, Okla., last Saturday. The Cowboys defeated the Tigers 33-17 for a homecoming win.
Wide receiver finds his role
By Corinne Meyerson The Daily O'Collegian
STILLWATER, Okla. — When Hubert Anyiam's chance came, he took it.
Anyiam, a sophomore wide receiver, rejected offers from Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas Tech to play for Oklahoma State.
Anyiam was redshirted in 2007 and had three catches for 32 yards in 2008, but since the suspension of All-American receiver Dez Bryant, Anyiam has begun to make his presence felt for the Cowboys.
Anyiam had three catches for 58 yards and a touchdown against Texas &M.
For the game against the Missouri Tigers, Anyiam made 10 receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. He was named Big 12 cooffensive player of the week.
Anyiam said that with his recent success.
he hopes people will start pronouncing his last name correctly.
Coaches said Anyiam has always had the talent, but not the opportunity to show it.
"It will be a relief", Anyiam said. "I've had that (problem) since I was little."
After being recruited by several schools, Anyiam visited Oklahoma State.He verbally committed to the Cowboys five days after his official visit.
Anyiam was an All-State player coming out of North High School in Garland, Texas, and Rivals.com ranked him as the nation's No. 32 receiving prospect in the state of Texas.
"OU had actually offered me," Anyiam said."I just didn't like how the coaches recruited me.I feel like OSU came to me at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way."
Anyiam said he was hungry to play more as a freshman but he understood his role and
that he was going to have to wait his turn.
"Yes, it was tough to wait," Anyiam said. "When I first came up here, the depth chart was kinda deep, I had to make my spot be known."
"Hubert has a great overall feel for the game," Robinson said. "He can always fill the open zones and know where to be, and so he does a great job of that."
Senior quarterback Zac Robinson said Anyiam has a great mind for football.
Robinson said he and Anyiam needed to get on the same page quickly.
"We've worked in practice a lot, and obviously thrown a lot of routes to each other," Robinson said. "I think that's helped us out a bunch."
Anyiam said he is ready to play when he is called upon.
"I knew I was gonna really have to step up and be the man,"Anyiam said.
Cowboys preparing for Baylor
By Meredith Parks The Daily O'Collegian
STILLWATER, Okla. — The Oklahoma State fans, students and players were anticipating last Saturday's game against Missouri. Not because it was another Big 12 game but because it was homecoming. In the end, the Cowboys defeated the Missouri Tigers in a 33-17 victory at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Oklahoma State's homecoming game didn't disappoint.
With the second half of the 2009 football season underway, the No.14-ranked Cowboys are off to Waco, Texas, to face Big 12 South rival Baylor. Oklahoma State enters the Baylor game 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in Big 12 play.
Oklahoma State has scored at least 24 points in every game against the Bears in Big 12 play and has reached the 30-point mark against Baylor in each of the last 10 games.
As the game against Baylor approaches, memories also begin to stimulate.
Oklahoma State played Baylor in the homecoming game of 2008. The Bears came in with a winning attitude and tried to defeat Oklahoma State at home on homecoming. Although the result favored the Cowboys, this year the roles are being reversed. Saturday is Baylor's homecoming and the Cowboys are favored to beat the Bears. This is the first time Baylor has played Oklahoma State for homecoming.
Redshirt freshman tight end Cooper Bassett said no team likes to lose its homecoming game, but it's Oklahoma State's job to go into this game like any other game and get the job done.
"No one likes being anybody's homecoming (opponent) because usually you want a 'W' on that game, but it gives us an extra push, a little bit more grit to win this game," Bassett said. "We are just going to go into it like another game. We are going to have the same mindset and focus."
Baylor's energy will be high but highly touted quarterback Robert Griffin is out with an injury. Senior defensive end Jermiah Price said even without their quarterback the Bears are going to be a challenge
"We were looking forward to playing against Griffin, but at the same time it's kind of great he's not playing," Price said. "The quarterback they have now is not as mobile, but he still a very good athlete. We are going to get after him because he can't run as fast."
THE WAVE OCTOBER 23, 2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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