Washington State @ Oklahoma State preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 30, 2008 ) Oklahoma State 39, Washington State 13

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Oklahoma State, which hosts Washington State in the season opener at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, returns just nine starters from the team that went 9-4 and earned a Cotton Bowl berth last year,

No team in the Big 12 returns fewer starters. But the Cowboys might have the oldest quarterback in the nation in 26-year-old Brandon Weeden, a former minor-league baseball player who takes over from star Zac Robinson. Weeden’s maturity has helped him absorb the spread attack introduced by new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who came over from Houston.

Should the offense fail to move the ball through the air, the Cowboys have 2008 All-American Kendall Hunter back to help the run game. Hunter rushed for 1,555 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2008, but injuries limited his playing time last year. He has quietly regained the form that made him one of the most prolific runners in Cowboys history.

Beset by injuries and a lack of depth last year, Washington State was woeful and really has nowhere to go but up under third-year head coach Paul Wulff. The Cougars should be more competitive, but wins will be hard to come by with such a young team. The Cougars could start as many as 15 underclassmen.

The Cougars ran for only 848 yards last year while averaging a measly 12 points per game. Unless there is significant improvement on the offensive line, it will be hard to expect much more from quarterback Jeff Tuel, who started five games as a true freshman in 2009. Overall, Cougars quarterbacks were sacked a whopping 53 times last year.

Remarkably, Washington State ranked 115th or worse in nine major statistical categories. The Cougars went winless in the Pac-10 while finishing 1-11.

After being outscored 176 to 6 in the first quarter last year, the Cougars couldn’t help but get discouraged quickly. They need a strong start against the more talented Cowboys to avoid a similar fate.

Oklahoma State leads the series 2-1 and took the last meeting, 39-13 in 2008.