Arizona @ Oklahoma State preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 29, 2010 ) Arizona 10, Oklahoma State 36

THE STORY: No. 7 Oklahoma State will host Arizona in a rematch of the 2010 Alamo Bowl, in which the Cowboys defeated the Wildcats, 36-10. Aside from losing their offensive coordinator, Dana Holgorsen, to West Virginia in the offseason, the Cowboys look remarkably similar to last year. Arizona, on the other hand, returns just 10 starters from a team that lost its last five games of the 2010 season after a 7-1 start. The Wildcats also will be without all-conference receiver Juron Criner, who missed practices this week with an illness.

Last year’s meeting was the first since 1942. Oklahoma State is 4-3 all-time against Arizona and has won five of its last six games against Pac-12 teams. Since 2008, Arizona is 10-2 overall in September, but just 2-2 on the road.

TV: ESPN. LINE: Oklahoma State -14.5.

ABOUT ARIZONA (1-0): Nick Foles threw for 412 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in Arizona’s 41-10 victory over Northern Arizona last week. Foles, a senior quarterback, had four of his TD passes after halftime and threw all five to different receivers. This game represents the first of a brutal four-game stretch for the Wildcats, who will play Stanford, Oregon and USC over the next three weeks.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (1-0): Oklahoma State racked up 666 total yards in last week’s 61-34 victory over Louisiana, the ninth-most yards in school history. In doing so, the Cowboys reached 60 points for the third time in the last 14 games as they scored on all 10 of their red-zone opportunities. The Pokes could have scored more if not for quarterback Brandon Weeden’s three interceptions.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oklahoma State has won its last two Thursday night games by three points each. The Cowboys defeated Texas A&M 38-35 last year and held off Colorado, 31-28, in 2009.

2. Arizona coach Mike Stoops, now in his eighth season, has defeated a ranked opponent every year since arriving in Tucson.

3. Oklahoma State returns all five of its offensive line starters from last year’s team while Arizona’s offensive line is entirely rebuilt.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 45, Arizona 17 – Arizona’s offense looked like world beaters against undermanned Northern Arizona, but the Cowboys present a tougher test.