Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy can’t seem to catch a break lately. As if three consecutive losses weren’t enough, Gundy took another blow during the Cowboys’ bye week, quite literally. The usually charismatic coach found himself nursing an unusual eye injury over the weekend, which forced him to switch his weekly in-person news conference to Zoom. But the story behind the injury? It’s more amusing than you might expect.
Gundy shared the incident with reporters during his online session. “Well, I had a little run-in with my cattle over the weekend,” he said with a smile. "I guess they've been watching us play, and I got headbutted." If there’s one thing Gundy’s known for, aside from his football coaching, it’s his quick wit. He joked that his injury might not make for the most appealing live interview, saying, “I've got a bad eye that I didn't think would be particularly enjoyable for people when they were looking at my pretty face in a live interview.”
Humor aside, the injury is more than just a black eye—it's full of blood, and as Gundy described, it causes him to feel dizzy. He admitted that it wasn’t easy to be upright and functioning normally, but in true Gundy fashion, he brushed it off as no big deal. "But other than that, I'm doing great," he added. His casual attitude about the injury might be reassuring to Cowboys fans, but the bigger concern for many lies on the football field.
Oklahoma State’s season started with high hopes. The Cowboys jumped out to a 3-0 start this fall, but things quickly spiraled out of control. Now sitting at 3-3 after a string of three straight losses to Utah, Kansas State, and West Virginia, the team’s Big 12 and College Football Playoff dreams are hanging by a thread. For the first time since 2005, Oklahoma State is 0-3 in conference play, a stat that stings for both the team and its loyal fan base.
It’s not just the losses that hurt; it’s the way they’ve unfolded. Each defeat has taken the wind out of the Cowboys' sails, and the pressure is mounting as they prepare for Week 8’s matchup against No. 13 BYU. Oklahoma State heads into this game as a nine-point underdog, a tough position to be in for a team that once had its sights set on a major postseason run.
Despite the challenges, Gundy is not one to back down. He’s been in charge of Oklahoma State’s football program for two decades now, and if there’s one thing he’s shown over the years, it’s resilience. When asked about his readiness to coach the upcoming game against BYU, Gundy didn’t seem fazed. “It should get better every day,” he said of his eye injury. "Hopefully it'll get a little better. But I'm fine. I'm working the same hours. I mean, it's no big deal."
For a coach who’s navigated plenty of ups and downs throughout his career, this season’s challenges are just another hurdle to overcome. Whether it’s an unexpected injury from a headbutt or three tough losses in a row, Gundy’s focus remains on getting his team back on track. He’s not letting the injury keep him from his coaching duties, and all signs point to him being on the sidelines when the Cowboys take on BYU in Provo, Utah, this Friday night.
The injury, while unfortunate, has almost become a metaphor for Oklahoma State’s season—unexpected, a little painful, but nothing that’s going to keep Gundy down for long. With the 9:15 p.m. ET kickoff fast approaching, all eyes are on how the Cowboys will respond after their bye week. Can they regroup and pull off an upset against an unbeaten BYU team?
The pressure is certainly on. BYU has been dominant, and Oklahoma State is entering the game as clear underdogs. But if there’s one thing we know about college football, it’s that anything can happen. A well-coached team with nothing to lose can be dangerous, and Gundy will undoubtedly have his players ready to give it their all, injury or not.
Injuries like Gundy’s, as unusual as they are, often add a layer of intrigue to the narrative. Fans, of course, are more concerned with how the Cowboys will perform on the field rather than how their coach looks on the sideline. Still, the story of Gundy’s weekend mishap has a way of humanizing the high-stakes world of college football. It’s a reminder that behind the stats, the rankings, and the pressure to win, these coaches and players are real people dealing with real-life issues—sometimes even ones involving cattle.
As Oklahoma State prepares for its matchup against BYU, there’s no shortage of storylines. Can Gundy’s Cowboys find their footing after three tough losses? Will the coach’s injury impact his ability to lead on game day? And perhaps the biggest question of all: Can Oklahoma State salvage what’s left of its season?
For fans, the next few weeks will be crucial in determining the Cowboys' fate. There’s still time for a turnaround, but it won’t be easy. BYU is a formidable opponent, and Oklahoma State will need to bring their A-game if they hope to leave Provo with a win. But with Gundy at the helm, you can never count them out. Injuries, losses, and all, he’s proven time and time again that he can rally his team in the face of adversity.
So, as the Cowboys hit the road to take on BYU, one thing is for sure: Mike Gundy will be there, bloodied eye and all, doing what he does best—leading his team with resilience, grit, and maybe even a little humor. As Gundy himself might say, it's all just part of the game.
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