Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy recently opened up about a rather painful and unexpected encounter with one of his farm animals, detailing an injury that left him with a black eye. Gundy’s rough experience came during the team’s Week 7 bye, as he sought some time away from the football field after a difficult stretch for his team.
The Cowboys extended their losing streak to three games with a 38-14 defeat at the hands of West Virginia before the break, and Gundy’s time off didn’t go much better.
Rather than holding his usual Monday press conference in person at Boone Pickens Stadium, the 57-year-old coach opted for a remote Zoom session. Gundy explained that he was recovering from an injury caused by an unexpected run-in with one of his cattle.
“I had a little run-in with my cattle over the weekend,” Gundy revealed, as reported by News on 6’s Scott Pfeil. “I guess they’ve been watching us play, and I got head-butted. So I 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.”
Gundy went on to describe the injury in more detail, noting that his eye was “full of blood” and that he had been experiencing dizziness when standing. Despite the discomfort, the always humorous Gundy added, “But other than that, I’m doing great,” with a touch of sarcasm, as he brushed off the injury.
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Unfortunately for Gundy, his football team hasn’t given him much relief from the headaches either. After a promising 3-0 start in non-conference play, Oklahoma State has been on a downward spiral, allowing 102 points over their last three games—all losses. The Cowboys’ most recent defeat against West Virginia was particularly painful, as they gave up 389 rushing yards in a lopsided home blowout.
The quarterback position has also been a sore spot for the Cowboys. Senior Alan Bowman, who had started the season under center, has struggled mightily, throwing two interceptions in each of the last three games before being benched in favor of backup Garret Rangel.
With the team’s offensive struggles mounting, Gundy was noncommittal about who would start at quarterback for Friday night’s game against BYU.
He said the team was “working all of our guys,” which includes freshman Zane Flores, and that a decision on the starting quarterback would be made by Thursday.
As Oklahoma State prepares for a late-night matchup against BYU, kicking off at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN, Gundy will be hoping for a turnaround both on the field and in his personal health.
With the pressure building after three straight losses, all eyes are on how the Cowboys and their coach will respond as they head into the crucial second half of their season.
Hopefully, Gundy’s black eye will heal in time for the game, and the Cowboys will show the fight necessary to get back into the win column.
