Tulsa coach Tre Lamb after upsetting Oklahoma State: 'We're tired of being little brother'

On Friday, Tulsa defeated Oklahoma State 19-12. It was the Golden Hurricane’s first win over the Cowboys since 1998. After the game, Tulsa head coach Tre Lamb didn’t mince words on the importance of the win.

“We got a good group, man. We got a lot of fight. They’ve worked hard in the weight room,” Lamb said. “We’re tired of being little brother, man. Tulsa football’s back. We’re not gonna be on the third page of the paper anymore. That was a statement win for us.”

Oklahoma State’s defense didn’t have any answer for the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa amassed 424 yards of offense in the win. Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes completed 23-of-his-36 pass attempts for 219 yards and a touchdown.

However, the star for the Golden Hurricane was running back Dominic Richardson, who notched 146 yards on 31 carries. The game was personal for Richardson, who played at Oklahoma State from 2020-22. Lamb made sure to give the veteran RB his flowers after the win.

“They told him he wasn’t good enough to play here, so he had a chip on his shoulder all week,” Lamb said. “Transferred from here, came to us, and the guy’s a dog. He’s our best player. We gave him the ball tonight.”

This season is Lamb’s first at the helm of Tulsa. The school hired him in December after he led East Tennessee State to a 7-5 record in just his second season leading the program.

With the win, Tulsa improved to 2-2 on the season. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State fell to 1-2. The loss will undoubtedly cause fans to question Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy‘s future with the program.

Gundy was already on the hot seat this season after posting a 3-9 record in the 2024 campaign, his worst since taking over the program in 2005. If Oklahoma State decides to part ways with Mike Gundy at the end of this season, it will have to pay him $15 million.

In December 2024, Gundy agreed to terms on a restructured contract that included a $1 million reduction in salary and new buyout terms. The new contract, which pays him $6.75 million this year, includes an annual raise of $125,000 per year moving forward.

Oklahoma State paid Tulsa $300,000 to come to Stillwater and play. Now, barring any leadership changes within the program, Mike Gundy and his Cowboys must prepare to square off against Baylor next weekend.