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Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy expects injured running back Kendall Hunter to have a limited role if he’s able to play at all Saturday against No. 3 Texas.
Hunter, an all-Big 12 selection as the league’s leading rusher a season ago, has missed the last five games for the 13th-ranked Cowboys (6-1, 3-0) after spraining his right ankle in the second game of the season.
He sat out last week’s win at Baylor despite being cleared to play.
“We would hope that his athletic ability would allow him to contribute to the offense, and I certainly wouldn’t think he would come in and get 20 carries in the first game,” Gundy said Monday at his weekly news conference. “I would think he’d be an eight- to 10-carry guy, maybe throw him a few passes and take some of the load off of Keith (Toston) and Beau (Johnson).”
Hunter ran for 161 yards on only 18 carries in last year’s 28-24 loss at Texas. He had the most yards rushing of any opposing player against the Longhorns last season on his way to leading the Big 12 with 1,555 yards rushing.
Gundy said Hunter has practiced the past two weeks and it’s up to the junior whether he feels comfortable playing.
Quarterback Zac Robinson said he had been nagging at Hunter since his injury, asking when the tailback would be able to play — sometimes jokingly, and sometimes more seriously.
“Last week, I thought he might be able to (play) and then as practice went on later in the week, you could tell it was really hampering him, his injury,” Robinson said. “He definitely wants to play. He’s a really competitive guy. There’s no question he wants to play. It’s just a matter of can it hold up throughout the week.”
Toston has replaced Hunter the last five games, averaging 97 yards rushing. He and Johnson combined for 202 yards on 37 carries against Baylor on Saturday.
Gundy also said he has no update on the status of All-America receiver Dez Bryant, who has missed the last four games after being ruled ineligible for lying to the NCAA about an offseason meeting with former NFL player Deion Sanders.
Oklahoma State has asked the NCAA to reinstate Bryant.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy expects injured running back Kendall Hunter to have a limited role if he’s able to play at all Saturday against No. 3 Texas.
Hunter, an all-Big 12 selection as the league’s leading rusher a season ago, has missed the last five games for the 13th-ranked Cowboys (6-1, 3-0) after spraining his right ankle in the second game of the season.
He sat out last week’s win at Baylor despite being cleared to play.
“We would hope that his athletic ability would allow him to contribute to the offense, and I certainly wouldn’t think he would come in and get 20 carries in the first game,” Gundy said Monday at his weekly news conference. “I would think he’d be an eight- to 10-carry guy, maybe throw him a few passes and take some of the load off of Keith (Toston) and Beau (Johnson).”
Hunter ran for 161 yards on only 18 carries in last year’s 28-24 loss at Texas. He had the most yards rushing of any opposing player against the Longhorns last season on his way to leading the Big 12 with 1,555 yards rushing.
Gundy said Hunter has practiced the past two weeks and it’s up to the junior whether he feels comfortable playing.
Quarterback Zac Robinson said he had been nagging at Hunter since his injury, asking when the tailback would be able to play — sometimes jokingly, and sometimes more seriously.
“Last week, I thought he might be able to (play) and then as practice went on later in the week, you could tell it was really hampering him, his injury,” Robinson said. “He definitely wants to play. He’s a really competitive guy. There’s no question he wants to play. It’s just a matter of can it hold up throughout the week.”
Toston has replaced Hunter the last five games, averaging 97 yards rushing. He and Johnson combined for 202 yards on 37 carries against Baylor on Saturday.
Gundy also said he has no update on the status of All-America receiver Dez Bryant, who has missed the last four games after being ruled ineligible for lying to the NCAA about an offseason meeting with former NFL player Deion Sanders.
Oklahoma State has asked the NCAA to reinstate Bryant.
