Player Spotlight: Lucien Antoine

The NFL Draft Bible gets up close and personal with the “Punisher” aka Oklahoma State free safety Lucien Antoine.

Originally born in Caicos, this Cowboy journeyed to Haiti before coming to America in 2001. His first passion was basketball until he found out the physical nature of football and the rest is history. Fresh off a worthy performance in the AT&T Cotton Bowl which included an interception, Lucien now finds himself on the cusp of making it to the next level. Join host Bo Marchionte as he speaks with Antoine about Oklahoma State football and his own personal path to the NFL draft.

LISTEN HERE

Photo Courtesy of Dennis Hubbard

On Location: 2010 AT&T Cotton Bowl

By BO MARCHIONTE

The University of Mississippi Rebels accomplished something only four other teams have managed to do in 74 years of Cotton Bowl play and that’s win back-to-back bowl games by defeating Oklahoma State 21-7. Coach Houston Nutt commented on it immediately in the post game press conference saying, “It’s hard to win back-to-back bowls. It’s very difficult.”

A game that was plagued with turnovers (twelve total) and saw both teams doing their fair share of trying to give the game away, it was Ole Miss who prevailed in front of the second largest Cotton Bowl crowd and the first ever at the new Cowboys Stadium with 77,928 in attendance. The feeling might have been the same if Coach Nutt was on the losing end when Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said, “It’s hard to overcome giving one away. I think it’s tough to swallow. But, you know, we talked as a group in there. I’m not taking anything away from Ole Miss. Every time they made a mistake, we didn’t capitalize on it and take advantage of it”.

Even though both of these high-powered offenses ranked in the top 40 in scoring offense prior to today’s kickoff, the game will be remembered for the turnovers. Coach Nutt said, “It was ugly. I hate that (smiling). I hate the people in the country had to see that because we’re better than that. That infuriates you”.

With a game marred by dysfunctional quarterback play on both sides of the ball, it was Ole Miss senior running back Dexter McCluster (pictured) and now two-time Cotton Bowl MVP, who highlighted the day with 37 carries for 184 yards, along with five catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns. When asked if the heavy workload was a problem McCluster said, “I don’t have a problem with getting the ball that many times. Coach Nutt has the faith in me to take care of the ball. He knows I can make plays happen. I always dreamed about coming in and being a SEC running back”.

McCluster can definitely call himself a SEC running back, becoming the first player in conference history to rush for over 1,000 yards and catch over 500 receiving yards. Coach Nutt added, “To be the only player in the SEC to have over a thousand yards rushing and over 500 yards receiving, nobody, nobody else. Bo Jackson, I’m talking about great players in this league. He’s the only one. But this is why this is so special because this guy had done something. His heart is bigger than this stadium, I promise you”.

On te afternoon, OSU running back Keith Toston (pictured) had more touchdown passes than both teams signal callers combined, Cowboys quarterback Zac Robinson and Rebels quarterback Jevan Snead. It was that kind of day. It was as if each team was allowing the other to take the momentum. When asked if this was the most frustrating win he’s ever been involved with, Snead said, “I think it was. Obviously it was frustrating. I’m disappointed with the way that I played”. After a devastating hit, which led to his second interception, Snead came out for freshman quarterback Nathan Stanley, who grew up some 90 miles from Stillwater, Oklahoma in Tahlequah. Stanley replaced Snead with 11:32 in the second quarter.

Coach Nutt commented on Stanley coming in saying, “I was just trying to find something. Jevan wasn’t having his best game. He was turning it over. Sometimes you got to make a tough move. Nathan has got a good arm, made some good plays for us. As it got tighter, I just needed the most experience I had. I had to go back with Jevan”.

As bad as the offenses played, the defenses need to be given their due for forcing those turnovers. The defensive MVP of the 2010 Cotton Bowl was Oklahoma State senior linebacker Andre Sexton, who had ten tackles and two interceptions. Sexton expressed that, “It’s a great award. But it doesn’t really mean that much; we don’t come away with a win”.

Only three offensive touchdowns by two team’s that average 30 points per game during the season. It was a game of big hits and defensive stands with two on the goal line one by each team. It’s games that sometimes go as far away from the norm that make them special and this 2010 AT&T Cotton Bowl was just that.

Photos Courtesy of Dennis Hubbard

Draft Watch: Oklahoma State Cowboys

We have a Big 12 game tonight on Thursday Night College Football, players to watch for the 2010 NFL Draft are the following.

QB Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State - Robinson plays in a spread offense that so much of college football is going to, which makes it hard for NFL personal to really get a true evaluation off what a quarterback can do at the next level. Robinson is a good athlete and can move in the pocket to give himself time to get the ball down field and he does have a strong arm. He hasn’t had the season that many people thought he would, some of which is due to the NCAA suspension of his top receiver Dez Bryant. He is completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,922 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Colorado native has also rushed for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Right now looks, the Poke's signal caller looks like a 6th or 7th round pick, someone a team will want to develop for down the road.

RB Keith Toston, Oklahoma State – Toston has really improved his draft stock this season, with the loss of Bryant the Cowboys have become more of a running team and with Kendall Hunter injured for much of the season, Toston he been the focal point of the ground game. The senior has good size at 6' 0" and 214 pouds, with some good numbers as well (958 yards rushing, 10 touchdowns, 5.4 yards per carry). Toston has also caught 22 passes for 211 yards. The biggest question mark is going to be his straight line speed, which is why he will go somewhere around the 5th round.

OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State – As the season winds down, Okung, appears to be a sure fire top 10 pick and could be the first offensive tackle drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. Okung is a durable player having started since he was a true freshman. He is a good athlete, with good lateral mobility which allows him to be a very good pass protector (read: left tackle). He has quick feet and fluid movement, and also possesses a mean streak that scouts look for in offensive linemen. Coming from the spread offense that Oklahoma State runs, Okung will need to improve as a run blocker. He also needs to get stronger in the weight room.

OG Andrew Lewis, Oklahoma State – Lewis has the ability to play both guard and center and has decent size at 6' 4" and 295 pounds. The interior lineman does a good job in pass blocking, but needs to get a little stronger in run blocking and that will come in time. He has good feet and is a good overall athlete. Expect Lewis to get drafted towards the end of the draft.

OLB Patrick Lavine, Oklahoma State – Lavine has been a constant for OSU over the last three seasons, he finished second on the team in tackles as a freshman and sophomore, dropping to fourth last season as a junior. This season, his final in Stillwater, the linebacker has recorded 59 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack and an impressive five interceptions. Lavine was a safety in high school and still has good coverage skills for an outside linebacker. He is a bit undersized 6' 2" and 226 pounds, so he will need to add some weight to play at the next level. Right now, Lavine looks like a late round draft pick or an priority undrafted rookie free-agent.

CB Perrish Cox , Oklahoma State - Cox has good size a 6' 0" and 200 pounds. He is not only a good cover cornerback, but a willing tackler. Cox possesses good speed and shows that off on special teams, as he is one of the top returners in the Big XII. He has the ability to play both man to man and zone coverage as a cornerback. He has 29 total tackles this season with four interceptions and 15 pass break-ups, adding 543 kick return yards on 24 returns (22.6 yards per return) to his resume. Cox also has returned 12 punts for 106 yards. Cox is the top rated defender for Mike Gundy's squad and should go in the 2nd round draft of the 2010 NFL Draft.

S Andre Sexton, Oklahoma State – Sexton has played both linebacker and safety at Oklahoma State. He has good size at 6' 0" and 224 pounds, projecting as a safety at the next level. Sexton is a good overall athlete, but needs to improve his coverage skills. He's a good tackler and this season has wracked up 53 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception and four pass break-ups. Right now looks like a late round draft pick or an undrafted rookie free-agent.

S Lucien Antoine, Oklahoma State – Antoine is a physical safety who will come up and hit you. He has good size at 6' 1" and 215 pounds, but needs to improve his coverage skills. This season, the senior safety has 53 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception. He will be an "in the box" type safety at the next level. Like Sexton, Antoine projects as a late round draft pick or an undrafted rookie free-agent.

Colorado really doesn’t have any seniors for the 2010 NFL Draft.

For more NFL, NFL Draft news, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jvanfulpen

Photos Courtesy of Oklahoma State Athletics Media Relation

Draft Watch: Texas @ Oklahoma St.

10.31.09 @ 8:00 PM Eastern on ABC

1) Colt McCoy vs. Zac Robinson – Even though he has led the ‘Horns to an undefeated record to this point, including a win over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry and #3 BCS Ranking, it’s hard to say that McCoy has improved his draft stock this season. As a junior, McCoy threw for 3,859 yards and 34 touchdowns (eight interceptions) while completing a record 76.7 percent of his passes. This year the Longhorns’ signal caller is on pace for 3,096 yards (71.7 percent), 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions—that’s a significant dip in production any way you slice it. Even in victory McCoy failed to impress against the Sooners, and this week’s contest may his last chance to show scouts what he’s got before bowl season. On the other side, Robinson has been solid and while he isn’t putting up big numbers, he has played very smart football throwing 12 touchdown passes, just three interceptions and has been sacked only four times. What’s most impressive is in three Big XII games—without star wideout Dez Bryant—Robinson is averaging 252 yards with six touchdowns and one interception. A solid performance against the highly-touted ‘Horns could boost Robinson’s stock and if the Pokes pull off the upset, so much the better. While McCoy gets most of the attention, these quarterbacks are closer than most might think.

2) Russell Okung vs. Sergio Kindle – With so many top left tackle prospects having inconsistent senior seasons, Okung may have vaulted himself to the head of the class and has certainly helped himself as much as any senior. Some thought he might declare for the 2009 Draft following a solid junior campaign, but the left tackle appears to have made a wise decision to return to Stillwater. Okung has the size to protect the blind side, as well as the feet, having shutdown all opposing pass rushers to this point. This will be a big test for Kindle, who isn’t exploding as a senior the way former ‘Horn Brian Orakpo did last season. Kindle has seven tackles for a loss, but only two sacks. He is an athletic freak, but may be a bit overrated as a football player—he needs to show more if wants to cash in on that “first round talent”. Expect Okung to continue to handle his business and Kindle to come up empty against the Cowboys’ left tackle. You can be sure there will be a bevy of scouts spotlighting this one-on-one battle.

3) Jordan Shipley vs. Perrish Cox – We likely will not see these two lined up across from each other as often as Okung and Kindle, but when they do lock horns, it will be an opportunity for each to make a statement. Shipley does his best work in the slot and is more quick than fast. That’s not to say he lacks the speed to hit the home run, because he is more than capable of making a big play either as a return man or receiver. Shipley has great hands, runs crisp routes and has an uncanny chemistry with his buddy and roommate McCoy. Cox is the Cowboys’ best defensive back and the Pokes will need him to make big plays this Saturday night. Cox has good size, speed and length, which is why he is a better fit doing his work on the outside. While he has only intercepted one pass, Cox has gotten has hands on 11 footballs this season and is someone opposing quarterbacks tend to avoid. Shipley is averaging over 15 yards per punt return with two touchdowns, while Cox is no slouch himself as a return man, averaging 11.2 yards on punt returns and 24.9 on kick returns.

Photos Courtesy of University of Texas Athletics, Oklahoma State Athletics Media Relation

College Football Insiders Newsletter 3.8

In this week's issue:

* Inside the Nation: What four surprise schools could be going bowling?

* Award Watch: The Heisman Trophy & Davey O'Brien Award

* On Location: Pittsburgh Panthers

* One On One with Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams

* Player Spotlight on Blair White of Michigan State

* Game of the Week: Texas @ Oklahoma St.

* Conference Focus on Conference-USA

* Plus CFI's Top 25, BCS Busters, Fans Weekend Guide & Football Fans Four-Pack

To Subscribe for FREE email Daniel Mogollon @ dan@collegefootballinsiders.com

Photo Courtesy of David Knachel, Virginia Tech Athletics Communications