Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders will miss season opener

Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders will miss the season opener against Missouri State due to COVID-19 protocols, according to the OSU pregame radio show. Shane Illingworth is set to start in his place.

Over the past two seasons, Sanders has played in 20 games and amassed 4,072 yards and 30 touchdowns to 19 interceptions.

Illingworth played in four games for the Cowboys in 2020 after Sanders suffered a sprained ankle in the opener against Tulsa. Illingworth finished last year with 554 yards and four touchdowns.

Other quarterbacks on the roster are Ethan Bullock, Gunnar Gundy (son of coach Mike Gundy) and Peyton Thompson.

The Oklahoman reported on Aug. 6 that 80% of the OSU football team is vaccinated. Vaccinated players are not required to quarantine after a close contact. It is unclear whether Sanders is vaccinated and contracted the virus or unvaccinated and within close contact.

The Cowboys are coming off of an 8-3 season that included a Cheez-It Bowl victory against the Miami Hurricanes. They have a lot of production to replace on offense after losing running back Chuba Hubbard and receivers Tylan Wallace and Dillon Stoner.

Despite the losses, Oklahoma State was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12. This is due in large part to a great number of returning stars on defense. Safety Tre Sterling, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and safety Kolby Harvell-Peel return for a unit that finished fourth in the Big 12 in points allowed per game this past season.

Can the defense lead Oklahoma State to victory with Spencer Sanders expected to miss the opener? Will Shane Illingsworth be good enough to get the job done in his place? We’ll have the answers to these questions and plenty more soon enough.

The game is set to kickoff at 6 p.m. CST in Stillwater. The Cowboys are 32.5-point favorite in the contest over the Bears from Missouri State.