Tag: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) takes a hike in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

No. 25 Colorado shuts out Oklahoma State in lopsided matchup

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Travis Hunter made the most of his last impression on Heisman Trophy voters with three touchdown receptions, two pass breakups and an interception for No. 25 Colorado in a 52-0 win against Oklahoma State on Friday in Boulder, Colo.

The two-way star wasted little time making a splash. His interception was on the third play of the game and his first score was an 11-yard catch to give the Buffaloes (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

Shedeur Sanders connected on 34-of-41 passes for 438 yards, five touchdowns and an interception, setting Colorado’s single-season passing record. Koy Detmer had held that record since 1996.

Hunter had 116 yards on 10 grabs with three touchdowns and LaJohntay Wester had 11 catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

Micah Welch had a rushing touchdown for Colorado which kept its slim Big 12 Championship Game hopes alive. With Friday’s win, the Buffaloes are a half-game ahead of the rest of the league, but two of the three teams breathing down their necks — BYU, Arizona State or Iowa State — need to lose tomorrow for Colorado to advance to Arlington next week. They could also get to the championship game if BYU and West Virginia both lose.

Maealiuaki Smith was 11-of-29 for 70 yards and two interceptions for the Cowboys. Colorado outgained Oklahoma State 471-147.

In the first quarter, the Cowboys (3-9, 0-9) offense managed 16 yards, threw a pick to Hunter on its first drive, went three-and-out on its second, had a fumble recovered by Shilo Sanders on its third and punted on its fourth.

Oklahoma State had more penalty yards — eight for 74 yards — than it did offense — 30 yards — in the first half. The Cowboys had six three-and-outs and just one first down.

Colorado opened the second half with Wester’s 69-yard touchdown reception and its lead grew to 28-0. OSU fumbled on its next possession, which was recovered by Chidozie Nwankwo. The turnover led to Hunter’s second touchdown of the game, an 8-yard pass from Sanders, and a 35-0 Buffaloes lead.

After an Alejandro Mata field goal made the score 38-0, DJ McKinney returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown and a 45-0 Colorado lead on the second play of the fourth quarter.

The Buffaloes went up 52-0 when Sanders hit Hunter from 23 yards out as he was being pulled down for his third touchdown of the day.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Savion Williams (3) dives for a touchdown as Oklahoma State Cowboys linebacker Justin Wright (44) defends during the second quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

TCU stacks up touchdowns in routing Oklahoma State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Savion Williams and Cam Cook each scored two touchdowns as TCU became bowl eligible with a 38-13 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday in the Big 12 Conference matchup in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Horned Frogs (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives from the first to fourth quarters, including a pair of scores following turnovers by the Cowboys.

Josh Hoover passed for 286 yards and a touchdown for TCU, while JP Richardson racked up seven catches for 100 yards.

Alan Bowman threw for 141 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Oklahoma State (3-7, 0-7), which has lost seven straight games and will not play in a bowl game for the first time since the 2005 season. Ollie Gordon II ran for 121 yards and a touchdown for the Cowboys, while De’Zhaun Stribling caught seven passes for 101 yards and a score.

TCU began the game with a 10-play, 61-yard drive that ended with Kyle Lemmermann’s 32-yard field goal. Oklahoma State punted on its first possession, but the Horned Frogs were unable to cash in as Lemmermann missed a 44-yard kick.

However, the hosts got another opportunity not long thereafter as Gordon fumbled and Abe Camara recovered at the TCU 37. Seven plays later, Cook slipped through defenders on his way to an 18-yard touchdown run.

The next Cowboys possession also ended with a turnover — this one an interception by Bud Clark — and TCU was back in the end zone 11 plays later. Williams punctuated the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 6:30 left in the second quarter.

The Horned Frogs squeezed in one final touchdown before the end of the half, as Hoover connected with Williams on a 6-yard slant to make it 24-0 with seven seconds remaining.

The Cowboys scored a pair of touchdowns in the second half, but they simply could not stop TCU.

The Horned Frogs had one possession in the third quarter and marched 69 yards in 11 plays, capped by Cook’s 4-yard scoring run. Then in the fourth, their first offensive play was a 16-yard run by Williams, followed immediately by Jordyn Bailey’s electric 59-yard touchdown burst on an end-around.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy watches warm ups before the first half the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov., 2, 2024.

Oklahoma State continues quest for elusive league win in clash vs. TCU

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Oklahoma State is running out of chances to earn its first Big 12 win this season.

The Cowboys hope to pick up their initial conference victory — and avoid a seventh straight loss overall — when they visit TCU on Saturday night in Fort Worth, Texas.

This weekend likely marks the best remaining chance for Oklahoma State (3-6, 0-6) to earn a league win. The Cowboys’ final two games will be against Texas Tech and Colorado, and both of those schools are in the top half of the league standings.

That said, TCU (5-4, 3-3) is no slouch. The Horned Frogs had won three of four games before dropping a 37-34 decision to Baylor last week on the final play of the game.

Josh Hoover passed for 333 yards for the Horned Frogs, connecting with Jack Bech five times for 98 yards and two scores in a losing effort.

“We played a clean game,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. “We didn’t turn the football over. We didn’t capitalize on every opportunity that we should have, clearly. It’s frustrating.”

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State’s six-game skid surprisingly has featured tight losses to ranked foes Utah and BYU and blowouts at the hands of unranked opponents West Virginia and Arizona State.

In last weekend’s 42-21 loss to the Sun Devils, the Cowboys managed just 270 yards. Ollie Gordon ran for a season-low 25 yards on 11 carries, while Alan Bowman (175 passing yards) was held under 200 yards for the third time in four games.

“I have a good idea of what’s going on. I’m aware of where we’re at as a team,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “I’m aware of where we’re at (from a) personnel standpoint on offense, defense and special teams. This is my job. This is what I do. … It’s a very common day-to-day for me to look at where everything’s at and to continue to try to work toward the goal, which is try to find a way to win on Saturday.”

The Cowboys must win their final three games to become bowl eligible for the 19th straight season.

TCU has won four of the last six meetings, including 43-40 in double overtime in the most recent matchup on Oct. 15, 2022.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman (7) passes the ball in the first half during an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.

Alan Bowman tosses 5 TDs as No. 13 Oklahoma State trounces Tulsa

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Alan Bowman threw for 396 yards and five touchdowns Saturday as No. 13 Oklahoma State roared out to a 28-0 halftime lead on its way to a 45-10 road rout of Tulsa.

Bowman completed 24 of 31 passes with an interception as the Cowboys improved to 3-0. Oklahoma State outgained the Golden Hurricane 560-352 in its final non-conference tune-up before opening Big 12 play next week at home against Utah.

Kirk Francis hit 14 of 31 passes for 153 yards with an interception for Tulsa (1-2), which came into the contest averaging 43 points per game. The aggressive Cowboys notched seven tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks, and permitted just 5 of 16 3rd-down conversions.

Bowman started his aerial attack with a 1-yard scoring strike to Brennan Presley at the 8:38 mark of the first quarter, capping a game-opening 16-play, 75-yard drive. It became 14-0 just over two minutes into the second period on Bowman’s 8-yard touchdown pass to De’Zhaun Stribling.

That kicked off a 21-point quarter that put the game out of reach for the Golden Hurricane. Bowman found Talyn Shettron for a 78-yard strike on Oklahoma State’s next possession, then capped a 274-yard half by hitting Josh Ford for an 18-yard touchdown with 3:23 left in the second quarter.

Bowman connected with Stribling, who finished the game with seven grabs for 174 yards and two scores, on a 63-yard scoring strike over the middle at the 8:19 mark of the third quarter. Logan Ward tacked on a 43-yard field goal and Sesi Vailahi scored on a 1-yard run with 10:05 left in the game to cap the Cowboys’ scoring.

Tulsa averted a shutout by scoring on its last two possessions. Seth Morgan booted a 43-yard field goal with 6:15 remaining and backup quarterback Stephen Kittleman reached the end zone on a 9-yard run on the first play after the two-minute timeout.

Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II, who was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate by some prior to the season, was held to 41 yards on 17 carries.
–Field Level Media

Oklahoma State's Collin Oliver (30) sacks Arkansas' Taylen Green (10) in the first half of the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Arkansas Razorbacks at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 7, 2024.

No. 13 Oklahoma State takes mature approach into game vs. Tulsa

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According to Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, the challenge for Saturday’s game at Tulsa isn’t necessarily what schemes the Golden Hurricane might concoct on offense or defense.

It’s how his 13th-ranked team can bounce back after needing double overtime last week to record a 39-31 win over Arkansas.

“College football is a one-game season,” Gundy said. “It started (Sunday) and then Tulsa ends Saturday after the game. You have to recondition physically and mentally. You have to hydrate, eat food, sleep, study. You have to do the same things to maximize yourself each week.

“If you’re not mature enough to understand that, then you’re going to struggle.”

Gundy is hopeful his team’s sixth- and seventh-year seniors have the maturity to not look past an instate rival that would love nothing more than to hand it a stinging loss prior to next week’s Big 12 Conference opener with Utah.

One thing the Cowboys (2-0) want to improve is a running game that was supposed to be a strength but has instead failed to produce as much as some felt it would. Ollie Gordon II, considered a Heisman Trophy candidate prior to the season, managed only 49 yards on 17 carries last week, although he did score the winning touchdown on a 12-yard run.

“At the end of the day, you gotta think about the team,” Gordon said. “It’s not a ‘you’ sport, it’s a ‘we’ sport. Just keeping it in my mind at all times, I feel like that’s what got us through it.”

Gordon has 175 yards on 45 carries for a 3.9-yard average. He figures to get his share of work early in an attempt to establish the running game on the road.

Tulsa (1-1) also could have entered this game with a clean sheet but instead coughed up a 10-point halftime lead last week in a 28-24 loss at Arkansas State. The result spoiled a big game by Kamdyn Benjamin, who caught six passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

“We left some points on the board,” Golden Hurricane coach Kevin Wilson said. “Third quarter, we got our butt kicked. We struggled to block in the second half. Some mistakes got us, some poor play-calling. We got to come home and see what we got.”

What Tulsa has had so far is a lot of offense. It has averaged 43 points in two games, sporting the kind of balance characteristic of Wilson’s offenses as a coordinator at Oklahoma and the head coach at Indiana. Benjamin is on pace for more than 1,000 receiving yards and quarterback Kirk Francis is averaging an impressive 12.8 yards per completion.

A bigger concern is the defense and special teams. The Golden Hurricane had trouble getting off the field last week, giving up 8 of 17 conversions on third downs, and permitted a 77-yard punt return score during Arkansas State’s 21-point third quarter.

Oklahoma State owns a 44-27-5 lead in the all-time series, including a 28-23 win three years ago when the teams last met in Tulsa.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma State walks onto the field before the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Aug., 31, 2024.

No. 17 Oklahoma State ends South Dakota State winning streak with ease

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Ollie Gordon II ran for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass as No. 17 Oklahoma State beat South Dakota State 44-20 on Saturday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The loss snapped the Jackrabbits’ 29-game winning streak. South Dakota State has won back-to-back FCS championships.

Gordon, last season’s Doak Walker Award winner, got off to a bit of a slow start.

But he helped break the game open in the third quarter, with 58 of his 104 rushing yards and 36 of his 42 receiving yards coming in the quarter.

Alan Bowman hit Gordon for a 14-yard completion on fourth-and-3 from the Jackrabbits’ 36 on the first drive of the second half and then found Gordon again on the next play for a 22-yard touchdown.

South Dakota State quickly answered with three consecutive long completions by Mark Gronowski, capped by a 21-yard touchdown to Grahm Goering.

The Cowboys stretched their lead once again on a 58-yard touchdown catch from Rashod Owens.

After forcing a punt, Oklahoma State went ahead 38-13 with a seven-play touchdown drive.

Gordon carried the ball on each of the last six plays, finishing the drive with a 1-yard touchdown.

Gordon topped the 100-yard mark for the 10th time in his last 12 games. He led FBS 1,732 yards rushing as a sophomore last season.

The Cowboys got on the board early on Logan Ward’s 42-yard field goal less than four minutes into the game.

After Korie Black’s interception on the next drive, Oklahoma State found the end zone on Brennan Presley’s 6-yard touchdown catch from Bowman.

Five of Presley’s seven receptions came in the first quarter.

Ward later added a 52-yard field goal early in the fourth and a 25-yarder late in his first game as the Cowboys’ kicker after taking over for Alex Hale.

Gronowski, last season’s Walter Payton Award winner as the top player in FCS, threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns.

Griffin Wilde had seven catches for 150 yards and a touchdown.

Bowman threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 25 of 34 passes, including 13 consecutive at one point.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy looks on during the fourth quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

No. 20 Oklahoma State beats BYU in 2OT, makes Big 12 title game

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No. 20 Oklahoma State rallied from an 18-point deficit to clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a thrilling 40-34 double-overtime win over BYU on Saturday in rainy Stillwater, Okla.

Ollie Gordon II rushed for 166 yards and five touchdowns, including scores in the final minute of regulation and in each OT session, to help secure the Cowboys (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) a championship showdown with No. 7 Texas next Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Cowboys safety Trey Rucker stripped the ball out of Cougars tight end Isaac Rex’s hands and recovered the fumble to clinch the win after Gordon put the Cowboys up by six on their possession in the second overtime.

BYU (5-7, 2-7) led much of the way – including a 24-6 halftime lead — and then forced overtime with a gritty, last-minute drive for a game-tying field goal as time expired. The Cougars’ first season in the Big 12 ended on a turnover and with five consecutive losses in conference action.

Oklahoma State’s Alan Bowman threw for 321 yards on 31-for-47 passing, including 132 yards and nine receptions to Leon Johnson III. Brennan Presley added 90 yards receiving for OSU, which piled up 503 yards of offense.

Jake Retzlaff completed 14 of 30 passes for 161 yards for BYU, while Aidan Robbins rushed for 74 yards as BYU had 327 yards of offense.

Gordon put OSU up 27-24 on a 15-yard touchdown with under a minute to go after the Cowboys had trailed since the first quarter. BYU kept it to a three-point game by blocking the extra point attempt.

BYU forced overtime thanks to a 48-yard field goal by Will Ferrin as time expired in regulation.

Gordon scored two other times in the second half from 2 yards out as OSU erased BYU’s big lead to earn a spot in the championship game.

Oklahoma State took a 6-0 lead on two Alex Hale field goals.

The Cougars went ahead 7-6 after Retzlaff scored on a 2-yard TD run. Eddie Heckard put BYU up 14-6 with a 13-yard interception return.

BYU went into the locker room with a 24-6 lead thanks to an 11-yard touchdown run by Keelon Marion and a 42-yard Ferrin field goal.

In overtime, BYU went up by a touchdown on a 6-yard Retzlaff keeper.

Oklahoma State answered with Gordon’s fourth touchdown from 3 yards out. Gordon broke free from a tackle to score the go-ahead TD from 2 yards out in the second overtime.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Rashod Owens (10) catches a pass during the fourth quarter as Houston Cougars defensive back Isaiah Hamilton (23) defends at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

High stakes on line as No. 20 Oklahoma State hosts BYU

Posted on | by Field Level Media

BYU and No. 20 Oklahoma State both have something to play for Saturday when they meet in Stillwater, Okla.

Despite losing four straight games, the Cougars (5-6, 2-6 Big 12) can become bowl eligible for the sixth year in a row with a win.

The host Cowboys (8-3, 6-2) have even more on the line. They are in contention for a spot in the Big 12 championship.

Texas sits on top of the standings with a 7-1 record in Big 12 play. Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Kansas State are locked in a three-way tie for second place at 6-2.

The Longhorns and Cowboys would clinch spots in the Big 12 championship game with wins over Texas Tech and BYU, respectively. Oklahoma State defeated the Sooners and Wildcats this season and own tiebreakers should the three programs finish knotted up.

The championship game scenario gets much more complicated if Texas and Oklahoma State aren’t both victorious.

“Our goal when we start the season has always been to find a way to win a conference championship,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “I just told the team, ‘My math is not really good. I don’t understand all that.’ I know if we keep winning, it gives us the best chance in the end.”

The Cowboys found themselves trailing by 14 points in the second quarter at Houston before making a comeback to keep themselves in the championship hunt with a 43-30 win.

Alan Bowman passed for 348 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Brennan Presley hauled in a career-best 15 receptions for 189 yards. Ollie Gordon II had three second-half touchdowns and finished with 164 rushing yards to help Oklahoma State rally for the victory.

“This was a really good culture win for us,” Gundy said. “Things didn’t go well for us in the first quarter and a half. When playing on the road, when you have that many things go south, if you don’t have a strong culture, strong chemistry, a lot of times, teams can’t fight back and recover from that. In all three phases, they did.”

BYU was on the verge of having its own good culture win Saturday. The Cougars were in prime position to defeat Oklahoma at home but squandered away the opportunity with costly turnovers.

In the second half, BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw an interception that was returned 100 yards for a touchdown. He also fumbled while being sacked on the Cougars’ 25-yard line.

“Turnovers cost us,” said BYU coach Kalani Sitake, whose team had three giveaways in the 31-24 loss. “You cannot be careless with the football, whether it’s fumbles or interceptions, and expect to beat teams.”

The outcome spoiled the best offensive output of the season for BYU, which has uncharacteristically struggled to move the ball and score. Aidan Robbins rushed for a season-high 182 yards and Retzlaff had 173 yards passing and two touchdowns for BYU, which finished with a season-best 390 total yards with 217 yards rushing.

“Offensively, we saw some really good things,” Sitake said, “but the turnovers were such a downer.”

BYU has experienced growing pains in its first season in the Big 12, having lost four in a row and five of six in conference action.

–Field Level Media