The Oklahoma State Cowboys got a bye in Week 5, but the rest of the Big 12 stayed busy, and several of OSU’s future opponents gave the Cowboys plenty to watch.
One of the most relevant results came from Houston, where UCF had a real shot to knock off the No. 20 Cougars before the game slipped away in the second half. Houston finished with a 27-17 win after UCF led 10-0 at halftime and left points on the board late in the first half by failing to score a touchdown in the red zone.
The Knights’ momentum changed when quarterback Keyone Jenkins threw an interception to Houston’s Latreveon McCutchin in the third quarter. That turnover set up a touchdown run by Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman, who scored three times in the game.
Jenkins also got banged up after the pick and dealt with it the rest of the way. After the game, head coach Scott Frost said Jenkins was cramping up.
Jenkins finished with 253 passing yards and a touchdown. Since Alonza Barnett III’s injury in Week 2, he has provided steady play for UCF.
The Knights are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12, and they now head to Stillwater for an 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium. One number that won’t help their case: UCF is 0-2 on the road this season.
Colorado’s trip to Texas Tech was another reminder that the Buffaloes’ defense may be carrying more weight than expected. The Buffs lost 29-7, but the bigger problem was on offense, where Colorado threw four interceptions.
Only one of those was returned for a touchdown, which says plenty about how little help the defense got. Texas Tech held Colorado to 315 total yards, and the Buffs’ defense did enough to keep the final score from getting worse.
There’s still more to figure out with Texas Tech’s offense, but two things stood out from that game: the Red Raiders’ defense looks strong, and Colorado’s offense is struggling. That makes OSU’s Homecoming game on Oct. 23 look less daunting than it may have seemed earlier.
Iowa State also turned in a result that should catch the Cowboys’ attention. In a 45-42 win over West Virginia in Ames, the Cyclones showed they can put up points in a hurry. The game kicked off at 11 a.m., but the pace and scoring fit more of a Big 12 After Dark vibe.
Aiden Flora led the way for Iowa State with 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing for two scores. Jaylen Raynor passed for 264 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and Cody Jackson had six catches for 160 yards and a touchdown. Flora’s 2-yard touchdown run with 1:57 remaining gave Iowa State the lead for good.
West Virginia’s offense made things difficult, which is familiar territory for Oklahoma State. Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for 227 yards, rushed for 149 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. Cam Cook ran for 142 yards and two scores, and DJ Epps caught four passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.
The Cowboys won’t face Iowa State until Oct. 31, but the Cyclones appear to be settling in under new head coach Jimmy Rogers.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Just Added A Familiar Name With Something To Prove
Braylin Presley is back in the picture for Oklahoma State after a winding college path that took him from Stillwater to Tulsa and now back to the Cowboys. The former OSU player and Tulsa standout has been granted a fifth year of eligibility, giving him a chance to return to the program that first brought him into the Big 12 spotlight.
The move comes as Presley and several other athletes continue to challenge the NCAAs new age-based eligibility rule in court, and that legal fight has kept his status in motion. For now, though, his return still appears to be in limbo on the school side, since he has not yet been formally announced by Oklahoma State and was not on the teams electronic roster Sunday evening. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Gets A Real Week 6 Test Coming Out Of Bye
Coming out of its bye week, Oklahoma State heads into Week 6 with a conference game that has a little more intrigue than a standard early-October matchup. The Cowboys are set to host UCF in Big 12 play, and the timing gives them a chance to build on the momentum they carried into the break after putting together a strong start to the month.
UCF arrives with some uncertainty under center and a road profile that has not been encouraging so far this season, which only adds to the sense that this is a real test for both sides. For Oklahoma State, the game offers a chance to measure whether its recent turnaround has some staying power as the Big 12 schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Heads To Oklahoma State With One Huge Availability Question
UCFs trip to Stillwater comes with more uncertainty than usual, and Scott Frost spent part of the week sorting through the injury ripple effects before the Knights face Oklahoma State. The list already includes several key players, and Frost has tried to stress the next-man-up approach as UCF leans on its depth and waits to see who can make it back in the near future.
One of the bigger questions hanging over the matchup is the offensive line, where center Jacob Maiava is dealing with a lower-body injury and remains questionable. The Knights also appear set to be short on offense and in the middle of the defense, with the availability of quarterback Alonza Barnett III and linebacker Lewis Carter shaping up as a major storyline as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]