Oklahoma State’s home opener comes with almost no breathing room.
The Cowboys, still trying to steady themselves after a 24-10 loss at Tulsa in the first game of the Eric Morris era, now have to deal with No. 2 Oregon on Saturday morning in Stillwater. It’s a brutal Week 2 assignment, and it arrives with Boone Pickens Stadium sold out for an 11 a.m. kickoff.
OSU is trying to avoid a 12-game losing streak that stretches back to last season, and it’ll have to do that as a 22-point underdog against a Ducks team that already handled Boise State in its opener. Oregon also blew past Oklahoma State 69-3 last season, so there’s no mystery about how dangerous this matchup can get.
Here’s the setup:
Oklahoma State vs. Oregon
When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater
TV: ESPN
Radio: KXXY-FM 96.1
Line: Ducks by 22
Over/under: 58.5
Oregon comes in at 1-0 and opens Big Ten play later, but the headline piece is senior quarterback Dante Moore. He’s a top-five Heisman Trophy favorite and is being talked about as a potential top player at his position in the NFL Draft.
Against Boise State, Moore opened his season with 378 passing yards, three touchdowns and a 75.7% completion rate. He’s got the kind of arm that changes games in a hurry, and last season he led college football with 15 touchdown passes on throws traveling at least 20 yards downfield.
He also put up 266 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys a year ago.
The Ducks have been almost impossible to knock off lately. Over the last two seasons, they’ve lost only three times: twice to eventual national champion Indiana last season and once in 2024 to eventual national champion Ohio State. That kind of profile is exactly why Oklahoma State is walking into a major challenge after a Week 1 performance that didn’t suggest a quick turnaround.
Oregon’s receiving group gives Moore plenty to work with. Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan are the kind of playmakers who can win their matchups against OSU corners and turn routine snaps into explosive gains. And with the Cowboys dealing with a new left tackle after Jacob Sexton’s injury, plus uncertainty behind Caleb Hawkins at running back, the OSU offense may struggle to keep pace if this turns into a track meet.
Still, there’s a path for Oklahoma State to make this uncomfortable.
Boise State pushed Oregon early and had the Ducks down 17-7 just before halftime. Oregon also handed out 10 penalties for 90 yards, and that kind of sloppiness gave the Broncos a chance to hang around.
Hawkins, meanwhile, gave OSU a decent foundation against Tulsa, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. The Cowboys were at their best when they let him handle the ball, and that formula matters again here.
If Oklahoma State can run it, stay on schedule and chew up clock, it can keep Oregon’s offense off the field long enough to make Saturday more of a fight than the oddsmakers expect.
In Other News...
Oklahoma States Eric Morris Debut Raised Concerns Fans Cant Ignore
The early part of Eric Morris Oklahoma State debut quickly turned into a reminder that opener jitters can look a lot bigger when they pile up all at once. Tulsa walked away with a 24-10 win to snap the Cowboys 11-game streak in season openers, and Oklahoma State spent much of the afternoon chasing a game that kept slipping in the wrong direction as turnovers mounted and fourth-down chances went nowhere.
The concern went beyond the scoreboard, too. Left tackle Jacob Sexton was injured early and had to leave the field on a cart, leaving another ugly question hanging over a day the Cowboys needed to feel like a reset. Tulsa created the games most damaging explosive plays and used them to keep Oklahoma State under pressure, which made the loss feel less like one bad bounce and more like a warning about how much work still sits ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State's Week 1 Decisions Already Put Roster Spots Under Pressure
Oklahoma States first week of the season already came with roster pressure beyond the usual depth chart churn. Head coach Eric Morris said only 76 or 77 players would make the trip for the Tulsa game, a reminder that even before the schedule tightens, there are real decisions to be made about who is dressed and who is left behind. He framed it as part of the challenge of managing a roster on game day, especially with the staff still sorting out where the best fit lies for the opening stretch.
The bigger squeeze is still ahead, with deeper cuts expected once the Cowboys get to the Big 12 opener against West Virginia. For the players on the fringe, that means the margin for error is small and the path to traveling could come down to the unglamorous stuff, the kind of work that keeps special teams functional and gives a coaching staff confidence in the last few bus spots. The detailed list of who actually suited up for Tulsa gives a useful snapshot, but it also hints at how quickly those decisions can change once conference play begins. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Has A Tulsa Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Tulsas trip to Stillwater turned into more than just an in-state measuring stick game for Oklahoma State. The Golden Hurricane controlled the night with Baylor Hayes throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown, while Tulsas defense kept the Cowboys off balance, forced four turnovers and made life difficult on fourth down. For a program trying to establish some traction in the series, it was the kind of performance that carried real weight beyond one September result.
The bigger sting for OSU is what the loss means in the long view. Tulsa has now beaten the Cowboys in consecutive meetings for the first time since the early 1950s, a small but unavoidable reminder that this rivalry has tilted the wrong way for the moment. And after the game, Tre Lamb sounded plenty comfortable with where his team stood, leaving Oklahoma State with the added frustration of wondering just how much worse the final margin might have looked. [Read more 🡒]