STILLWATER - Oklahoma State walks into Saturday with a brutal assignment and a few smaller goals that would count as progress if the scoreboard turns ugly.
No. 6 Oregon is coming to Stillwater, making the Ducks the first Big Ten team ever to visit.
The Cowboys are three-touchdown underdogs, and their 30-game winning streak in home openers - the longest such streak in the country - is suddenly on shaky ground. It’s also Eric Morris’ first home game as OSU’s head coach, which makes the timing about as unforgiving as it gets after the Turnpike Classic loss at Tulsa.
A win would be the dream. But if that’s not there, Oklahoma State can still try to come out of the day with a few victories inside the game.
One of the clearest? Look the part physically.
That was already a concern before the season started. After the first day of preseason practice on Aug.
5, Morris said, “I thought we had some guys that couldn’t finish practice today,” and added, “Toughness is going to be a major factor. I got to go back and watch the tape and see why that happened.
Obviously, it’s super hot out here, but we got to get a lot tougher from this point on before our first game.”
Three days after the loss at Tulsa, he sounded even more concerned about how the Cowboys handled the heat and the pace.
“I didn’t think that we were in good enough shape to play it,” Morris said. “Just going back and watching our body language on the sideline, in the fourth quarter, and people (are) throwing up.”
Saturday’s forecast won’t offer much relief, either. The high in Stillwater is expected to be in the mid-90s, with a chance of storms, and the 11 a.m. kickoff means the heat could matter again. Oklahoma State should at least be better adjusted to it than Oregon, which travels from Eugene.
Another key is simple: keep Drew Mestemaker upright.
Oregon got three sacks against Boise State in Week 1, and Tulsa brought down Mestemaker twice. That’s a dangerous trend with OSU now dealing with a major hit to the offensive line after starting left tackle and captain Jacob Sexton suffered a season-ending leg injury last Saturday.
North Texas transfer Desmond Magiya and Portland State transfer Shaun Torgeson are the options at left tackle, and either one will have a rough first test. On the edge are Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei, while the interior has to deal with Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington. All four are projected NFL draft picks, and the source material makes clear this is the toughest front Oklahoma State will face all season, even more demanding than Texas Tech’s.
There’s also the human side of this one: the crowd.
Morris is trying to rebuild trust, but a home debut against Oregon comes after the Tulsa loss put OSU in an 0-2 hole. He said Tuesday, “There’s a bunch of people obviously disappointed, and then we have a bunch of people reading press clippings and social media saying how bad we are and what a disgrace we are and all that stuff,” Morris said. “Like, are we mentally tough enough to block that out?”
A competitive showing would help. A blowout could empty the stands early and turn Morris’ first game in Stillwater into a rough scene.
There’s a football reason to keep watching, too: the running back depth chart.
Caleb Hawkins is the lead back, but Oklahoma State is still looking for somebody to grab the backup job. Morris put it plainly Tuesday: “May the best man win,” he said.
The competition appears to be between Tarleton State transfer Tre Page III and James Madison transfer Ayo Adeyi. Jenks’ KD Jones, the No. 1 player in OSU’s 2026 signing class, did not play.
On defense, the Cowboys will also have a target number in mind: keep Oregon under 450 yards.
It’s not a perfect measuring stick, but it gives OSU something concrete to chase against Dante Moore and the Ducks. Oregon piled up 631 yards in last year’s 69-3 win over Oklahoma State. This season, the Ducks averaged 452 yards per game, and they put up 497 in their opener against Boise State.
Skyler Cassity’s defense faded late against Tulsa, but the first half offered some encouragement. The offense, by contrast, did not. Saturday will show whether Oklahoma State can at least build on the defensive stretch it already has, even if the bigger scoreboard picture is a long shot.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Draft Hopes Ride On One Massive Oregon Showcase
The Oregon game is shaping up as one of the more closely watched dates on Oklahoma States early schedule, and for good reason. With several players on the field carrying first-round buzz, the matchup has drawn a heavy NFL presence and will give the Cowboys a rare chance to measure themselves in front of the kind of evaluators who shape draft boards.
Drew Mestemaker is one of the names scouts will have on their radar, even if he still has work to do to steady his play. Wyatt Young also adds another layer of intrigue for Oklahoma State, thanks to his strong receiving grade and the possibility that he could fit as an NFL slot receiver, making this trip to Eugene more than just another early-season test. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Must Fix One Major Problem Before Oregon Arrives
Oklahoma State gets another crack at Oregon on Saturday in Stillwater, and the matchup starts with one obvious concern for the Cowboys defense. The No. 6 Ducks bring back quarterback Dante Moore, who already knows how to attack this team, and Oklahoma State will need a much cleaner day up front if it hopes to keep Oregons passing game from taking over early.
The problem is that the Cowboys did not create nearly enough disruption in their recent loss to Tulsa, which left their pass rush looking like a unit still searching for its footing. If Oklahoma State cannot hurry Moore and force Oregon out of rhythm, the afternoon could turn into a long one for a defense that already has a painful memory from the last meeting. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State May Catch Oregon At The Worst Possible Time
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Hooks return matters because of the way his teammates talk about him. Dakorien Moore has praised the receivers growth and the kind of impact he can bring once he is on the field, and Dan Lanning has sounded optimistic about getting him into the lineup. For Oklahoma State, that adds another layer of difficulty in a game where the margin for error already looks thin. [Read more 🡒]