For one Saturday in Manhattan, Oklahoma State looked nothing like a team that had been fighting through slow offensive starts.
The Cowboys came out firing and never let Kansas State catch its breath, rolling to a 66-28 win that was already tilted hard by halftime. OSU put up 35 first-half points and turned the game into a runaway with a first quarter that set the tone immediately.
That opening frame was as clean and explosive as the Cowboys have looked all season. OSU scored 28 points in the first quarter, its highest-scoring quarter since putting up 28 in the fourth quarter against West Virginia in 2023. The Cowboys found the end zone on all four of their first-quarter possessions, and three of those touchdown drives took just three plays.
The numbers from that stretch were eye-catching. Running back Caleb Hawkins averaged 13.8 yards on seven carries in the first quarter, while quarterback Drew Mestemaker opened 9 for 9 for 117 yards through the air. As a group, the Cowboys were averaging 13.9 yards per play in the opening quarter.
That kind of start was a sharp break from what happened last month at Houston, when early offensive struggles were a major issue. Saturday, that storyline disappeared fast.
The win pushed Oklahoma State to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12, and it also locked in something the program hadn’t had since 2023: bowl eligibility. The Cowboys had missed out on postseason play the previous two seasons, after going 1-11 in 2025 and 3-9 in 2024.
Before that stretch, OSU had rattled off an 18-year bowl run under Mike Gundy from 2002-23. The Cowboys’ most recent bowl trip ended with a 31-23 victory over Texas A&M in the TaxAct Texas Bowl.
Saturday’s offensive eruption also put several records in the books. OSU’s 66 points were the most ever scored in Manhattan, topping the previous mark of 45 set in 1972, 1976 and 1988. It was also the most points the Cowboys have ever scored against Kansas State, breaking the old mark of 56 from 1975 and 1987.
The first quarter alone was historic: 28 points marked OSU’s most in the opening period of a conference game since 2011, when it scored 35 against Kansas. The 49 points the Cowboys had by halftime were their most in any half since they scored 49 in the first half against Texas Tech in 2011.
Mestemaker also added a rare all-around scoring line, passing, rushing and running in a touchdown. It was the first time a Cowboy had done that since at least 1995.
Even with the lopsided result, Oklahoma State’s defensive issues weren’t fully erased. Kansas State found two big coverage busts for touchdowns, both involving Derrick Salley Jr.
In the first quarter, three Kansas State receivers were aligned on the right side of the formation, and no OSU defender ran with Salley Jr., who turned the mistake into a wide-open 73-yard touchdown. Kansas State later switched quarterbacks at halftime, and in the third quarter Dillon Duff sold a sideline throw, drawing safety Evan Jackson forward before launching a deep ball behind him to Salley Jr. for another open score.
Kansas State entered the game as one of the only teams in the country without a 50-yard passing play this season, but that changed quickly against OSU.
There was plenty of ball production on the other side, too, and LaDainian Fields kept adding to his reputation as a playmaker in the secondary. The sophomore corner finished with two interceptions and came into the game tied for the national lead with five picks.
His first takeaway was especially notable. Blake Barnett’s throw was aimed at Kansas State running back Rodney Fields Jr., who is LaDainian Fields’ cousin and a former Cowboy, but LaDainian broke on the ball and undercut the pass. He returned that interception 27 yards, then added a second pick that he brought back 10 yards.
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The Wildcats are 4-4 and just 1-4 in league play, and the matchup already carried plenty of weight before the latest quarterback wrinkle added another layer of uncertainty. For Oklahoma State, it is the kind of game that can change the tone of a stretch run, with the broadcast set for TNT and streaming available on Fubo. [Read more 🡒]