Oklahoma State’s case for a spot back in the Top 25 got a lot stronger Saturday, and not just because of the scoreline.
The Cowboys rolled past Colorado 57-24, a result that was eye-catching on its own and even more useful in a weekend packed with upheaval around the country. A bunch of ranked teams went down, including No.
2 BYU, No. 7 Ole Miss, No.
8 Texas Tech, No. 11 Tennessee, No.
14 Houston, No. 15 Iowa and No.
16 USC. That kind of carnage usually opens the door for a team sitting just outside the rankings.
Oklahoma State was right there on the edge after last week’s vote in the AP poll, coming in just one spot out of No. 25.
The tricky part is that the teams directly ahead of them all held on. No.
21 Boise State, No. 23 SMU, No.
24 Northwestern and No. 25 Arizona all won, which leaves the Cowboys waiting to see whether any of the losers above them drop far enough to create a path back in.
The Cowboys were not ranked in this weekend’s USA Today US LBM Top 25, the coaches poll that includes OSU’s Eric Morris. Oklahoma State received 120 votes there and was the first team outside the poll. USC sat at No. 25 with 132 votes.
On the field, Oklahoma State’s offense stayed in full gear. Drew Mestemaker threw for 386 yards and four touchdowns, Caleb Hawkins rushed for 120 yards, and Justin Bowick hauled in five catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. Hawkins added five receptions for 72 yards as well.
The defense had a rough opening half, though Colorado made that part messy. The Buffaloes scored 24 points before halftime, with Isaac Wilson throwing for 222 yards and Colorado finding the end zone on four of its five offensive possessions. Colorado had also entered the game on a five-game losing streak and still had not won a Big 12 game.
Then the game flipped. Jerry Lawson forced a fumble that set up a turnover and an Oklahoma State touchdown on offense, and from there the Cowboys took control. LaDainian Fields picked off two passes, and Ethan Wesloski added two sacks as the defense settled in and slammed the door.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Finally Looks Dangerous Again But One Problem Still Lingers
After two seasons that left Oklahoma State searching for traction, Saturdays win over Colorado offered a much cleaner picture of what this team can be. The Cowboys had already surpassed their combined win total from the previous two years, and the victory felt significant not just for the record book but for the way it came together, with Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins and Justin Bowick all turning in the kind of performances that can carry a team when the schedule tightens.
The lingering issue is still hard to ignore, though. Oklahoma States defense wobbled in the first half before finally finding a turning point early in the third quarter, and if the Cowboys are going to keep building on this momentum, they will need that side of the ball to be steadier from the opening whistle instead of relying on timely swings to change the game. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Turned A Shaky Start Into A Statement Win
Colorado had the upper hand at halftime, and the first half did not exactly hint at what was coming next. Oklahoma State flipped the script in a major way, rolling to a 57-24 win that turned a shaky opening into one of its most complete performances of the season. The Cowboys found their rhythm on both sides of the ball after the break, when their quarterback helped drive the offense to a burst of points that quickly erased any doubt.
Oklahoma State's passing game did the heavy lifting, with the quarterback throwing for 386 yards and four touchdowns, while Sam Keltner kept adding to the scoreboard with a school-record five field goals. Colorado, meanwhile, was held to just 120 yards of offense in the second half as the Cowboys' defense slammed the door and turned a tight game into a statement win. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Forced Colorado To Face A Much Bigger Problem
The Colorado Buffaloes skid deepened in Week 8 with a 57-24 loss to Oklahoma State, their fifth straight defeat, but Joseph Williams still gave them one of the few bright spots on a rough afternoon. The receiver turned in a career game with nine catches for 135 yards, giving Colorado a needed spark even as the Cowboys kept the pressure on and forced the Buffaloes to keep chasing the game.
Williams pointed to the way the second half unraveled as the bigger issue, with penalties and the inability to put together a full four quarters once again costing Colorado. Even with the losses piling up, he said he still believes in what the team can become, which makes the frustration all the more obvious for a group still searching for a complete performance. [Read more 🡒]