Oklahoma State came home from West Virginia with more than a win. The Cowboys also picked up a fresh round of Big 12 recognition after a 41-24 victory Saturday night, with three players and one unit landing weekly honors.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, linebacker Ethan Wesloski and kicker Sam Keltner each took home conference awards for the second time this season. Mestemaker was named offensive player of the week, Wesloski got the defensive nod and Keltner earned special teams honors. The Cowboy offensive line also repeated as the league’s offensive line of the week, just as it did after the Oregon game.
Mestemaker’s first Big 12 start turned into a huge night through the air. He completed 20 of 27 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns, producing the most passing yards by a Big 12 player against an FBS opponent this season. His numbers also keep him near the top of the national leaderboard, where he ranks third in the FBS in passing yards per game and total offense.
His performance also landed him on the Davey O'Brien Great 8 list, the second time this season he has been included.
Wesloski stuffed the stat sheet with a season-high 17 tackles, the most by any Big 12 player in a game this season. He had 11 by halftime, which already stood as the most tackles by a Cowboy in a game this season.
Keltner was perfect again. He made all four of his field-goal attempts, including a long of 47 yards, and scored 15 points in the 17-point win. He is now 10-for-10 on field goals this season and leads the FBS in field goals made.
Up front, Oklahoma State’s offensive line kept Mestemaker clean and helped power a massive offensive night. The Cowboys did not allow a sack, and the ground game was fueled by Caleb Hawkins, who ran for 180 yards.
By the end of the night, Oklahoma State had piled up 609 total yards. It was the third straight game the Cowboys went over 500 yards of offense, something the program had not done since the first three games of the 2019 season.
In Other News...
Kansas State Suddenly Has Bigger Concerns Than One Road Loss
Oklahoma States latest surge has looked a lot different from the uneven start that had this season feeling far less certain just a few weeks ago. The Cowboys are now part of a small group in the Big 12 trending the right way, with recent results and sharper play separating them from a league field that has started to sort itself into winners and worry spots.
Kansas State is on the opposite side of that divide, and the Wildcats are suddenly dealing with more than the sting of a road loss. With West Virginia and TCU also among the teams showing clear issues, the conference picture is beginning to harden, and for Oklahoma State that matters because momentum in November can shape everything from confidence to the rest of the race. [Read more 🡒]
UCFs Big 12 Road Suddenly Looks Tougher Than Fans Expected
The Big 12 road for UCF picked up a little more weight on Saturday as Houston finished its nonconference slate with a 42-28 win over Georgia Southern and moved from No. 25 to No. 20 in the AP poll. Oklahoma State also made a statement, handling West Virginia 41-24 to secure a spot in the Top 25, while Georgia State bounced back from its loss to UCF by beating Northern Illinois 35-14 behind a strong day from quarterback Taron Dickens.
For the Knights, that matters because the league trip they thought might offer some margin for error now looks a lot tighter. Houston is climbing, Oklahoma State is suddenly in the rankings, and the results around them suggest UCF will keep seeing teams arrive with more confidence and more hardware attached to the matchup, especially after the kind of performances that can reshape a September conversation in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Warren Just Gave Oklahoma State Fans A Big NFL Reminder
Week 3 offered Oklahoma State fans another reminder of how much NFL talent has come through Stillwater. Jaylen Warren was the headliner, turning in a strong showing for Pittsburgh in a tight win over Cincinnati, while Chuba Hubbard and Ollie Gordon II were among the other former Cowboys in action across the league. It was one of those weekends when the orange-and-black pipeline felt especially visible, with familiar names popping up in different games and different roles.
The list of former Cowboys did not stop there, either, with Justice Hill, Malcolm Rodriguez, Tyler Lacy, Tay Martin and Tylan Wallace also active or dealing with injury situations during the week. Teven Jenkins absence was part of that broader picture, a reminder that these NFL returns are not always clean or linear even when the former Cowboy talent is easy to spot. For Oklahoma State supporters, the bigger takeaway is simple enough: the program keeps producing players who matter on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]