AMES, Iowa - Oklahoma State had a chance to steal this one late, but the Cowboys couldn’t survive the chaos around them.
A wild finish ended with Iowa State beating OSU 51-49 on Saturday, a game that turned on special teams mistakes, explosive Cyclone plays and a defense that couldn’t hold up after halftime. The Cowboys tied it with 53 seconds left, only to watch the Cyclones answer with a game-winning field goal as time expired.
The final sequence was messy from the start. Wyatt Young caught a misdirection pitch pass for the tying score, then celebrated by running toward the Iowa State stands after drawing an unnecessary roughness call on the previous play.
That celebration earned Young an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which was assessed on the kickoff. Joseph Kim’s kick from the 15-yard line reached the other 15, and Carson Robbins returned it 22 yards to set Iowa State up at the 37.
From there, a 33-yard pass to freshman receiver Jamal Polite got kicker Kyle Konrardy into range, and Konrardy drilled a 34-yard field goal as time expired.
Oklahoma State’s defense had already spent much of the second half on its heels. Iowa State piled up 581 total yards, including 309 through the air and 272 on the ground, and scored 27 points after halftime. The Cyclones also hit four plays of at least 40 yards, a huge turnaround for a team that managed just three points and 221 total yards last week against Arizona.
Special teams, usually a Cowboys strength, was a major problem. Sam Keltner missed a 45-yard field goal in the first quarter, his first miss of the season, after LaDainian Fields set up prime field position with an interception.
Iowa State then recovered a surprise onside kick in the second quarter and turned it into points quickly, with Jamal Polite catching a 43-yard touchdown three plays later. Before halftime, Bobby Deal Jr. muffed a punt return while trying to make a diving catch on a short kick, and the Cyclones cashed that in for a field goal to close the half.
The onside kick was a big swing and a familiar kind of gut punch for Oklahoma State. It was the first onside kick an opponent had recovered against the Cowboys this season.
After Iowa State’s touchdown on the opening drive of the second quarter, Konrardy squibbed the kick straight ahead, followed his blockers up the middle and recovered it. OSU had five players spread across the front line of its kick coverage formation, but the kick found a soft spot in the middle on the Iowa State logo.
Cowboy safety Cooper Lai was in the middle of the front wall and was blown up by multiple Cyclones.
Still, Oklahoma State had a better first quarter than it had in previous Big 12 games. The Cowboys led 14-7 after one, which was an improvement after trailing after the first quarter in every conference game before Saturday.
Against West Virginia, they trailed 7-3. Against UCF, 14-7.
Against Houston, 7-3. Against Colorado, 14-7.
That early lead didn’t last. Iowa State scored two touchdowns and recovered the onside kick in the first five minutes of the second quarter, flipping the game back in its favor. By halftime, OSU was down 24-21, and the Cowboys have now been tied or trailing at the break in all five Big 12 games.
One bright spot kept Oklahoma State in it: Caleb Hawkins. He was a force in every part of the offense, rushing for 194 yards and two touchdowns while adding six catches for 81 yards and another score. He broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown reception and a 75-yard rushing touchdown, and on the Cowboys’ go-ahead drive that began with 2:56 left, he touched the ball or was targeted nine times.
Hawkins has been piling up receiving production too. Since the Houston game, when he caught seven passes for 125 yards, he has topped 70 receiving yards in three straight games.
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Oklahoma State Scored 49 And Still Left Fans With One Big Fear
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But even with all that production, the finish left a familiar knot in the stomach. Iowa State kept hanging around behind Aiden Floras 221 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Jaylen Raynor accounted for four total touchdowns, and the Cowboys were still left chasing in the final seconds of a 51-49 loss that showed just how thin the margin can be when the defense cannot get one last stop. [Read more 🡒]
Wyatt Young's Painful Postgame Reaction Says It All After OSU Loss
Oklahoma States 51-49 loss to Iowa State left the Cowboys with the kind of finish that lingers, especially after a game that swung on so many late moments. Wide receiver Wyatt Young was part of the final sequence after his touchdown catch helped set up the finish, but the closing stretch also brought a costly penalty that put even more weight on a result already heavy enough for the locker room to absorb.
Drew Mestemaker said Young was beating himself up afterward, a sign of how much the ending stung inside the room. In a game decided by inches and emotions, the Cowboys were left sorting through a painful last-minute sequence and the aftermath that followed, with players reflecting on both the outcome and the moments that shaped it. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States 2026-27 Schedule Sets Up A Brutal Stretch Fans Will Notice
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The release also maps out the conference grind in a way that should immediately jump out to anyone tracking the Big 12 race. There is a neutral-site meeting with Oklahoma in Oklahoma City on Dec. 12, and the season closes with the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, from March 9-13, leaving plenty of pressure points for a team that will have to manage a demanding stretch before the postseason even begins. [Read more 🡒]