Oklahoma State’s 2026 opener turned into a rough first chapter for Eric Morris, and Tulsa made sure of it.
The Golden Hurricane walked out with a 24-10 win over the Cowboys, handing Oklahoma State a loss as a 13.5-point favorite and giving the program a second straight defeat to Tulsa. Morris, taking over after Mike Gundy was fired during the 2025 season, did not get the kind of debut anyone in Stillwater wanted to see.
For much of the afternoon, Oklahoma State looked like the team getting knocked around. The Cowboys never held a lead, and the conditions only made things more punishing, with the field temperature topping 150 degrees.
Drew Mestemaker’s first game as the new face of the offense was uneven. The highly touted quarterback went 29-for-49 for 241 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Among the other incoming transfers, running back Caleb Hawkins carried 18 times for 79 yards, while wideout Wyatt Young caught eight passes for 84 yards.
Oklahoma State also struggled to create anything up front on defense. The Cowboys finished without a sack and managed just four tackles for loss.
Tulsa, meanwhile, built its advantage with touchdown drives of 75 yards in the second quarter and 59 yards in the third. Then Damari Alston delivered the final blow, punching in a 29-yard touchdown run with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter to push the Golden Hurricane ahead by two scores.
The Cowboys had entered 2026 as a dark horse pick for plenty of Big 12 observers, but that buzz took a hit in a hurry with this opener. The schedule doesn’t soften either, with No. 2 Oregon coming to Stillwater next Saturday for Oklahoma State’s home opener.
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Oklahoma States Eric Morris Debut Raised Concerns Fans Cant Ignore
Tulsas 24-10 win in Stillwater did more than snap Oklahoma States 11-game season-opening streak. It exposed how quickly a promising afternoon can tilt when the Cowboys lose control of field position, give away possessions and fail to finish drives, all while trying to sort out what the Eric Morris era is supposed to look like in real time. The game never found a steady rhythm for Oklahoma State, and Tulsa made sure the few explosive moments belonged to the visitors.
The Cowboys also took an early hit up front when left tackle Jacob Sexton went down and had to be carted off, a blow that only added to the sense of unease around the offense. Tulsa, meanwhile, created the kind of chunk gains Oklahoma State never matched, and the Cowboys problems on fourth down kept them from turning scattered progress into anything lasting. For a fan base hoping for a clean reset, the opener left plenty of questions and not many easy answers. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Has A Tulsa Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Tulsas latest trip to Stillwater ended with a result Oklahoma State fans did not want to see and one that carried a little more historical weight than a normal nonconference loss. Baylor Hayes managed the game efficiently, completing 17 of 24 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown, while the Golden Hurricane defense kept the Cowboys off balance by forcing four turnovers and limiting their fourth-down chances in a 24-10 win.
For a program trying to reset momentum, the part that stings is how complete Tulsa looked doing it. Tre Lamb had sounded confident before kickoff, and afterward the Golden Hurricane coach had reason to feel even better about the way his team handled the moment. The scoreboard told one story, but the way Tulsa controlled enough of the game to make the final margin feel manageable left Oklahoma State with a problem it cannot just brush aside. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Morris Debut Just Sparked A Bigger Oklahoma State Debate
Eric Morris Oklahoma State debut arrived with plenty of attention, but the bigger story from the opener was how thoroughly Tulsa dictated the terms. The Golden Hurricane were the sharper, more physical team from the start, winning the turnover battle and coming up with the kind of early fourth-down stop that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. For a Cowboys roster that had been overhauled and was supposed to carry more offensive talent than this showing suggested, it was a sobering first look.
The frustration is bigger than one loss because Tulsa has now had the upper hand in back-to-back meetings, something Oklahoma State supporters have not seen in generations. A program trying to reset under Morris does not need this kind of early setback, especially not one built on self-inflicted mistakes and an offense that never found a steady rhythm. The opener was supposed to answer some questions about where the Cowboys are headed, but instead it left a more uncomfortable one hanging over the program. [Read more 🡒]