Oklahoma State walked into Tulsa with a fresh look, a wave of North Texas transfers and a lot of buzz around Drew Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins. It walked out with the same kind of gut punch it took from the Golden Hurricane a year ago.
Tulsa beat the Cowboys 24-10 on Saturday afternoon behind a sharp day from Baylor Hayes and a steady finish from Damari Alston. Hayes threw for 227 yards and a touchdown, while Alston piled up 73 rushing yards and two scores as Tulsa controlled enough of the game to land the upset.
For Oklahoma State, the turnover count told the story. The Cowboys gave it away four times and managed to convert only two of six fourth-down tries. Mestemaker’s late mistakes sealed it, first with an interception to Zach Williams in the end zone with just over four minutes left, then another pick in the final minute.
The game also took a hit for Oklahoma State early when left tackle Jacob Sexton was carted off in the first quarter with a lower body injury. Sexton, one of the team’s three offensive captains, had already missed significant time in two earlier seasons because of injuries.
Mestemaker never looked fully comfortable in the first half. He missed some throws high and dealt with pressure throughout the opening two quarters, and Tulsa took advantage. The Golden Hurricane led 10-3 at halftime, then stretched it to 17-3 when Hayes found Oran Singleton on a 21-yard touchdown pass.
Oklahoma State finally found a spark late in the third quarter. Mestemaker hit Justin Bowick for a 16-yard touchdown on fourth-and-6 to trim the margin to 17-10, but that was as close as the Cowboys would get.
Mestemaker finished 29 of 49 for 241 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Hawkins, who set an FBS freshman record with 29 total touchdowns last season, was held to 79 yards on 18 carries.
The loss made it back-to-back wins for Tulsa over Oklahoma State, the first time that’s happened since 1951 and 1952. It also came with an extra sting for the Cowboys, who were hoping the new roster built around Morris’s former North Texas players would bring a different result. Instead, the day looked a lot like the one that helped end Mike Gundy’s run after last year’s Tulsa loss.
Oklahoma State’s next challenge is even steeper: Oregon comes to Stillwater next Saturday.
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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 🡒]