Oklahoma State’s roster is built on experience, so when true freshmen and true sophomores find a way to matter, it stands out.
That’s been the case through two games, and a pair of young Cowboys have already helped shape the season: receiver Isaiah Lewis and punter Alex Pozzobon.
Lewis came to Stillwater as one of nearly 20 players who followed Eric Morris from North Texas after last season, though he arrived with a smaller résumé than many of them. As a true freshman, he caught 11 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns.
For a player who also appeared in all 12 games and handled special teams work, that was a solid opening act. Now he’s starting to carve out a larger role.
Against Oregon, Lewis hauled in five passes for 37 yards on six targets. His usage picked up late after Chris Barnes left the game with what appeared to be an injury in the second half.
If Barnes is limited heading into the Murray State game, Lewis could be in line for even more work. He already has eight catches this season and is well ahead of where he was a year ago.
Pozzobon has been just as useful in his own way. Morris has never been shy about taking chances on fourth down, but he also knows he has a weapon in the true sophomore from Australia.
Oklahoma State landed him out of the transfer portal from Stephen F. Austin, where he averaged 41.8 yards per game in his first year of stateside football.
Against Oregon, Pozzobon gave the Cowboys a quiet edge. He punted three times and averaged 44.3 yards, while his directional punting kept Ducks returners pinned near the sideline and out of return opportunities. He also punted twice in the Tulsa game, and after two weeks he’s averaging 44.2 yards per punt this season.
With so much of the roster already loaded with older players, contributions like those from Lewis and Pozzobon matter. The Cowboys have found a couple of young pieces who are already making their presence felt.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Finally Has The Breakthrough Cowboy Fans Desperately Needed
For Oklahoma State, a win like this has been a long time coming. The Cowboys knocked off No. 6 Oregon 39-31 in a result that instantly reset the mood around the program, with the kind of energy inside the stadium that had been missing for far too long. The celebration turned appropriately unruly afterward, as fans tore down a goal post and sent it into a pond, a scene that matched the size of the moment.
What made the breakthrough feel even bigger was how the Cowboys got it done. Drew Mestemaker was at the center of everything, using his arm and legs to keep Oklahoma State in control against one of the nations top-ranked teams. The victory also snapped a brutal run that had hung over the program, and it left Cowboys fans with a rare feeling they had been waiting on for quite a while. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States Fearless Fourth Quarter Play Changed Everything Against Oregon
Drew Mestemakers role in Oklahoma States upset of No. 6 Oregon went well beyond managing the offense. The quarterback helped finish a grinding fourth-quarter march that covered the field in 12 plays, 75 yards, and he capped it by taking the ball in himself from 10 yards out. It was the kind of fearless, physical moment that can flip a game, especially against a ranked opponent with the kind of speed and depth Oregon brought into the matchup.
Mestemaker said he could feel the impact of the play, and the collision seemed to carry over to the other side of the ball too. The hit that came with the run left Oregon defender Carl Williams IV briefly unconscious before he eventually walked off under his own power, and the sequence gave Oklahoma States defense an extra jolt as it closed out the win. For a Cowboys team that needed something to change the game in a hurry, the fourth quarter delivered exactly that. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Forced Oregon Into A Postgame Explanation Fans Will Love
Oregons offense spent much of the night trying to find footing against Oklahoma State, and even in a 39-31 loss, sophomore running back Dierre Hill Jr. was one of the few Ducks who consistently moved the ball. He finished as Oregons leading rusher and helped keep the Ducks within striking distance while the Cowboys defense made the rest of the unit work for everything it got.
The final offensive series, though, left a lingering talking point after Hill coughed up the ball late. Ducks coach Dan Lanning made it clear afterward that he did not view the mistake as the root of the defeat, instead pointing to deeper issues that had been building all game. It was a revealing postgame note from a coach who saw one players slip become the most visible part of a much larger offensive breakdown. [Read more 🡒]