Oklahoma State found an unusual way to get into the end zone against UCF, and it came with a tight end carrying the load.
The Cowboys beat the Knights 42-28, and one of the most memorable plays came in the second quarter when coach Eric Morris added a goal-line handoff to Morgan McPhaul during the week. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound senior from Virginia Military Institute took the ball in for a 1-yard touchdown run, a call that even drew a second look from associate head coach Drew Svoboda.
“He said, ‘Coach, are you really handing the ball to Morgan?’” Morris said.
“I said, ‘Heck yeah man. He’s 250 pounds.
He’s a great athlete. He’s going to bull his way in there.’
So that was exciting to see him get in the end zone.”
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker said the idea fit once the play was on the field, even if it wasn’t something he would have drawn up himself.
“I was like, 'This will work 100%' and they honestly played it pretty well and Morgan just turned into an athlete and got into the end zone,” Mestemaker said.
McPhaul, who scored two touchdowns in four years at Virginia Military Institute before transferring to Oklahoma State for his super senior season, has settled into a role as a versatile tight end who handles the gritty work. He has caught two passes this season. He also said his background playing eight-man high school football made him more comfortable as a ballcarrier than a receiver.
“I knew I was getting the ball,” McPhaul said. “It was really supposed to hit outside but the way they lined up on defense it wasn’t really looking that way so I just had to cut it up inside.”
That touchdown wasn’t the only sign of Oklahoma State expanding what certain players can do. Senior defensive end Malik Charles also showed up on offense, lining up as a blocker on the same sequence as McPhaul’s score.
Charles, who is 6-foot-3 and 284 pounds, worked on the left side of the line as a tight end - a familiar role from his early college days at Western New Mexico. Morris said the bye week helped the staff teach Charles the offensive calls and how to huddle.
“Yeah, I think just trying to utilize how big, strong, and athletic Malik is," Morris said.
Elsewhere, linebacker Ethan Wesloski kept racking up production. He led the Cowboys with 17 tackles against UCF, giving him 17 tackles in back-to-back games. Wesloski is tied for No. 15 in the country with 53 tackles this season.
Kicker Sam Keltner kept his spotless run going, too. The sophomore SMU transfer hit field goals from 40 and 29 yards against UCF and is now 12 for 12 on field goals and 19 for 19 on extra points this season. Among the 12 kickers who have not missed a kick this year, Keltner has the most field goals.
On the other side of the ledger, Oklahoma State still isn’t getting much from its tight ends in the passing game. Even with Oscar Hammond healthy, no Cowboys tight end caught a pass against the Knights. OSU tight ends have combined for seven receptions for 42 yards this season.
The broader transfer portal update included three names with notable outings elsewhere. Talyn Shettron, now at Louisiana Tech, caught eight passes for 102 yards for his first 100-yard receiving game since 2024.
Rodney Fields, at Kansas State, ran 14 times for 46 yards and added two catches for 36 yards against Houston. Josh Ford of Alabama played with a cast against Georgia one week after breaking his left arm.
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