AMES, Iowa - Oklahoma State left Jack Trice Stadium with a 51-49 loss to Iowa State, and one of the game’s biggest moments turned into a painful lesson for Wyatt Young.
Young appeared to have delivered the go-ahead touchdown on a 5-yard catch from Drew Mestemaker with 13 seconds left, putting the Cowboys ahead 52-49. But the celebration didn’t last.
The score was wiped out by an unsportsmanlike penalty on Young, and OSU was forced to kick from its own 23-yard line on the next snap. The Cyclones closed it out from there.
Afterward, Young apologized on social media.
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OSU coach Eric Morris said Young “is beating himself up” after the penalty.
Morris said the moment was especially tough because Young has been dependable since arriving on campus and usually handles pressure well.
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Young, the team’s leading receiver, has been a steady presence in the passing game since he arrived on campus. He routinely shows emotion after touchdowns or big catches.
Morris was asked recently about Young’s style.
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Saturday’s loss wasn’t decided by Young alone. OSU was forced to kick from its own 23-yard line, and it was returned to the Iowa State 35. The Cyclones then finished with a 33-yard field goal by Kyle Konrardy’s last-second kick to win it.
The Cowboys also had to overcome a rough stretch on special teams. A muffed punt and a failed attempt to fall on a surprise onside kick gave Iowa State 10 points. Sam Geltner missed his first field goal this season after starting with 16 consecutive makes.
Still, the offense kept OSU in it.
The Cowboys never threatened the Cyclones defensively. Iowa State finished with the most yards, 361, against a Big 12 opponent since getting 646 against Texas Tech in 2014. It also scored 31 points, the most in a league game since beating Kansas 37-6 in 2020.
For all the damage, the game came down to one final sequence - and one penalty that erased what looked like the winning play. As Mestemaker put it, Young “is beating himself up” over it.
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