Oregon’s season took a brutal turn Saturday in Stillwater, where the No. 6 Ducks walked into Boone Pickens Stadium expecting one thing and got something very different. After a 90-minute weather delay, they came out flat, got pushed around by unranked Oklahoma State, and left with a 39-31 loss that ripped apart the momentum surrounding a team billed as one of the most talented in program history.
The defeat dropped Oregon to 1-1 and snapped a 41-game winning streak against unranked opponents. It also came against a Cowboys team that had lost by two touchdowns to Tulsa just one week earlier. Oklahoma State, now 1-1, turned that previous disappointment into a very different afternoon, piling up 547 yards and making the Ducks spend the day reacting.
Drew Mestemaker was the center of it all for the Cowboys. He went 26-for-43 for 317 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns, even with two interceptions mixed in.
Oregon, meanwhile, never found a clean rhythm. Dante Moore finished 14-for-29 for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and the Ducks were held to 286 total yards while too many mistakes kept them from settling in.
The opening minutes hinted at trouble. Oregon went three-and-out to start, then immediately watched Mestemaker rip off a 75-yard touchdown run that would have gone all the way if not for a full-field chase from linebacker Devon Jackson. Oklahoma State settled for a field goal on that series, but the tone was already set.
Jackson kept making plays. On the Cowboys’ next threatening drive, he intercepted a tipped pass by D’Antre Robinson and took it 96 yards for a touchdown.
That gave Oregon a 7-3 lead after one quarter, but it did not match the flow of the game. The Ducks were being outplayed, and their offense never looked settled in the first half.
Drops from Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan, along with steady pressure on Dante Moore, left Oregon with just 101 yards before halftime. The quarterback’s 45 first-half yards were his fewest in a first half as a starter at Oregon. Even when the defense created chances, the Ducks kept handing the advantage back.
Caleb Hawkins’ rushing score put Oklahoma State up 17-7 midway through the second quarter, and after another stalled Oregon drive, Dante Moore was seen laying into his offensive teammates on the sideline in an effort to spark them. The defense answered again shortly after, with Dylan Williams’ deflection landing in Matayo Uiagalelei’s hands for an interception return to the opposing one-yard line. Jordon Davison punched in a one-yard score to cut it to 17-14.
But Oregon couldn’t keep the game from slipping. Mestemaker hit Wyatt Young for a 52-yard touchdown late in the half, and although Hurych connected on a 41-yard field goal to pull the Ducks within a touchdown at the break, they were still being badly outgained, 353 yards to 101.
Oklahoma State kept coming after halftime. Mestemaker connected with Chris Barnes for 39 yards to set up a drive that ended in a 23-yard field goal and a 27-17 lead. Oregon finally got its offense moving on the next possession, and the Moore-to-Moore connection delivered a 36-yard touchdown from Dante Moore to Dakorien Moore to trim the margin to three.
Then the mistakes returned. Freshman offensive lineman Tommy Tofi, making his first appearance for Oregon, was flagged for a false start on third and short. On fourth down, Dante Moore was sacked, and the Cowboys took over near midfield.
Oklahoma State couldn’t fully cash in at first, thanks to an offensive facemask penalty, but the drive still ended with a 44-yard field goal and a 30-24 lead through three quarters. Oregon got a helpful kick out of bounds to start its next possession at midfield, and early in the fourth Dante Moore found Evan Stewart, whose juke turned into a 38-yard touchdown and a 31-30 Ducks lead.
That edge didn’t last long. A facemask penalty on Brandon Finney Jr. kept the Cowboys alive on the next drive, and Mestemaker did the rest.
He broke loose for a 10-yard touchdown, leaping into the end zone and injuring Oregon defensive back Carl Williams IV on the play. After the failed two-point try, Oklahoma State led 36-31 with 10:21 left.
The crowd took over from there. Oregon was sacked on third down on the next defensive stand, then forced to punt with just over eight minutes remaining. Dan Lanning then went for it on 4th and 8 at the Ducks’ own 33, and Oregon did not convert.
Oklahoma State added a late field goal to push the score to 39-31, and Oregon’s final chance ended in disaster when Dierre Hill fumbled, giving the ball back to the Cowboys. That was the closing blow on a day when the Ducks never stopped making it harder on themselves.
In Other News...
Dante Moore Suddenly Has Oregon Fans Worried About A Bigger Problem
Dante Moore came into the season carrying plenty of attention after choosing to return to Oregon rather than head to the NFL Draft, and his opener at least offered some early reassurance. But the first half against Oklahoma State was a different kind of test, the sort that can quickly shift the conversation around a quarterback expected to steady the Ducks in a big spot. NFL scouts were on hand to watch him closely, and the performance did not help quiet the scrutiny.
Moore completed just 5 of 15 passes for 45 yards and took two sacks before halftime, missing several key throws and never quite finding the kind of rhythm Oregon needed. The Ducks also had bigger issues than just the passing game, with the defense struggling to contain Oklahoma State as Oregon went to the break down 10 points. For a team that entered the night with postseason ambitions and a quarterback under the microscope, the first-half concern was less about one bad stretch than the possibility of a larger problem unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Suddenly Has Injury Concerns In The Spots It Can Least Afford
Dan Lannings postgame injury update came with a little more concern than Oregon would like this early in the season, especially after a loss that already leaves plenty for the Ducks to sort through. Tight end Jamari Johnson, who was hurt in the previous game and missed practice this week, does not appear headed for a long-term absence, but the deeper issue is the line of players who were forced out against Oklahoma State and the roles they occupy.
Offensive lineman Douglas Utu and his replacement Trent Ferguson both left the game with injuries, which is the kind of development Oregon can least afford along the front. Running back Jordon Davisons status is still unclear, and while defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington was able to return for situational snaps after briefly exiting, the Ducks are suddenly waiting on several key answers at once as they try to rebound from the setback. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Has A Bigger Problem Than The Halftime Score Against Oklahoma State
At halftime against Oklahoma State, Oregon was still hanging around on the scoreboard, but the first 30 minutes told a far less comforting story. The Ducks trailed 24-17, and the bigger issue was how thoroughly they were being controlled on both sides of the ball, with Oklahoma State piling up yardage while Oregon leaned on a couple of deflected passes to stay within striking distance.
Dante Moore has not been able to settle the offense, completing 5 of 15 passes for 45 yards without a touchdown, and the passing game has been hampered by drops as much as accuracy. The ground attack has not offered much relief either, leaving Oregon with a lot to clean up if it wants to avoid letting a shaky half turn into something much worse. [Read more 🡒]