It took a little while for Oklahoma State to put the game on ice, but once the Cowboys found their footing, Colorado had no answer.
OSU rolled past the Buffaloes 57-24 on Homecoming, turning a shaky first half into a runaway finish. The Cowboys trailed 24-20 late in the second quarter, then ripped off 34 straight points to take control for good. They outscored Colorado 14-0 in the third quarter and 20-0 in the fourth.
Colorado’s problems were the same ones that have haunted it all season. The Buffaloes entered the night as the Big 12’s biggest offender in turnovers and penalties, and both issues showed up again in a big way. They lost the turnover battle 3-0 and were flagged 10 times for 84 yards, including several offsides penalties that gave Drew Mestemaker extra opportunities downfield.
One of those mistakes opened the door to a crushing moment early in the fourth quarter, when Mestemaker connected with Wyatt Young for a touchdown that pushed the Cowboys ahead 47-24.
Drew Mestemaker to Wyatt Young.
Perfect TD throw. https://t.co/L2GsXfPdil
- Reason (@the_real_reason) October 25, 2026
Mestemaker was sharp all afternoon, finishing 21-for-36 for 386 yards and four touchdowns. Justin Bowick led the receivers with five catches for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Young added five grabs for 72 yards and a score. Miles Coleman and Morgan McPhaul also caught touchdown passes.
Caleb Hawkins gave Oklahoma State production on the ground and through the air. He ran for 120 yards on 19 carries and caught five passes for 72 yards.
LaDainian Fields delivered the defensive punch. Entering the game with two interceptions in six contests, he added two more against Colorado, and both led to points. He also matched a career high with eight tackles, tying Ethan Wesloski for the team lead.
The Cowboys wasted no time showing the kind of start they wanted. On the third play of the game, Mestemaker hit Coleman for a 47-yard touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.
But Oklahoma State followed that with a three-and-out, and Colorado answered with consecutive touchdown drives. The Cowboys had the ball for just 2:43 in the first quarter and were suddenly chasing 14-7.
The second quarter opened with more back-and-forth. OSU finally picked up a first down, but a questionable intentional grounding call on Mestemaker stalled the drive and left Sam Keltner to kick a 47-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10.
After a defensive stop, the Cowboys finally cashed in. Mestemaker guided a red-zone drive to Bowick for a touchdown and a 17-14 Oklahoma State lead.
Colorado answered right back, though, with a quick scoring drive highlighted by a 36-yard pass to Joseph Williams after the receiver pushed off to get open without a flag. The Buffaloes moved in front 21-17, and the two teams traded long field goals to send Colorado into halftime up 24-23.
Oklahoma State flipped the game immediately after the break. On the first snap of the third quarter, Jerry Lawson forced a fumble on an Isaac Wilson keeper, Quinton Hammonds recovered it at the Colorado 13, and the Cowboys turned that short field into points when Mestemaker found McPhaul for his first career touchdown and a 30-24 lead.
The defense tightened from there. Colorado had been 4-of-5 on third down in the first quarter, but from the second quarter on, Oklahoma State held the Buffaloes to 1-of-8 on third down.
The Cowboys also kept stacking moments in the third quarter. A Wyatt Young fumble was wiped out because of a defensive hold on Colorado, and later Fields intercepted a pass and helped set up a field goal.
Fields picked off another pass with 7:48 left, and that takeaway also became three more points for OSU, extending the lead to 50-24. Tre Page III added an 18-yard touchdown with 1:18 to go to finish the scoring.
Oklahoma State piled up 598 total yards, compared with Colorado’s 399. The Cowboys threw for a season-high 410 yards to the Buffaloes’ 343, and they outrushed Colorado 188-56.
The red-zone issues that have bothered OSU all season showed up again, as the Cowboys settled for field goals four times Saturday. But Keltner was perfect, drilling kicks from 47, 30, 41, 21 and 30 yards. He is now 18-for-18 on the season, the top mark in FBS.
Oklahoma State improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play. The Cowboys travel to Ames next Saturday, Halloween, to face Iowa State.
In Other News...
Jesse Legree Just Pushed Oregon State Into A National Debate
Through seven games, Jesse Legree has put himself in the same conversation as some of the biggest names in college football, which is no small feat for an Oregon State receiver. The comparison is striking because the debate includes Miamis Malachi Toney and Ohio States Jeremiah Smith, two players with far more national attention, yet Legree has forced his way into the discussion by producing at a level that belongs on any serious All-America watch list.
What makes it even more interesting from Oregon States side is the way Legrees season has turned into a broader referendum on where the best wide receiver in the sport might actually be playing. His numbers are strong enough to demand notice, and his impact has been obvious enough to make people look twice at the Beavers when they otherwise might have been focused on the blueblood programs in the mix. The larger question now is not whether he belongs in the debate, but how long he can keep it going. [Read more 🡒]
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The way it unfolded matters for Oregon State because Boise State now carries a 6-1 overall mark and a 3-0 conference start into the next stretch, with momentum building fast. Washington State had been in position to make this a tight league race, but the Broncos blew it open late and showed they can finish games with authority, which raises the pressure on the rest of the Pac-12 schedule from here. [Read more 🡒]
Jesse Legree Just Gave Oregon State A Reason To Believe Again
Freshman receiver Jesse Legree has given Oregon State a badly needed jolt of stability by choosing to stay for a second year, even with the kind of transfer options that often pull young talent toward bigger stages. For a Beavers program trying to steady itself through an era of constant roster churn, that kind of decision carries real weight, especially when it comes from a player who has already shown he can be a centerpiece.
Athletic director Kevin Griffin has been openly optimistic about keeping Oregon State on solid footing, even as the wider landscape makes retention harder by the year. Legrees commitment gives the Beavers something tangible to point to in recruiting, a sign that there is still belief in what they are building in Corvallis and still room for players to grow there instead of looking elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]