Oklahoma State gets its Boone Pickens Stadium opener on Saturday, but the assignment is anything but soft. Oregon comes in after beating Boise State, and the Cowboys are trying to bounce back after Tulsa handed them a rough Week 1 loss.
The biggest problem for Oklahoma State might be right up front. Tulsa’s defensive line gave the Cowboys’ offensive line plenty of trouble, and now the Pokes have to deal with what could be the best front in college football.
A’Mauri Washington brings first-round buzz after posting 33 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and eight pass breakups last season. Bear Alexander adds more size and production from the interior with 50 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss.
On the edge, Oregon can come after the quarterback with sack-leader Tetium Tuitoti, who had 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, and Mayao Uiagalelei, who logged six sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. And that’s before you even get into the rest of a deep rotation.
That task gets even tougher for the Cowboys because starting left tackle Jacob Sexton is out for the year after going down early in Week 1. It’s impossible to say exactly how much that changed the night against Tulsa, since the line never really had a chance to settle in with him there, but Oklahoma State still couldn’t keep Drew Mestemaker clean or open running lanes consistently against a front that was not stocked with projected draft picks coming off a big year.
Oregon’s opener was a lot more successful, but it still wasn’t clean. The No. 2 team in the country had to scrape out a win over Boise State, trailing at halftime and needing late-game heroics to survive.
The Ducks scored with 19 seconds left in the second quarter to get within 17-14, but they didn’t move in front for good until late in the fourth. Then Dante Moore hit Dakorien Moore on a 62-yard touchdown with just under eight minutes left to finally seize control.
It was the same Dakorien Moore who burned Oklahoma State for a 65-yard touchdown last season.
That kind of explosiveness is the part Oklahoma State has to fear most. Oregon has more than one receiver who can turn a routine snap into a chunk gain.
Jeremiah McClellan had catches of 50, 51 and 23 yards against Boise State, and the Ducks finished with seven passing plays of more than 20 yards. Jordon Davison added a 40-yard rushing play as well.
The Cowboys have already shown some vulnerability there, too. Tulsa hit them for pass plays of 56, 47 and 59 yards, and Damari Alston broke off a 29-yard rushing touchdown.
In all, Oklahoma State allowed six plays of at least 20 yards, and somehow Tulsa still only reached 24 points.
That margin may not be there against Oregon. If the Cowboys are going to hang around on Saturday, they’ll have to keep the Ducks from turning the game into a highlight reel.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Already Has One Problem Oregon State Could Expose
Texas Tech opened its season with a 33-10 win over Abilene Christian, taking a 17-0 lead by halftime and otherwise keeping the Wildcats out of the end zone until a late kickoff return touchdown. Even in a game it controlled, though, the Red Raiders left some points on the table in the red area, and offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich pointed to aggressive play-calling and third-down issues as part of the reason.
That is the sort of opening Oregon State will have noticed while sorting through its own 33-20 loss at Houston, where the Beavers had trouble establishing the run and protecting the quarterback. Coach JaMarcus Shephard has already stressed the need for improvement, and if Oregon State can make Texas Tech work for every yard, it may be able to turn one of the Red Raiders' early-season concerns into a much bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Keeps Learning The Same Painful Lesson Against Oregon
Oklahoma States recent football history against Oregon keeps circling back to the same frustration, and the latest meeting only added another rough chapter. The Ducks have had the upper hand in the series, and the Cowboys were left with plenty to sort through after their 2025 loss, a result that stood out even more in a season already marked by turbulence.
The first time these teams met came in the 2008 Holiday Bowl, when Oklahoma State jumped in front early before Oregon settled in and took control. Since then, the Beavers have had a front-row view of a matchup that never seems to tilt their way, and the aftershocks have only grown louder with Oklahoma States subsequent loss to Tulsa and the firing of its head coach. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Faces A Texas Tech QB Twist That Changes This Matchup
Texas Techs quarterback picture has become one of the more interesting wrinkles in Oregon States prep work this week, with both Will Hammond and Thomas Castellanos expected to be part of the plan. Hammonds return from a knee injury has added a passing element the Beavers have to account for, while Castellanos, the Florida State transfer, is settling into the offense and giving the Red Raiders another look to prepare for. Oregon State defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre has already pointed to the different strengths each brings, which only makes the tape session more complicated.
For Oregon State, the issue is not just identifying who takes the first snap but understanding how Texas Tech may use both quarterbacks to stress a defense in different ways. Hammonds accuracy stood out after his recent return, and Castellanos growing comfort in the system gives the Red Raiders a second layer of flexibility. Even before kickoff, the matchup has taken on a different feel because the Beavers may have to defend two distinct styles rather than one settled answer. [Read more 🡒]