Oklahoma State got the version of Drew Mestemaker it had been waiting for against Oregon, and the Cowboys’ coaches weren’t shy about saying it.
The play that will stick in people’s heads came in the fourth quarter, when Mestemaker took off for the go-ahead rushing touchdown. Eric Morris said the moment had the kind of visual that lasts.
“He jumped higher than I thought and the picture is cool,” Morris said. “I hadn’t seen the picture yet when we talked about it here (Saturday). There’s going to be a really cool picture of it for him to have for keepsake for the rest of his life and really cool photos.”
Sean Brophy, Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator, put that sequence in the same category as the kind of defining moment fans never forget. He pointed to “those plays in those critical moments” as the ones that stay in memory, even drawing a comparison to John Elway’s Super Bowl helicopter in the end zone.
After the final kneel-down, Brophy wrapped Mestemaker in a hug.
“Just another special moment on our journey together,” Brophy said. “Probably the most special, just because of the magnitude of that moment and what it meant for him.
“To be there for every step of his journey so far in college, to watch where he was when he came in as a fifth-string walk-on, obviously, it’s a very well-documented journey, to being with him when he threw for over 600 yards last year at North Texas and broke every conference and school record, to winning 12 games, to winning the first bowl game there in a decade, to becoming a highly touted, high-paid transfer here, winning the Burlsworth Award (nation’s top current or former walk-on). Being with him and his mom, his girlfriend and her mom in Arkansas for that. …To share that moment (after beating Oregon on Saturday) with him and tell him I was really proud of him and to experience that was really special.”
This was Mestemaker’s first start against a Power Four opponent, and he handled it with the kind of control Oklahoma State had been hoping to see. He carried the ball six times for a career-best 109 yards, blowing past his previous high of 55. Through the air, he threw for 317 yards, which was four more than he averaged in his first 16 starts, and completed 60.5% of his passes, a mark that topped his effort at Tulsa by more than a point.
Morris said the quarterback was efficient and mostly in command.
“I thought he was efficient,” Morris said. “He didn’t really put the ball in harm’s way, which is a big deal.
I thought he was anticipating, getting the ball out on time, knowing we need to stay ahead of the chains. And so I thought it was really good.
Some phenomenal throws mixed in there, a couple of deep throws with some people that were around him on the flea flicker. Some crossing patterns were really good.
I thought he saw the middle of the field really good on some digs. Super accurate.
Those are hard balls to throw.”
Mestemaker did throw two interceptions, but Morris said Tuesday he viewed both as the result of strong play from Oregon’s defensive line rather than mistakes by his quarterback.
His passing chart showed the kind of growth Oklahoma State wanted to see. Mestemaker went 2-of-4 for 85 yards on throws of 20-plus yards, and 7-of-13 for 150 yards on passes thrown 10 to 19 yards downfield. In both of those ranges, he was better in accuracy, targets and completions.
For plenty of Oklahoma State fans, and for the national crowd that had been looking at the Cowboys during the offseason, this was the Mestemaker they had in mind.
Morris was also asked Tuesday whether Mestemaker’s importance to the program makes it harder to balance caution and aggression, especially on a play like the touchdown run.
“Not in that situation,” Morris said. “He’s so competitive.
The game’s on the line, a top-10 team at home, third down and long, he’s trying to score a touchdown to (give) your team a chance to win. Absolutely, he’s gonna do that.
And I’ve been around great ones.”
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