Quinton Hammonds’ status is up in the air entering the Cowboys’ trip to Ames, and Carson Kolb won’t play.

Hammonds, a starting safety at Oklahoma State, was listed as questionable on the initial player availability report for Saturday’s game. Meanwhile, Kolb — OSU’s starting tight end — was ruled out entirely. Both were injured in Cowboys’ 57-24 win against Colorado last week.

Despite missing essentially a whole half of football, Hammonds still leads all OSU defenders in snap count by 28, per PFF. His absence would be extra notable considering the Cowboys lost Mose Phillips, another starting safety, to injury in the UCF game.

“Q, hoping to get him, I mean, hopefully, he can work back into it this week,” Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris said Tuesday. “I mean, we’ll see kind of how the week goes right now as that stuff all comes out, but hopeful that we can get Q back.”

With Hammonds out in the second half of that Colorado game, Evan Jackson and Cameron Epps were playing safety for the Pokes.

Kolb has been the Cowboys’ primary tight end to this point in the season. He’s played 370 snaps. The next-closest OSU tight end is Morgan McPhaul at 67.

It’s never an ideal time for an injury, but the Cowboys had been ramping up Oscar Hammond in recent weeks, with Hammond playing a season-high 38 snaps against Colorado this past weekend.

Kolb has caught seven passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns this season. Hammond made his first snag of the year against Colorado, a 15-yard gain.

Hammond joined the Cowboys ahead of last season, transferring from Morris and North Texas. Hammond was injured in the preseason and missed the entire year just for his old coach to take the OSU job.

Elsewhere on the player availability report, Landon Dean was listed as questionable after missing the past three games. Freshman receiver Dayvon Standard is also questionable, while defensive end Malik Charles in probable. Of note, starting left guard Johnny Dickson — who also left Saturday’s game with injury — wasn’t on the report.

Iowa State backup quarterback Connor Moberly was listed as questionable. The Cyclones pulled starter Jaylen Raynor during last weekend’s game, putting Moberly in. But ISU coach Jimmy Rogers said Tuesday Raynor will get the start against the Cowboys.

STILLWATER — On Wednesday, Oklahoma State picked up a commitment from Bryson Brown. If that sounds confusing —well, it kind of is.

Bryson Brown is a three-star linebacker at Stillwater High, ranked 117th at the position and 22nd in the state, according to the 247Sports composite.

Bryson Brown also happens to be a three-star defensive back at Broken Arrow, ranked 120th at the position and 19th in the state, according to the 247Sports composite, but the DB committed to the Cowboys back in May.​

The new Bryson Brown, the linebacker, flipped his commitment from Baylor on Wednesday after previously picking the Bears on Jan. 31st. He also holds a reported offer from Purdue.

 

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He has recorded 58 total tackles for Stillwater, including 13 for loss and two sacks, in seven games, according to MaxPreps. He finished his junior season with 86 total tackles, including 20 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Brown is the 14th commitment for Pokes’ 2027 class. The class ranks 13th in the Big 12, but all of those have more commits. And half of the teams ahead have at least five additional pledges.

Brown is the sixth defensive commitment this cycle and the second linebacker, joining Choctaw’s Israel Hammons.

OSU’s 2027 Commits

STILLWATER — The Cowboys’ offensive line plans took a major hit just six plays into the season when starting tackle Jacob Sexton suffered a season-ending injury.

Although the offensive line might’ve not handled the rest of that first game well, the group has done good to rebound since. Even with other guys getting banged up here and there, Eric Morris and offensive line coach Cody Crill have managed to juggle healthy bodies and pave the way to the Cowboys being 5-2 and right in the thick of the Big 12 title race.

In recent weeks, Braydon Nelson has started getting more involved. Nelson started every game at tackle for Morris at North Texas last season but missed the start of the year with injury. He rotated in at left tackle during the Cowboys’ win against Colorado this past weekend and even played a late series at left guard after Johnny Dickson went down with an injury.

“It’s been good to see (Nelson) get back to speed,” right guard Joseph Hanson said. “His experience and how his playstyle is, very aggressive guy, really gets in there. Knows what he’s doing, knows the offense. It’s really good to see him back.”

As of writing, Dickson’s status moving forward is unknown, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at the Cowboys’ top seven offensive linemen in terms of snap counts at each offensive line position, with snap counts coming from PFF.

Of that group, Hanson has the best overall PFF grade for the season at 70.1, while Tyler Mercer paces the field in pass-blocking grades (83.6). Hanson also has the best run-blocking grade at 68.7.

Hanson has had to learn how to play guard this season. He had been at Coastal Carolina the past three seasons with all 1,081 of his OL snaps as a Chanticleer coming at tackle (mostly right tackle).

“I think it’s been pretty good,” said Hanson of his move to guard. “Really got my grounding in it, so I’m enjoying it.”

Torgeson has given up the most pressures from OSU O-linemen this season, and by a decent margin. Per PFF, he’s allowed 23 quarterback pressures. The next closest is Desmond Magiya at 11. The 23 pressures allowed is the most of any offensive lineman in the Big 12.

Per PFF, Mestemaker has been under pressure in 68 dropbacks this season, which ranks third in the Big 12 behind TCU’s Jaden Craig and Kansas’ Isaiah Marshall. Of those, 38.2% of pressures are coming from the left tackle spot, which is the highest in the league — narrowly edging out that of Mikey Keene (Arizona State) at 38.1%.

To a certain extent, you can understand why those numbers are high for Torgeson. He’s only a redshirt sophomore and was slated to battle at right tackle before Sexton’s injury flipped him to the left side. Eric Morris has previously noted that with Torgeson’s size (6-foot-4), he probably projects to be a guard down the line, but the Cowboys needed him defending Mestemaker’s blindside. Torgeson is a good young player, bustling with potential, but he has been thrown into the fire early.

If Nelson is going to break into the starting lineup, left tackle seems like the most likely spot, considering it’s where Nelson played last year and he’s already rotating with Torgeson there. But if Dickson is going to miss some time — Morris referred to Dickson as being “a little nicked up” on Tuesday — perhaps Nelson slots in there. He had played 468 snaps at guard entering this season.

It’s not all too often an offensive line goes through a season unscathed — it’s too physical a position group. That was a reality the Cowboys faced on their first drive of the year, but since then they have done a good job of stabilizing and could soon take another step forward if Nelson ends up being a difference-maker.

The Cowboys are Cyclones are certainly getting into the Halloween spirit.

Oklahoma State on Wednesday announced that the Cowboys will wear all orange for their Halloween trip to Ames. This comes a day after the Cyclones announced they’ll deck themselves in black.

The Cowboys’ announcement came with a spooky video.

THE uniform matchup of the weekend

🟠🟠🟠 https://t.co/7sQDiu7SDf

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 28, 2026

halloween threads ⚫️⚫️⚫️ https://t.co/IBczxDcOoG

— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) October 27, 2026

The Cowboys last wore all orange against Cincinnati last season, a game OSU lost 49-17. Before that, OSU hadn’t went all orange since 2022 in a win against Texas.

OSU is 3-1 in all orange since the start of 2011.

In glancing through our spreadsheet and talking with uniform guru Justin Southwell, we don’t think OSU has worn a non-white jersey on the road since 2011 — maybe ever. SIKE: As Buffalo pointed out, OSU wore orange against Arizona last season while the Wildcats wore a special white uniform at home.

STILLWATER — Eric Morris has made no secret that he tossed the book out a long time ago when it comes to the Cowboys’ offense and the red zone.

On Tuesday, he sort of did the same thing when he discussed the Cowboys’ red-zone defense, tied for 23rd. Not exactly a normal move in a press conference.

OSU gives up opposing scores only 76% of the time. That number might seem high, but only nine teams give up points less than 70% of the time, and Miami (57%) is the only team doing better than 62%.

“It hasn’t been great,” Morris said. “I don’t know what the stats are. I don’t know what our red-zone defense is rated right now.”

Had Morris been confronted with the Cowboys’ ranking in this particular stat, he likely would have dismissed it. Because, well, the stat is a rather bad one.

What Morris probably thought about when he offered up that critique was the fact that OSU is giving up touchdowns 71% of the time that opponents reach the red zone.

This time 70% is bad.

The Cowboys have allowed opponents to reach the red zone 21 times this season. That puts OSU in a nine-way tie for 41st nationally, a four-way tie for 27th among the Power 4 and Notre Dame, and a two-way tie with BYU for seventh in the Big 12.

All together, that paints a picture of a slightly above-average defense elsewhere on the field. Then comes the red zone, where the Cowboys wish they were average.

Of the 49 teams allowing 21 or fewer red-zone attempts this season, Oklahoma State ranks 47th in touchdowns allowed.

Nineteen of those teams, so nearly half, gave up touchdowns on 50% of red-zone drives or less, and a whopping 31 teams limited opponents to touchdowns less than 60% of the time.

Here is where the Big 12 ranks in red-zone touchdown percentage.

1. Baylor: 40%
2. Colorado: 46%
3. Utah: 47%
4. Arizona: 50%
5. Arizona State: 52%
6. TCU: 53%
7. Cincinnati: 53%
8. UCF: 54%
9. Kansas: 56%
10. West Virginia: 57%
11. Texas Tech: 61%
12. Iowa State: 65%
13. Kansas State: 65%
14. BYU: 67%
15. OSU: 71%
16. Houston: 73%

Not the best look. Although OSU’s red-zone offense has dominated discussion lately, the defense came up on Tuesday because the Cyclones entered the week with the best red-zone offense in the nation, scoring on all 18 of their trips this season.

“They are super effective once they get down there,” Morris said. “And I think they’re creative once they get down there, watching their tape.”

Although Iowa State capitalizes on points, the Cyclones are tied for 124th in red-zone opportunities this fall, and they aren’t elite at scoring touchdowns either, only finding the end zone on 67% of red-zone drives. That puts them right in the middle of the conference.

Just maybe don’t let children see look too closely at the bottom of the list.

Big 12 offensive touchdown rate (red zone):

1. Cincinnati: 86%
2. BYU: 77%
3. UCF: 75%
4. Utah: 74%
5. Arizona: 74%
6. Houston: 69%
7. West Virginia: 69%
8. Kansas: 68%
9. Iowa State: 67%
10. Kansas State: 62%
11. Arizona State: 63%
12. TCU: 56%
13. Colorado: 55%
14. Texas Tech: 52%
15. OSU: 50%
16. Baylor: 50%

“They’ve done a lot of different things and scored in a variety of different ways,” Morris said. “They’ve got a quarterback that can really hurt you with his feet, as well. Not just designed quarterback run game, but being able to pull the ball and hurt you on some scramble drill stuff, which showed up a little bit for us last week. I mean, we’re gonna have to be really disciplined in our pass rush alignments.”

STILLWATER — Coach Jacie Hoyt has spent the offseason claiming she has her best team ever, which hasn’t created many headlines because everyone agrees with her due to the sheer talent on the Cowgirl roster this season.

On Wednesday, the team got further validation of that fact when Big 12 Media picked the Cowgirls as the cream of the crop in the conference.

Make it unanimous.

No. 1️⃣ in the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll to go alongside our No. 1️⃣ ranking in the Big 12 Coaches’ Poll 🤠

📝 https://t.co/MyNombPhsl

🎟️ https://t.co/IvmylNcqs1 https://t.co/QZlHDbfUnK

— OSU Cowgirl Basketball (@OSUWBB) October 28, 2026

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that ESPN projected Oklahoma State to enter the NCAA Tournament as a 5 seed, which would be the Cowgirls’ highest seed since receiving the same seed in the 2014 tournament. That also happens to be the program’s most recent Sweet 16 appearance.

In reality, while that would be a big milestone, the No. 1 portal class in the country, self-dubbed as a Super Team, likely has higher aspirations.

Three quick takeaways from the ESPN prediction:

1. The Cowgirls will have plenty of chances to prove themselves

Oklahoma State plays 18 games against teams predicted to make the NCAA Tournament or come close to it. Six of those come against teams seeded sixth or higher.

On one hand, that’s life in the Big 12, but Hoyt has set her team up with plenty of chances to put itself on a path for a top four seed in the nonconference portion of the schedule as six of those 14 games come against projected tournament teams or near misses.

2. OSU’s ramp-up period runs out quick

The team’s first real test likely comes four games into the season when the Cowgirls travel to projected South Dakota State on Nov. 15. This is exactly the kind of game that has given Hoyt’s previous teams trouble at times, so this should be a good chance to prove these Cowgirls have made the leap.

Later comes a roughly two-week run that includes a neutral site game against Washington (projected 3 seed), at South Carolina (projected top No. 1 seed) and a neutral site Bedlam in OKC (the Sooners project as a 6 seed). Any of those wins should boost the Cowgirls when seeds get handed out.

More importantly, those three games might be OSU’s best chance to prepare for what it’s like to play tough competition in a neutral (or outright hostile) setting. The Cowgirls have plenty of big conference games coming, but for players familiar with the Big 12 those might feel a little more routine than these three.

3. Oklahoma State’s projected path

The exact groupings always feel a bit silly until February starts, but just for fun, let’s see who matches up with the Cowgirls in this hypothetical bracket.

OSU faces 12 seed Murray State in the first round at Kentucky. The Cowgirls would then face the winner of 4 seed Kentucky and 13 seed Miami (Ohio).

The Cowgirls’ most likely Sweet 16 opponent would be No. 1 seed USC in Las Vegas.

Finally, here’s the Cowgirls schedule focused solely on teams ESPN projected (Other games are grouped together in this version):

Nov. 2 vs Southern (16 seed, conference winner)
—(3 games)
Nov. 15 at South Dakota State (12 seed, conference winner)
Nov. 18 vs Saint John’s (Fifth team out)
—(2 games)
Nov. 27 vs Washington at neutral site (3 seed)
—(2 games)
Dec. 6 at South Carolina (Top overall seed, conference winner)
Dec. 12 vs Oklahoma in OKC (6 seed)
—(1 game)
Dec. 20 vs Kansas (9 seed)
Dec. 30 vs Arizona (11 seed)
Jan. 3 vs West Virginia (7 seed)
Jan. 6 vs Colorado (9 seed)
—(1 game)
Jan. 13 vs Kansas (9 seed)
Jan. 16 at BYU (11 seed)
—(2 games)
Jan. 28 vs TCU (5 seed)
—(2 games)
Feb. 7 vs Arizona State (6 seed)
Feb. 10 at Colorado (9 seed)
Feb. 15 vs Kansas State (11 seed)
Feb. 21 at Baylor (7 seed)
Feb. 24 at Texas Tech (Sixth team out)
—(1 game)

Former Arkansas State transfer Jaylen Raynor has been the guy all season for the Cyclones, and he’ll be the guy against OSU. But he’s coming off a game that saw him benched. But since his replacement didn’t have any apparent answers, it looks like the Cyclones are going back to Raynor.

Let’s take a look at how Mestemaker and Raynor stack up by the numbers and then we’ll take a look at Saturday’s matchup.

Mestemaker is coming off a four-touchdown, zero-interception rout of Colorado, while Raynor is coming off being benched against Arizona.

The Cyclones are just 1-3 in Big 12 play losing all three of those to ranked opponents. They’ve lost consecutive games to BYU and Arizona, but that trip to Tucson was their worst.

Iowa State scored a field goal on its second drive and that was it, getting thumped by Arizona 39-3. Raynor started 8-for-10 on the game for 106 yards (including captaining that lone scoring drive), but was benched at halftime and didn’t return.

The Cyclones went with sophomore Connor Moberly the rest of the way, but without much change in outcome. Moberly went just 7-of-17 for 63 yards and was sacked three times. From half to half, the Cyclones’ offense was just as hapless. Seven first downs each, though Moberly was 3-for-10 on third downs while Raynor was 0-for-3.

Regardless, the Cyclones are going with Raynor, at least to start.

“I talked to him the other day,” Rogers said earlier this week. “He’s, for one, an awesome leader. He was awesome on the sidelines. Obviously frustrated with getting pulled because he wants to compete with his teammates, but was great for (Moberly) to get his opportunity, really was looking for a spark.”

Raynor is a dual-threat QB who was productive over his three years starting at Arkansas State. He finished 2025 with 3,361 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 66.5% of his throws. He also rushed for 423 yards and seven scores. He has 18 career rushing TDs so that’s something the Cowboys’ defense will need to account for.

For someone who is as adept at using his feet, Raynor does get sacked quite a bit. He’s been sacked 12 times in seven games and 26.1% pressure-to-sack rate ranks 236th out of 282 quarterbacks according to Pro Football Focus. So if the Pokes’ defenders can get into the backfield, they might be able to get him on the ground.

On the opposite sideline, Mestemaker is coming off his sixth-straight game of at least 300 yards. He actually completed just a season-low 58.3% of his passes against Colorado. After starting 11-of-12, Mestemaker struggled through a fluky stretch in the second quarter that spilled over into the third. He missed on four straight passes and nine of his next 12 before getting back on track.

But “back on track” is a bit of a misnomer. The Cowboys punted only twice all game and once after halftime. Mestemaker is currently second in the nation in passing yards per game and his 20 passing scores is tied for fourth with Houston’s Conner Weigman.

Like the Buffaloes last week, the Cyclones’ offense has been struggling all year, especially when it comes to sustaining drives. Iowa State is dead last in the league and 134th nationally in third-down offense. They’re only converting on 29.2% of their attempts.

Crazy things happen in Ames, but the Cowboys should be able to corral Raynor and the Cyclones. OSU and Iowa State square off at 6 p.m. in Ames.

• Minor changes in this week’s depth chart for the Cowboys (PFB)

• Berry Tramel pointed out this Cowboy offense is more efficient than any, and he means any, Cowboy offense this century.

Don’t look now, but the 2026 OSU offense has a chance to be the best Cowboy offense of the 21st century. Yes, better than Brandon Weeden’s 2011 offense or Mason Rudolph’s 2017 offense.

The Drew Mestemaker-quarterbacked Cowboys have hit their stride. Their offensive efficiency rating against power-conference opponents is up to .506 — which roughly means a touchdown every other possession…In 2011, OSU’s Big 12 championship team had a .483 rating on offense. Six years later, the 2017 Cowboys had a rating of .467. [TulsaWorld]

• Eric Morris isn’t overlooking a trip to Ames for Halloween (PFB) • Take a look at the weekend of football ahead:

College Football Schedule – (Week 9)

https://t.co/Fnz76iXb42 https://t.co/2fCLe0NKFd — Front Porch Sports (@FrontPorchU) October 27, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Decent read on becoming “rejection prooof”

If you don’t know what will work, eliminate what won’t. Often what looks like correct judgment in hindsight was avoiding obvious stupidity in the moment. James Clear

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news. 

OSU Bullets

• Five Thoughts on the Cowboy Basketball loss to Wisconsin – 82 to 65 (PFB)

• Minor changes in this week’s depth chart for the Cowboys (PFB)

• Berry Tramel pointed out this Cowboy offense is more efficient than any, and he means any, Cowboy offense this century.

Don’t look now, but the 2026 OSU offense has a chance to be the best Cowboy offense of the 21st century. Yes, better than Brandon Weeden’s 2011 offense or Mason Rudolph’s 2017 offense.

The Drew Mestemaker-quarterbacked Cowboys have hit their stride. Their offensive efficiency rating against power-conference opponents is up to .506 — which roughly means a touchdown every other possession…In 2011, OSU’s Big 12 championship team had a .483 rating on offense. Six years later, the 2017 Cowboys had a rating of .467. [TulsaWorld]

• Eric Morris isn’t overlooking a trip to Ames for Halloween (PFB) • Take a look at the weekend of football ahead:

College Football Schedule – (Week 9)

https://t.co/Fnz76iXb42 https://t.co/2fCLe0NKFd — Front Porch Sports (@FrontPorchU) October 27, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Decent read on becoming “rejection prooof”

If you don’t know what will work, eliminate what won’t. Often what looks like correct judgment in hindsight was avoiding obvious stupidity in the moment. James Clear

The No. 22 Cowgirls dismantled Langston 117-44 in Tuesday night’s exhibition, but given the hype around this team, the final score wasn’t noteworthy.

This was however, the first time we got a chance to see the new-look Cowgirls in action so there were still takeaways to glean from the game despite the lopsided score.

1. Looking for Liv

The Cowgirls took the court without one of their Big 3 on Tuesday night as Florida transfer guard Liv McGill was one of only three players who didn’t see the court at all. The other two were 6-foot-7 center Mojca Jelenc and Nebraska transfer Callin Hake, who appears to be going through the process of securing her fifth season of eligibility.

McGill’s absence was especially noteworthy considering she both represented the Cowgirls at Big 12 Media Days last week and reportedly scored 24 points and added 10 assists in the team’s closed-door scrimmage with No. 10 Iowa less than two weeks ago.

“Liv is great,” coach Jacie Hoyt said. “Yeah, she’s kind of day-to-day right now. We’re trying to figure some things out, and I know she’s probably the most competitive person that I’ve ever coached. So I know this is killing her to not be able to play, but she is handling it really well in a sense of pouring into her teammates and kind of being that coach from the sideline right now.”

Oklahoma State won’t need McGill to suit up anytime soon, but it would help the Cowgirls to get some game minutes in with all the expected starters before the non-conference schedule heats up.

Based on last season’s net rankings (not super reliable given roster movement but it beats nothing), the Nov. 15th trip to South Dakota State (ranked 44th last season) stands out as the first real test.

“Just getting the experience in a game,” Hoyt said of her top priority on Tuesday. “You know, I’ve said this a couple times, but (players on) this roster has not played one single minute in a game together yet, not one. And that’s crazy when you really think about it. You know, and none of them have been coached by me in a game besides Stailee (Heard).”

2. Unexpected Star of the Night

Yuting Deng’s addition to the class feels somewhat lost in the Audi Crooks-Liv McGill of it all.

That wasn’t the case on Tuesday as she scored a team-high 20 points in large part because she led the team in both 3-pointers attempted (seven) and 3-point makes (four) while playing a team-high 31 minutes.

Deng, pronounced DUNN by the way, felt like a bit of a surprising starter on Tuesday night in part because she has only been with the team for three weeks after participating in competition with the Chinese National Team.

For those unfamiliar, this isn’t Deng’s first time with a Big 12 team as she averaged 6.6 points and 1.9 rebounds for Baylor last season while playing 33 games. She also played 13 games at Auburn in 2025 after joining the team midseason.

Deng was the only Cowgirl to knock down at least six shots, finishing 8-of-13 overall, and she added eight rebounds to finish in a three-way tie for second.

She started the game 3-of-8 from the floor only to end the game with five-straight makes.

Deng ranked 80th in the USA Today Top 100 transfers list this offseason, putting her fourth on OSU’s team behind Crooks (1st), McGill (2nd) and Ellie Brueggemann (36th). If anything she looked under-ranked given her ability to take over the game at times.

3. Hot off the Bench

Missouri State transfer Zoe Canfield checked into the game for the first time during the third quarter and quickly drilled back-to-back 3s. At the time that made five-consecutive 3-pointers for the Cowgirls which was a huge run considering the team started off 5-of-20 beyond the arc.

Canfield finished the game 3-of-4 overall, all from 3, in only 11 minutes of action. Freshman Cowgirl Addisyn Bollinger gave her a run for her money late, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in the final quarter to end the game 3-of-5 beyond the arc and 4-of-6 overall.

Bollinger finished with only 10 minutes on the court, but she did enter the game considerably before Canfield, in case that means anything for the season ahead.

For comparison, Oklahoma State’s starters finished 7-of-16 with most of those coming from the previously mentioned Deng.

4. Audi Crooks’ Biggest Impact Might Surprise Uou

Crooks finished the evening with a team-high 13 rebounds and 14 points.

None of it is really worth discussing, considering her track record and the opponent. However, she caught my eye in the third quarter when the Cowgirls passed the ball inside to her and she kicked it back out the other side for a 3-point attempt. To be honest, I don’t even remember if it went in, likely not given she had only one assist, but it stood out because that feels like the kind of play OSU would have struggled with last season.

To be clear, Crooks wasn’t unguarded when this happened. Several Langston players were in the vicinity mucking up the passing lane for most players, but not Crooks.

“She should have had more assists tonight,” Hoyt said. “We just didn’t knock down some of the great kickouts that she had. But she’s been throwing me off in practice. She’s starting to do some no-look kickouts and things like that. And I think that was a part of her game that did need to grow, and that was a point of emphasis when she got here that we needed to work on, and I think she’s gotten a lot better at that.”

It will be interesting to see how having a center of Crooks’ talent inside impacts Hoyt’s offensive philosophy, if at all. But even if the Cowgirls still with the same-old, same-old Crooks’ presence should help the team open things up much easier this season.

5. Leftover Ramblings

Brueggemann, a Lindenwood transfer, was first off the bench (alongside Talexa Weeter). She missed her first three 3-point shots but bounced back to finish 3-of-6 from 3-point range overall.

It feels like her and starter Nene Ndiaye (1-of-4 3-pointers) could compete to lead the team in long-range shots attempts in the season. Ndiaye doesn’t get a bigger mention here because of how the game went, but she touched the ball a lot early on in this one.

LA Sneed didn’t wow as a scorer, only 4 points after going 1-of-6 from the floor. However she recorded 10 of OSU’s 26 assists while turning the ball over only twice. That will play, especially if the Cowgirls get McGill, who ranked ninth last season with 6.3 assists per game, back.

For those curious, Stailee Heard finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists. She also hit the court hard on a hustle play when the game was well out of reach in a way only someone as competitive as Heard would.

The Cowboys hit the road for the first time this (pre)season, and it wasn’t super pretty.

Oklahoma State lost to Wisconsin 82-65 to close out the Cowboys’ exhibition schedule. OSU officially opens the year at 8 p.m. Monday against Incarnate Word, but before that here are five thoughts on the exhibition against Wisconsin.

1. Wisconsin Couldn’t Miss from 3, OSU Couldn’t Hit from 3

A look at the 3-point numbers tells you a lot about how this game went.

Oklahoma state shot 5-for-24 (21%) from deep while the Badgers were a scorching 18-for-41 (44%).

The Cowboys were settling for too many triples early, taking 16 3-point attempts while getting to the foul line only six times in the first half. OSU shot 17 3s in the entire Tulsa exhibition.

They put up eight 3-point attempts in the second half — sinking two — while getting to the line 14 times. OSU lost the first half by 14 and the second half by three.

The Cowboys were torched from 3 in their three exhibition games, as New Mexico, Tulsa and Wisconsin combined to go 43-for-100 from deep. Mark that down as an early concern entering the season.

2. Still No Clary, Bogavac; Turnovers Were an Issue

As big of an issue as not hitting 3s was, the Cowboys also turned the rock over on 22 occassions, which turned into 14 Badger points.

OSU also scored 14 points off Wisconsin’s 15 turnovers.

The Cowboys were again without Kanye Clary, who hasn’t played since the first half of the New Mexico scrimmage. Having your lead point guard on the floor would certainly help in not turning the ball over.

And OSU was also without North Carolina transfer guard Luka Bogavac, who didn’t play against Tulsa.

Kashie Natt and forward Latrell Allmond had five turnovers apiece, while center Julius Halaifonua had four. Never ideal when two guys listed at 6-foot-8 or taller combine for nine turnovers.

OSU also had nine assists on 22 made baskets to Wisconsin’s 17 assists on 24 made baskets.

3. Jordan Burks Makes Exhibition Debut

Jordan Burks made his exhibition debut.

A 6-foot-9 UCF transfer, Burks came off the bench and played just 11 minutes. He had two points, three rebounds and a steal in that time while fouling four times and turning the ball over twice.

A rusty debut, sure, but Burks will likely be a big piece to whatever success the Cowboys have this season. So, the fact that he played after sitting out the first two is a good sign.

4. Jacob Walker Continues to be a Pleasant Surprise

Of all of the Cowboys’ transfers, I probably had the least idea about Jacob Walker. But to this point, he looks like quite the find in the transfer portal for Steve Lutz.

Only a sophomore, Walker finished with 12 points, three rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes on the floor. He had just two of those 22 turnovers despite being a guard on the floor for 30 minutes.

Walker was also the only Cowboy to hit multiple 3s, going 2-for-6 from deep.

5. No the Ideal Exhibition Run

How much should we read into exhibition results? I don’t know — I guess we’ll find out.

It was a tough schedule. New Mexico was picked to win the Mountain West. Tulsa is coming off a 30-win year. Wisconsin is a regular dancer from the Big Ten.

Considering this team is filled with newcomers, those are three tough tests. Maybe this tough early slate was just what this team needed to find its warts and work on them. Maybe exhibition basketball won’t mean anything.. But coming out of an exhibition schedule at 1-2 doesn’t exude confidence.

STILLWATER — On paper, this is an easy one.

​Oklahoma State’s No. 2 offense, averaging 529 yards per game, against Iowa State’s 108th-ranked offense averaging only 340.

Then there’s the records themselves as the No. 24 Cowboys are 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play while the Cyclones (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) haven’t won in almost a month when they survived a 45-42 shootout with West Virginia.

But Eric Morris knows better.

“This will be a tough one,” he said. “And you know, Halloween there. Been to this stadium numerous times. This is one of the hardest places in my opinion to play.”

Oklahoma State has dropped three of the last four games in the series against the Cyclones, two of which came on the road, and all three losses (in 2021, 2023 and 2025) came by seven points or less.

This will be OSU’s first time meeting a Cyclone team led by Jimmy Rogers, who took over this offseason.

“His teams always just get better and better throughout the season, and I think that’s always a great sign of a great coach,” Morris said. “I think they played some really good football this year. Obviously, not the result they wanted last week. I think Arizona’s phenomenal. That quarterback’s phenomenal.

“Just watching him against West Virginia and Utah and all these teams, they’ve played really well at home this year.”

Before getting blown out 39-3 at Arizona over the weekend, Iowa State showed enough fight to lead Iowa, currently the unofficial No. 26 team, most of the fourth quarter in a 3-point loss. The Cyclones then bookended the victory over the Mountaineers by hanging with current No. 6 Utah and No. 8 BYU thanks to fourth-quarter scores. Iowa State cut its deficit in those games to seven and 11 points, respectively, before finally running out of gas.

The main Cyclone to know is running back Aiden Flora, who ranks fifth nationally in yards per carry (seven) and 16th in rushing yards per game (102). He’s not much of a pass catcher, only 80 yards and no scores, but he is 2-of-2 throwing the ball for 48 yards and a pair of scores.

“Phenomenal football player,” Morris said. “Can just tell his toughness. They trust him in so many different ways.

“He’s throwing passes, they pitch it to him, he throws it, he runs it, he’s the punt returner. He just has so many roles on this team. I think mid-season All-American for a reason. A guy that has definitely produced at a high level. He’s one of those guys, the heartbeat of a team. Somebody that has the attitude of like a (Cam) Skattebo or somebody like that that just brings so much toughness to them.”

Jimmy Rogers made a trip to Stillwater a few years ago with South Dakota State. Now he’ll welcome the Cowboys to Ames, Iowa.

Oklahoma State plays Iowa State at 6 p.m. Saturday in Jack Trice Stadium. Rogers discussed the matchup with the Cowboys on Tuesday. Here are three things he hit on.

1. Jaylen Raynor Set to Start

The Cyclones pulled quarterback Jaylen Raynor in the midst of their 39-3 loss to Arizona this past weekend, replacing him with redshirt sophomore Connor Moberly.

Raynor was 8-for-10 for 106 yards when he got yanked and lost a fumble in Arizona territory shortly before halftime.

Rogers said Raynor is still the Cyclones’ guy moving forward.

“I talked to him the other day,” Rogers said. “He’s, for one, an awesome leader. He was awesome on the sidelines. Obviously frustrated with getting pulled because he wants to compete with his teammates, but was great for (Moberly) to get his opportunity, really was looking for a spark.”

An Arkansas State transfer, Raynor has completed 59% of his 158 pass attempts this season for 1,107 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He has run for another 145 yards and three scores.

Moberly has gotten some spot duty throughout the season. He has run for 44 yards and has 83 passing yards on 19 attempts.

“I believe in Jaylen as far as what he gives to this football team, in his leadership and how he makes other people better around him,” Rogers said. “So, that’s kind of the decision moving forward.”

2. A Rematch … Sort Of

Rogers and OSU coach Eric Morris matched up against each other last season — but both were at different schools.

Morris’ North Texas squad hosted Rogers’ Washington State team, with the Mean Green storming to a 59-10 win.

It was 42-3 at halftime, as Wazzu turned it over five times in the first half. So, it was a bit funky, for sure.

There are a lot of those North Texas players on the OSU roster, just like there are a lot of Washington State players on the Iowa State roster. Rogers was asked about some of the differences he sees in OSU compared to North Texas.

“I think they are better upfront,” Rogers said. “I think, obviously with maturity, (Mestemaker) has gotten better. That first game versus Tulsa and then you watch him move forward, like, he didn’t play his best football for whatever reason, but he’s got significantly better. He’s thrown for over 300 yards consecutively the last six games. His passing percentage is pretty elite. The wide receivers have a great continuity with him.

“I think No. 0 (Justin Bowick) can stretch the field, really long, dynamic player, surely an NFL player. The Wyatt Young kid was with them last year. Watching him, I thought he was really crafty in his routes and always was able to find space and make a ton of plays, especially on balls away from his body. I think the running back (Caleb Hawkins) is an elite player, and he’s a young guy last year where he was a true freshman, and I thought this kid is gonna be special. Watching him this year, I think he’s gotten bigger and faster and is running through people’s faces. So, this is going to be a tough challenge there’s no doubt about that.”

3. More on Mestemaker

As has been the case with most coaches the Cowboys have faced this season, Rogers spoke highly of OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker.

Mestemaker has thrown for 2,326 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, which ranks second and fourth nationally, respectively. Since the anomaly that was the Tulsa game, Mestemaker has thrown for at least 300 yards in the Cowboys’ past six games.

“We are going to play another elite quarterback, probably one of the best in the country is what I’ve been told by many scouts and maybe the top quarterback out for the draft,” Rogers said. “… I think the quarterback does an awesome job of really getting the ball out of his hand fast. He’s got great touch, and he is a way better athlete than what I thought he was last year when we played him the first time. Just because of his natural stature you don’t think he is going to be able to move that well and then we play him and he is dynamic.

“He’s a dynamic player. He’s got an unbelievable arm. And if  you watch the first play against Oregon where he takes it 75 yards — I think had him to 20-something miles an hour, and he’s 6-5. He is a great player and we have to do our best to give him different looks, attack him, disguise, play zone, play man and tackle well.”

STILLWATER — There was a lot to celebrate in Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday night as Oklahoma State rather emphatically put its foot down on Colorado to secure a Homecoming win that put the Cowboys back in the top 25 and in prime position for the Big 12 race.

However, for running back William Mason, the stakes were a little more personal, highlighted by a 3-yard rushing touchdown which put the Cowboys up 13 points in the third quarter and left Mason feeling like he was on top of the world.

“That’s honestly how I felt,” Mason said. “I mean, I got in the end zone, and shoot, I don’t think anything was going to end up stopping me getting in there that play. So I just let all my emotions out right there. I was really, really excited to get in the end zone.”

That wasn’t the only moment that stood out for Mason, who played three years at the D-II level for Central Oklahoma.

At times, it felt so very clear that “we made it” whenever he took the field alongside tight end Oscar Hammond, who played at UCO with Mason and made his own long-awaited Cowboy debut at Houston the week before.

“I’ll run out on the field, and I look to my left and just see Oscar there, and it’s like that’s a crazy feeling just to know like hey, I know that guy,” Mason said. “Like we go way back, and we’re both touching the field right now, so you know it’s great, man.”

Both guys overlapped at UCO during the 2023 season. That season, Mason’s first, saw him finish as RB5, rushing six times for 65 yards and a touchdown while adding five tackles and a punt return on special teams.

Hammond was already a star in the making, finishing second in receiving yards (464) and receptions (33) and tying for the lead in receiving touchdowns with four.

The guy ahead of him across the board also made his way to Oklahoma State, as 2025 Cowboy receiver Terrill Davis led that UCO team with 43 receptions for 578 yards and four touchdowns.

Not to be left out, current Cowboy linebacker Jack Puckett finished second with 62 total tackles and led UCO with 10.5 tackles for loss that season.

“It’s great man,” said Hammond when asked about Mason’s growing role. “I love that kid. He’s a great kid. He works hard. He has a big role for this team, and he knows his role, and he does really good each and every day, so I’m really happy for the kid. Him, Jack Puckett and (kicker) Joe Kim (who joined UCO in 2025) — all UCO guys. So, love those guys.”

Hammond’s role was on the rise before starting tight end Carson Kolb was seen on crutches during the fourth quarter on Saturday. Hammond finished with 38 snaps against the Buffs after seeing 16 at Houston.

“Praying for my guy Carson right now,” Hammond said when asked about his return to the field following an offseason injury. “He’s hurting right now and just very thankful to have this opportunity again and just to be out playing with the guys.”

It would seem the Cowboys’ offense could take a strong Broncho flavor as Mason, too, seems here to stay. Morris confirmed on Tuesday that Ayo Adeyi wasn’t held out on Saturday due to injury concerns, but rather out of respect for what the team had in Mason.

“I wouldn’t say that he’s jumped him (Adeyi) or anything like that,” Morris said when asked about the RB2 spot. “I do think Mason continues to earn the right to play more and more ball around here.”

Morris described the 5-11, 226-pound Mason as the team’s strongest back and added that the Cowboys probably should have found him a role on offense earlier.

For his part, Mason made it clear on Tuesday that he’s thrilled with whatever role the coaches have in store for him this season.

“Being at D-II, I think honestly, it just, it just made me want it even more,” Mason said. “So being able to get that offer from a big school like OSU or something, I took that chance, and now I’m trying to make the best of it every play I get.”

STILLWATER — The Cowboys have generally been healthier than a lot of teams they’ve gone up against this season, but a spot they are starting to get banged up at is on the back end of their secondary.

Starting safety Mose Phillips suffered a shoulder injury against UCF that is expected to keep him out for the rest of the season. Then this past Saturday, starter Quinton Hammonds was injured while recovering a crucial fumble and returned to the sideline in a sling.

The Cowboys travel to Ames this week for a game that kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday, but who will be at safety for the Pokes seems to still be in the air to a certain extent.

“Q, hoping to get him, I mean, hopefully, he can work back into it this week,” Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris said. “I mean, we’ll see kind of how the week goes right now as that stuff all comes out, but hopeful that we can get Q back.”

When Phillips went down, Evan Jackson returned to the starting lineup after starting the opener against Tulsa. Jackson has had some highs since getting an increased workload — like his scoop-and-score touchdown that turned the tide against UCF. But it hasn’t all been ups. He gave up a touchdown against Houston, and per PFF, missed three tackles against Colorado this past weekend.

On the play Hammonds got hurt on — the first play of the second half against Colorado — Cameron Epps was at safety alongside Hammonds.

Epps is a bit of a unicorn in that he has been at Oklahoma State for five seasons now.

He’s had his own ups and downs. He was an honorable mention for Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2023 — a year he started 10 games in as the Cowboys made a push to the Big 12 title game. He has played in just nine games across the past two seasons, though, battling through injuries.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Epps initially came to OSU as a jumbo cornerback via Chaminade High School in St. Louis. You can see his corner background in his ball skills, as Epps has picked off four passes in his career — three in that redshirt freshman season and one this year late against UCF.

His most famous pick to this point was a pick-six he snagged off Will Howard in 2023.

We’re not gonna not talk about this @cameronepps7 pick six 🤧

The @cowboyfb defensive back turned on the jets to pad the Pokes’ lead before halftime.

📺 ESPN

https://t.co/Xj5stVL2nS

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 7, 2023

In his fifth season with the program, Epps is on his fifth defensive coordinator, having played under Derek Mason, Bryan Nardo, Todd Grantham, Clint Bowen and now Skyler Cassity.

“He’s got a ton of length, which I do love that,” Morris said. “He’s played a lot of football, multiple positions. Even with this defense, we kind of flirted back and forth with him at nickel or at safety. Any time we’ve been in live situations, think back, I think maybe first play of the spring game has the interception on the deep pass across the middle. A guy that definitely there’s video evidence of him out there making a lot of good plays for us.”

Hammonds has played 440 defensive snaps this season. Despite missing essentially half of the Colorado game, that’s still 28 more defensive snaps than anyone else on the team.

Not counting nickelback Christian Bodnar, Jackson has now played the second-most snaps among OSU safeties with 268. Aside from Phillips, who is out for the year, no other OSU safety has played more than 80 snaps — a number Washington transfer Vincent Holmes sits at. Epps has played 52 defensive snaps.

So, if the Cowboys are without Hammonds in Ames, they’ll need someone to step up.

“It’ll be next man up,” Morris said. “Listen, this is all over the country right now. It’s gonna be a thing in college football going forward. Building depth is super important. Injuries are a part of this thing, always will be.”

Ollie Goes for a Hundo

The second-year RB led the Dolphins to their first win of the season. He carried it 25 times for 103 yards, both career highs. He also found the end zone for the fourth-straight game. Most importantly, he led the Phins to their first win of the season.

Ollie Gordon II finds pay dirt.

The @MiamiDolphins have scored a touchdown on their first two drives of the day.

MIAvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/5vhEARBPNS

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026

This seems good.

Ollie Gordon II forced a career-high 10 missed tackles in the Dolphins’ win, just the sixth time since 2018 a Dolphins player has reached double digits.

Gordon faced a stacked box (8+ defenders) on 11 carries, tied for the 2nd-most by a player this season.

#MIAvsNYJ | #PhinsUp https://t.co/ha1rpF8x2u

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 25, 2026

Jaylen Warren Fuels Steelers’ Win in Paris

Warren rushed for 101 yards at 5.6 yards per handoff. He also caught three passes for 36 yards.

Jaylen Warren just making casual one-handers in their own end zone

PITvsNO on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/Q75fqaGlxH

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026

Warren is now tied for the lead in the NFL with four games of at least 125-plus scrimmage yards and ranks fourth in the league with 855  total scrimmage yards.

Jaylen Warren isn’t slowing down.

PITvsNO on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/KL0xSY8XqM

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026

Kenneth Harris Promoted to Colts’ 53-Man Roster

After a nice showing on Sunday, former Cowboys defensive back Kenneth Harris has reportedly been promoted to the 53-man roster.

Great PBU by Kenneth Harris 👏

Kenneth Harris has something. Made a few plays in coverage, didn’t bite on the stutter when in C0, willing to fit the run against an insert block as shown here. Antenna is up. https://t.co/ikwtIcsWh0

— Jack Guiley (@guiley_jack) October 27, 2026

Harris logged two tackles and a pass defense in the Colts’ 16-10 loss to the Vikings. It was just the rookie’s second appearance following his single tackle showing for Indy back in Week 1. Harris was promoted from the practice squad last week, but it looks like he earned a spot on the Colts’ roster moving forward.

Justice Looking Out for Dax?

Hill and the Ravens had a hard time on Sunday. Still without Lamar Jackson due to injury, Baltimore’s offense has been hapless. Hill managed just seven rushing yards and 26 receiving yards in the Ravens’ 35-13 loss to the Bengals.

But he did get a chance to square off against his younger brother.

I found this somewhat amusing toward the end of Bengals-Ravens. 3rd and 16 when the game is out of reach.

Justice Hill catches a pass and is on a collision course with his younger brother Dax Hill. Instead of creating a massive collision to try to get the first, Justice ducks out of bounds a yard before the line to gain and saves both brothers from an unnecessary collision. Older brother looking out for both of them. 🤣

— Kelley Peter (@kelleypeter16) October 26, 2026

Other Updates

• Chuba Hubbard rushed for 33 yards and added 27 receiving yards in the Panthers’ 43-13 loss to the Buccaneers.

• Tyler Lacy had one tackle and a QB hit in the Lions’ 20-17 win over the Packers.

• Mason Rudolph and the rest of the Pittsburgh QB room brought their early Halloween costumes to Paris.

Mason Rudolph on IG 🤣😂 #Steelers #NFL https://t.co/Is9LfwsEVE

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) October 25, 2026

The Cowboys have made a few changes to their official depth chart ahead of their trip to Ames this weekend.

A few things to note, UCO transfer running back William Mason has been added as an RB2 option. Terrence Lewis and Chris Barnes now share an OR at the Z receiver spot after Barnes had been listed as the starter all year.

Then on defense, the safety position has been jumbled up following Mose Phillips’ injury. Cameron Epps and Evan Jackson are sharing an OR at that safety spot. And after the corners had shared an OR all season, LaDainian Fields and Mo Horn are now listed as starters.

Here’s the Week 9 depth chart in full:

Quarterback

QB1: Drew Mestemaker (R-So., 6-3, 215, North Texas)
QB2: Grant Jordan (R-Sr., 6-2, 217, UMass) OR Brodie Vehrs (Fr., 5-11, 205)

Running Back

RB1: Caleb Hawkins (So., 6-0, 219, North Texas)
RB2: Ayo Adeyi (R-Sr., 5-7, 194 , James Madison) OR William Mason (Sr., 5-11, 226, UCO)

Wide Receiver

Z1: Chris Barnes (R-So., 5-7, 169, Wake Forest) OR Terrence Lewis (So., 5-11, 170, North Texas)

X1: Justin Bowick (R-Sr., 6-5, 209, Illinois)
X2: Rodney Harris II (R-Sr., 6-1, 207, Ohio)

Y1: Miles Coleman (Jr., 5-6, 158, North Texas) OR Wyatt Young (Jr., 6-0, 199, North Texas)

Tight End

TE1: Carson Kolb (R-So., 6-4, 243, Oregon State) OR Morgan McPhaul (R-Sr., 6-2, 265, VMI)

TE2: Bodie Boydstun (R-Jr., 6-5, 239, SWOSU) OR Donovan Green (R-Sr., 6-3, 238, LSU) OR Oscar Hammond (R-Sr., 6-3, 243, returner)

Offensive Line

LT1: Ashton Lepo (R-Sr., 6-7, 320, Michigan State) OR Braydon Nelson (Jr., 6-4, 327, North Texas) OR Shaun Torgeson (R-So., 6-4, 302, Portland State)

LG1: Johnny Dickson III (R-Sr., 6-2, 317, North Texas) OR Desmond Magiya (R-Jr., 6-4, 333, North Texas)

C1: Tyler Mercer (R-So., 6-4, 300, Kansas)
C2: Louie Canepa (R-Sr., 6-3, 299, returner)

RG1: Joseph Hanson (Sr., 6-4, 302, Coastal Carolina)
RG2: Jakobe Sanders (R-Jr. 6-2, 327, returner)

RT1:Ashton Lepo (R-Sr., 6-7, 320, Michigan State) OR Braydon Nelson (Jr., 6-4, 327, North Texas) OR Shaun Torgeson (R-So., 6-4, 302, Portland State)

Defensive End

END1: Jaleel Johnson (R-Sr., 6-4, 270, returner)
END2: Malik Charles (R-Sr., 6-3, 284, returner) OR Keviyan Huddleston (R-Jr., 6-4, 269, North Texas)

RUSH1: James Williams (R-Sr., 6-5, 256, Florida State)
RUSH2: DeSean Brown (R-Sr., 6-2, 266, returner) OR DJ Jackson (Sr., 6-4, 243, Troy) OR Billy Walton III (R-So., 6-3, 253, SMU)

Defensive Tackle

NT1: Jerry Lawson (Sr., 6-1, 312, Louisville) 
NT2: Saadiq Clements (R-Jr., 6-4, 310, North Texas) OR Luke Webb (R-So., 6-3, 311, returner)

DT1: Iman Oates (R-Sr., 6-3, 317, returner) OR Braylon Rigsby (R-Jr., 6-3, 283, Texas Tech)
DT2: Landon Dean (R-Sr., 6-5, 290, returner) OR Enai White (R-Sr., 6-5, 300, Penn State)

Linebacker

SAM1: Ethan Wesloski (R-Sr., 6-1, 234, North Texas)
SAM2: Trip White (R-Sr., 6-3, 234, returner)

MIKE1: Tate Romney (R-Sr., 6-1, 223, Arizona State)
MIKE2: Taurean Davis (Jr., 6-1, 231, Miss. Gulf Coast)

WILL1: Isaiah Chisom (R-Jr., 6-0, 234, UCLA)
WILL2: Gunnar Wilson (R-So., 6-2, 217, returner)

Cornerback

CB1: LaDainian Fields (R-So., 6-1, 176, returner)
CB: Kobi Foreman (So., 5-10, 175, returner)

CB1: Mo Horn (R-Sr., 5-11, 183, Texas Tech)
CB2: Trudell Berry (R-Sr,.6-1, 196, Vanderbilt) OR Kollin Lewis (R-Jr., 5-10, 188, North Texas)

Safety

BS1: Cameron Epps (R-Sr., 6-2, 207, returner) OR Evan Jackson (Sr., 5-11, 188, North Texas)

FS1: Quinton Hammonds (Jr., 6-1, 206, North Texas)
FS2: Bobby Deal (R-Jr., 6-1, 190) OR Markeith Williams (R-Sr., 6-2, 175, Miami)

N1: Christian Bodnar (R-Jr., 6-0, 188, Liberty)
N2: Vincent Holmes (R-Jr., 6-2, 175, Washington)

Kicker

K1: Sam Keltner (R-So., 5-10, 185, SMU)
K2: Joseph Kim (R-Jr., 5-9, 196, UCO)

Punter

P1: Lachie Pozzobon (So., 6-4, 182, Stephen F. Austin)
P2: Nate Ost (R-Sr., 6-2, 198, Robert Morris)

Kickoff

KO1: Joseph Kim (R-Jr., 5-9, 196, UCO)
KO2: Sam Keltner (R-So., 5-10, 185, SMU)

Long Snapper

LS1: Caden Yates (R-Jr., 6-1, 223, North Texas)
LS2: Nolan Akins (R-Fr., 6-1, 198, SMU)

Holder

H1: Nate Ost (R-Sr., 6-2, 198, Robert Morris)
H2: Lachie Pozzobon (So., 6-4, 182, Stephen F. Austin)

Kick Return

KR1: Chris Barnes (R-So., 5-7, 169, Wake Forest) OR Braylin Presley (R-Sr., 5-6, 170, Tulsa)

Punt Return

PR1: Bobby Deal Jr. (R-Jr., 6-1, 190, Coffeyville CC)
PR2: Miles Coleman (Jr., 5-6, 158, North Texas)

• Happy late birthday to head coach Eric Morris who turned 41 yesterday (X)

• Pokes got the six-day window exercised for their game against Kansas State (X)

• We’re seeing a pattern develop for the Cowboys in the second half of games:

OSU allowed 279 yards in the first half and just 120 in the second, turning a one-point deficit into a 34-0 second-half beatdown. The Cowboys scored on 11 of their 13 possessions. We saw them separate from UCF in the second half and make a late run at Houston, too. It’s becoming a pretty familiar pattern. [Open for Business]

• ICYMI – three Cowboys were injured playing against Colorado (PFB)

• Mestemaker is putting together one heck of a highlight reel.

Drew Mestemaker is 1.01 in the 2027 NFL Draft

Big-time throws galore https://t.co/03Dtb1uIq1 — NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 25, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• What the Thunder can do next after two major injuries – KOC says go for it • Reeses ranked the best places to trick or treat in the US

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news. 

OSU Bullets

• Cowboys brought home a handful of awards this week (PFB)

• Happy late birthday to head coach Eric Morris who turned 41 yesterday (X)

• Pokes got the six-day window exercised for their game against Kansas State (X)

• We’re seeing a pattern develop for the Cowboys in the second half of games:

OSU allowed 279 yards in the first half and just 120 in the second, turning a one-point deficit into a 34-0 second-half beatdown. The Cowboys scored on 11 of their 13 possessions. We saw them separate from UCF in the second half and make a late run at Houston, too. It’s becoming a pretty familiar pattern. [Open for Business]

• ICYMI – three Cowboys were injured playing against Colorado (PFB)

• Mestemaker is putting together one heck of a highlight reel.

Drew Mestemaker is 1.01 in the 2027 NFL Draft

Big-time throws galore https://t.co/03Dtb1uIq1 — NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 25, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• What the Thunder can do next after two major injuries – KOC says go for it • Reeses ranked the best places to trick or treat in the US

It’s crunch time in the high school football season with teams jostling for playoff position.

Here’s an update as to where Oklahoma State’s Class of 2027 stands with stats and highlights provided when available.

Carson White / QB / Hightower (6-2) / Texas

Height: 6-2
Weight: 205
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 466

White and his Hightower Hurricanes had a massive game against crosstown rival Fort Bend-Travis this past weekend, and the OSU commit led his team to a 28-26 win.

White went 9-for-16 for 131 yards, three touchdowns and no picks while running for another 109 yards and a score on 11 carries. The math there is that White had a hand in all of Hightower’s scores.

Hightower is undefeated in its district along with Ridge Point, a team the Hurricanes will close the regular season against. Before that, though, Hightower will host Fort Bend Austin (1-7) this week.

Ake O’Neal / WR / Argyle (8-1) / Texas

Height: 6-3
Weight: 195
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,507

The Argyle offense continues to fly high, with the Eagles making it eight wins in a row by beating Colleyville Heritage 45-35 this past weekend.

O’Neal had a 26-yard touchdown catch in the game. The Eagles are now averaging 52.4 points a game.

Argyle closes its regular season with a trip to Community (4-4) this week.

Cooper Hooker / WR / Pryor (5-3) / Oklahoma

Height: 5-9
Weight: 165
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,062

Pryor lost 27-12 in a trip to Collinsville.

Hooker caught six passes for 64 yards in the contest.

Pryor hosts Claremore (5-3) this weekend.

Jake Baker / OL / Ensworth (4-5) / Tennessee

Height: 6-6
Weight: 295
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,596

Ensworth dipped back below .500 with a 27-7 loss to Baylor this week.

The Tigers close their regular season with a trip to Montgomery Bell Academy (8-1) this week.

Talan Scott / TE / ALA-Queen Creek (3-5) / Arizona

Height: 6-4
Weight: 225
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,296

Make it two wins in a row for the Patriots after they took out Desert Vista 38-13 this past weekend.

Scott caught four passes for 53 yards in the game and also had a 5-yard rush.

ALA-Queen Creek will play at Queen Creek (4-4) this week.

Israel Hammons / LB / Choctaw (7-2) / Oklahoma

Height: 6-3
Weight: 230
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 173

The Yellowjackets have won seven in a row after storming past Putnam City 48-7 this past weekend.

Choctaw has a week off before hosting Lawton-Eisenhower to close the regular season.

Jayden Vessell / EDGE / Baton Rouge Catholic (5-3) / Louisiana

Height: 6-2
Weight: 230
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,296

After a 1-3 start, Vessell’s Bears have won their past four games, beating Central 41-14 this past weekend.

Baton Rouge Catholic hosts Woodlawn-Baton Rouge (5-3) next.

Bryson Brown / DB / Broken Arrow (8-0) / Oklahoma

Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,136

The Tigers keep rolling, shutting out Southmoore 57-0.

Brown was credited with a 19-yard rush in the game and also had an interception.

Brown will take part in Oklahoma high school football’s game of the week this week, as Broken Arrow travels to Bixby (8-0).

Sonny Mullen / OL / Troy (5-3) / Texas

Height: 6-7
Weight: 285
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,270

Troy has now lost three in a row after falling to Lorena 63-35 this past weekend. Mullen was credited with a pancake in the game.

The Trojan travel to McGregor (0-8) this week.

TJ Lewis / RB / Bolingbrook (8-1) / Illinois

Height: 6-0
Weight: 225
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,095

Bolingbrook had a bye in the opening round of the Illinois Class 8A playoffs last week, but the Raiders will start their playoff run by hosting Lockport (6-4) this weekend.

Odaefe Oruru / OL / Jenks (6-2) / Oklahoma

Height: 6-6
Weight: 310
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 486

Jenks won its fifth game in a row by beating Yukon 50-13.

The Trojans close their regular season with a game against Moore (6-2) this week.

Chayce Davis / DB / Trinity (6-2) / Texas

Height: 6-0
Weight: 173
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 551

The Trinity Trojans also made it five straight wins with a 52-7 win against Grand Prairie this week.

Davis was credited with a quarterback hurry in the contest.

Trinity travels to Haltom (4-4) this week.

Keilan Neal / DL / Franklin Road Academy (6-3) / Tennessee

Height: 6-1
Weight: 280
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 838

Neal’s Panthers got back in the win column against Grace Christian Academy, winning 49-14.

Franklin Road Academy closes its regular season with a game against Columbia Academy (2-7) this weekend.

Texas Tech still looms as the biggest hurdle, but Oklahoma State now hits the road with injuries starting to pile up.

Today’s Final Draw will cover:

— Oklahoma State appears to be holding an open competition at left tackle. Who won on Saturday?
— It sounds like starting tight end Carson Kolb could miss time after appearing on crutches in the fourth quarter. Oscar Hammond finally got going in the last two games. What does he bring to the offense?
— Things are getting thin quickly at safety, can OSU weather the storm on the back end?

But first, running back Caleb Hawkins has caught 12-of-15 targets for 197 yards and a touchdown in the last two games.

Through the first five games, Hawkins only saw 17 targets, so he’s seen a huge uptick in the passing game.

Has Oklahoma State’s New WR3 Been Here the Whole Time?

Hawkins’ usage as a receiver was a change, but not an unprecedented one. He saw seven targets in the loss to Tulsa, resulting in a six-catch, 29-yard showing.

He also caught 8-of-9 targets for 90 yards against UTSA last season. The very next week, Hawkins scored two receiving touchdowns against Charlotte after hauling in 4-of-5 targets for 39 yards.

Despite playing six more games in 2025, Hawkins never saw more than three targets at a time.

Caleb Hawkins with 5+ targets

As you can see based on the average depth of target numbers (ADOT), most of Hawkins’ big pass-catching performances have come running screens and similar concepts close to the line of scrimmage.

That’s how he got involved at Houston. Here’s a quick look at his usage in that one.

Incomplete: Last-second toss to Hawkins at the line of scrimmage as Drew Mestemaker was getting sacked.

14-yard gain: pitch forward to Hawkins behind line of scrimmage, effectively simulating a draw play, which resulted in at least one broken tackle.

10-yard gain: Hawkins ran a short route four yards and turned around for the easy catch, which resulted in at least one missed tackle forced.

1-yard gain: Flare route from backfield to line of scrimmage

12-yard gain: Mestemaker scrambled out of the pocket, hitting Hawkins six yards downfield

8-yard gain: This play was incorrectly logged. Either it happened at a different time or should have gone to Kolb on rewatch.

14-yard gain: Sprints to outside perimeter immediately, catching the ball at the line of scrimmage and hurdling the first defender

66-yard gain for TD: Appears to be running a wheel route or similar concept out of the backfield. Hawkins catches the ball at the line of scrimmage and breaks a tackle.

At least when Mestemaker went his way, Hawkins was almost always at or behind the line of scrimmage.

That wasn’t the case against the Buffs.

First quarter:

His first reception came on a play that saw him line up out wide. Hawkins just worked around the defender and went up and made a 1-on-1 catch 23 yards downfield.

“It was funny because in practice, we were talking about that (play),” Justin Bowick said after the game. “Caleb was like, ‘Hey, don’t just be having me run down the field for nothing.’ We were joking about that all week.”

Hawkins picked up 15 yards on a screen after forcing one missed tackle.

Second quarter:

Officially a target in the end zone, but Mestemaker appeared to just be throwing this one away.

Third quarter:

Hawkins ran a curl in the middle of the field. Added 13 yards after the catch after forcing a missed tackle for an overall gain of 17.

Incomplete flare screen broken up by a defender on 3rd-and-6 in the red zone.

Hard to tell if Hawkins was always running a route or started off as a blocker who made the quick transition, but he picks up two yards after catching the ball at the line of scrimmage.

Hawkins lines up out wide and goes into motion before catching a screen for a 15-yard gain.

It’s clear Morris and company trust Hawkins with more responsibility in the passing game this season. His success against Colorado, especially downfield, will probably help him remain a larger factor in the passing game for the rest of the season.

However, considering only two of his plays, including his first target, came past the line of scrimmage, it wouldn’t be shocking to see that uptick result in more screens and other passes made at the line of scrimmage while downfield targets remain something of a rarity.

TE Oscar Hammond Healed Up Just in Time

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Cowboys from all three sides of the ball picked up weekly honors in the Cowboys’ homecoming win against Colorado.

In what was a layup, Oklahoma State Sam Keltner was a Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week. LaDainian Fields was named a Defensive Player of the Week. Drew Mestemaker was named a Manning Award Star of the Week. *catches breath* And Caleb Hawkins was PFF’s highest-graded running back.

Keltner: Sam Keltner was responsible for 21 of the Cowboys’ 57 points against Colorado — kicking five field goals and six extra points. That means Keltner was just three points away from tying the Buffaloes by himself.

He is now 18-for-18 on the season, tying an OSU record for the longest streak of makes.

Keltner is one of seven kickers who haven’t missed to this point, but Keltner has five more makes than any other perfect kicker. The closest is Texas A&M’s David Olano (13-for-13).

This is already Keltner’s fourth Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honor this season.

Fields: Fields tied for the team lead with eight tackles against Colorado, but more importantly, he came away with two second-half interceptions, moving his season total to four.

Those four INTs lead the Big 12 and are tied for third nationally with eight other players. Louisville’s Kaleb Beasley and Cal’s Kingston Lopa each have five interceptions.

This is the first time Fields has taken home this hardware this season, but it’s the fourth time a Cowboy has been named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, with Ethan Wesloski taking home the other three.

Mestemaker: Mestemaker actually had his lowest completion percentage of the season against the Buffaloes, but he led an offense that scored 57 points while the Cowboy quarterback didn’t turn the ball over.

And it’s not like the completion percentage (58.3%) was bad, especially considering he threw for 386 yards and four touchdowns with it.

Mestemaker had seven completions of at least 20 yards against Colorado, including a 47-yard touchdown to Miles Coleman and a 52-yard beauty of a pass to Justin Bowick.

Mestemaker ranks second nationally in passing yards with 2,326 yards this season. His 20 passing touchdowns are tied for fourth nationally.

This is the second time this season Mestemaker has been a Manning Award Star, as he was named one after the Cowboys’ upset win against Oregon.

Hawkins: After finishing with 120 rushing yards and 72 receiving yards, Hawkins was PFF’s highest-graded running back from Week 8.

Per PFF, Hawkins forced seven missed tackles against the Buffaloes, while 104 of his rushing yards came after contact.

He is up to 712 rush yards and 272 receiving yards this season. Per PFF, that receiving yardage total ranks second among running backs in the country, trailing only Oregon State’s AJ Newberry (301 yards).

Hawkins ranks fourth in the Big 12 in rushing, coming in just four yards shy of third-place Aiden Flora (Iowa State), who will play against the Pokes this week.

One of the premier high school folkstyle wrestling events took place in North Carolina this weekend, and a future Cowboy stood atop the podium at the end of it.

Oklahoma State Class of 2027 commit Tanner Hodgins won a Super 32 title at 190 pounds, winning seven matches to get his title belt.

Hodgins stormed his way through the early portions of his bracket, securing tech falls in his first three matches. He outscored those foes a combined 58-11, needing just 9:52 to do so.

From there, Hodgins took out Army commit Casey Liess in the Round of 16, Wyoming commit Braeden Simoneaux in the quarterfinals, Mason Savidan in the semis and Mario Hutcherson in the finals.

Hodgins won the finals bout 5-4, with both guys securing takedowns in the first period. Hodgins did a good job throughout the tournament of finishing periods on top, which ended up being the difference in this one. He scored his takedown late in the frame and was able to hold Hutcherson down to the whistle before the two traded escape points in the final two periods.

Out of New Jersey, Hodgins is a former U17 world bronze medalist. Flo last updated its Class of 2027 big board at the start of July, which listed Hodgins as the No. 43 overall recruit in the class, putting him fourth among 215-pound prospects (though he wrestled at 190 at Super 32). Hodgins took eighth at the U20 U.S. Open at 92 kg in April.

But Hodgins wasn’t the only future Cowboy wrestling at Super 32 this past weekend.

Ladd Holman took second in the 215-pound bracket, while recent commit Gage Lohr took seventh at 157 pounds.

After pinning his first opponent, Holman rattled off three straight tech falls to make the semifinals. In those first four bouts, Holman outscored his opponents a combined 50-1.

In the semis, he majored 3 seed Peter Mocco 10-1 but fell to top seed Maximus Konopka (Virginia Tech commit) 5-0 in the final.

Lohr was the 11 seed in the 157-pound bracket. He won his first two matches via major decision before beating 22 seed Kaygen Roberts 4-2 in in Round of 32. Lohr lost his Round of 16 tilt against 6 seed Dominic Way 8-6, sending the future Cowboy to the backside of the bracket.

There, Lohr picked up wins against 13 seed Parker Casey, 3 seed Jesse Grajeda and 4 seed Lincoln Robideau (Landon’s younger brother). Michael Ruane, the 9 seed, beat him 4-1, sending Lohr to the seventh-place match, where he bested 17 seed Luke Knox 7-4. So, Lohr went 7-2 at Super 32, with his two losses coming to wrestlers who finished fifth and sixth.

• Three takeaways from a Colorado game rewatch + Ten Thoughts from the win, in case you missed it (PFB)

• Bill Haisten says it’s time to get started on a new contract for Eric Morris (TulsaWorld)

• Recapping a wild weekend in the Big 12 (PFB)

• First peek at the Pokes-Iowa State Halloween matchup:

Iowa State statistical preview- with special Halloween logos courtesy of @PistolRick

I’ll do a space on Wednesday at 8 to discuss… What do you see here? Thoughts and concerns? Iowa State being 1st in the country in red zone offense was shocking to me. I had no idea. Also a disciplined team from what I can tell. Lots of positive trends for OSU coming into this game! PS: Yes- I wrote a night game in Ames- no notes twice on the scouting report. I regret nothing. That place scares me. — Tyler Wheat (@TylerWheat7) October 26, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Jalen Williams, AKA JDub, one of the easiest players to cheer for, left the Thunder game last night with an awful leg injury • Baylor’s Dave Aranda was fired yesterday – here’s a few candidates to replace him

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news. 

OSU Bullets

• Cowboy Football returned to the top-25 after the homecoming win (PFB)

• Three takeaways from a Colorado game rewatch + Ten Thoughts from the win, in case you missed it (PFB)

• Bill Haisten says it’s time to get started on a new contract for Eric Morris (TulsaWorld)

• Recapping a wild weekend in the Big 12 (PFB)

• First peek at the Pokes-Iowa State Halloween matchup:

Iowa State statistical preview- with special Halloween logos courtesy of @PistolRick

I’ll do a space on Wednesday at 8 to discuss… What do you see here? Thoughts and concerns? Iowa State being 1st in the country in red zone offense was shocking to me. I had no idea. Also a disciplined team from what I can tell. Lots of positive trends for OSU coming into this game! PS: Yes- I wrote a night game in Ames- no notes twice on the scouting report. I regret nothing. That place scares me. — Tyler Wheat (@TylerWheat7) October 26, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Jalen Williams, AKA JDub, one of the easiest players to cheer for, left the Thunder game last night with an awful leg injury • Baylor’s Dave Aranda was fired yesterday – here’s a few candidates to replace him

STILLWATER — After another iffy first half, the Cowboys looked as good as they have in some time (which is rather good) in the second on their way to a blowout homecoming win against Colorado.

Oklahoma State beat the Buffaloes 57-24 on Saturday night. I gave 10 thoughts in the immediate aftermath of the game, but here are three things that stood out in the rewatch.

Justin Bowick Dominated the Second Quarter

Justin Bowick was a man amongst boys in the win, finishing with six catches for 138 yards and a touchdown, but his night didn’t get started until the second quarter — a quarter he dominated.

On a 3rd-and-3 from OSU’s 47 early in the frame, Mestemaker hit Bowick on a tunnel screen. He weaved around a few linemen on his way to a 6-yard gain and a first down.

Before the Cowboys’ next drive, Mestemaker said he told Bowick on the sideline he was going to go to him, and boy did he.

On the second play of the drive, Mestemaker heaved a 52-yard go-ball to Bowick. Bowick blew straight past the Colorado corner, as Mestemaker held the safety in the middle of the field with his eyes to give Bowick time to make his sprint.

Mestemaker said it was probably his best ball of the game.

“I knew this week we had to get J-Bow the ball more,” Mestemaker said. “In the first half, there were a few times where they would, like, blitz, and if they didn’t blitz, I was going J-Bow’s way. But they blitzed, so I had to hand it off.

“So, I told J-Bow, I was like, ‘I’m coming your way this drive.’ Because they were starting to play off on him, and he was like, ‘I’m running by them either way.’ So, they came out in man, just keeping my eyes down the middle and then let it go to them.”

Mestemaker didn’t stop there, though. Two plays later, he hit Bowick on an inbreaking route for a touchdown as he muscled the corner behind him and showed his physicality.

Mestemaker went straight back to Bowick on the first play of the Cowboys’ next drive. It looked to be an RPO, where Mestemaker popped up and threw it Bowick on a skinny post. Bowick created enough separation where he had some room to run, galloping for a gain of 38 before being taken down.

Bowick got past the corner again coming out of the two-minute timeout on a 4th-and-1. Mestemaker got the Buffaloes to jump offsides, and with the free play, Mestemaker ripped another go-ball to Bowick. Having already been ran by for a big gain, the corner just latched himself to Bowick and took the pass interference.

There was not an answer for the Buffaloes, just the mercy of a halftime whistle.

Vehrs’ Two Passes

With the Cowboys up big late, some reverses got to stretch their legs in garbage time.

Freshman quarterback Broderick Vehrs made his second career appearance, getting to throw two passes. He completed both for 24 yards.

On a 3rd-and-8 from the OSU 44, Vehrs rolled to his right and hit a checkdown to a wide open Donovan Green, who had enough room to get forward for a gain of 17.

OSU then got a 3rd-and-7 on the Colorado 25, where Vehrs got to throw again.

Vehrs stayed patient with Colorado sending only a three-man rush. He worked through some progressions and hit Chris Banes for a first down.

Through two appearances, Vehrs is 8-for-8 for 61 yards and a touchdown. He hasn’t been asked to open in up and let loose, but it’s hard to complain about a perfect completion percentage.

Things to Note Late in the Defensive Backfield

With Quinton Hammonds picking up an injury early in the second half, the Cowboys’ secondary is all of a sudden an area of intrigue as it pertains to depth.

Morris didn’t have an update on Hammonds after the game, but the Cowboys have already lost Mose Phillips for the rest of the season.

When the Cowboy defense took the field for its final drive, Markeith Williams, a listed safety, was at a corner spot. Williams is a transfer from Miami and a former four-star recruit who Morris spoke highly of in the offseason, but he hadn’t found a ton of defensive snaps to this point.

Meanwhile Kollin Lewis was at a safety spot. Lewis, a North Texas transfer, had been splitting snaps at corner before LaDainian Fields and Mo Horn played just about all the snaps outside on Saturday.

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Oklahoma State got the win, but some of the issues that have plagued them all year showed up again, though mostly before halftime.

Let’s look at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from OSU-Colorado before we turn our attention to Iowa State.

The Good: Turnover Battle

The Cowboys had their best outing when it comes to turnover margin in three years. OSU was plus-3 on TOs, forcing a fumble on a strip sack and then the two interceptions by LaDainian Fields. He now leads the league in picks.

PICKED. OFF.

📺: FS1 | @FieldsLadainian https://t.co/IilK9yd65E

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 25, 2026

It was also just the first time the Cowboys have gone four quarters without giving the ball way themselves.

Drew Mestemaker didn’t have his most efficient outing of the season, but he took care of the ball and it paid off. Turns out if you give this offense more possessions than the other team, good things happen.

The Bad: What’s Wrong with OSU’s Pregame Rituals?

Or better yet, what’s so right about their halftime rituals?

I’m kidding of course. The Cowboys actually scored a touchdown on the third play of the game, but after that it got… messy.

The Buffaloes looked like world-beaters in the first quarter, and the Cowboys’ defense didn’t have a lot of answers for most of the first half, especially when it comes to CU’s passing attack.

(Someone edit one of these bottles to say “Morris’ Secret Stuff.” No AI.)

Cowboys linebacker Ethan Wesloski talked about those slow starts after the game.

“Yeah and I think we can even keep ourselves out of that hole by starting better,” said Wesloski. “That was the message for us all week, I said it after the loss last week and to start fast we have to win first and second down to keep these guys behind the chains.” 

I’m not going to complain about a team and coaching staff being better in the second half. But we saw what it looked like when the Cowboys dug themselves a hole against a good team last weekend. They’ll need to try to find a way to curb that to reach their potential.

The Ugly Unattractive: Red-Zone Execution

Continuing the redundancy until we see it stop, but I’m downgrading this to simply “unattractive.”

A part of that slow start on the offensive side was the continuing trend of settling for three instead of six when they get deep into enemy territory. It remains head-scratching for such a prolific offense with an excellent playcaller in Eric Morris.

Morris took a different approach to it in the postgame.

“I thought offensively we’re in rhythm pretty much the whole entire game,” said Morris. “I thought we were better in the red zone. We took a lot of points when we got down there. Sam’s been awesome, as everybody knows here. It’s just like I told them, just think about how close we are to being so much better right now.”

The Cowboys did get better as the game went on. They scored red zone touchdowns on their first two drives of the third quarter, but they still settled for too many field-goal attempts. Good thing they have the nation’s top kicker.

But OSU is still ranked 14th in the Big 12 scoring TDs on just 52.4% of red zone trips. That is tied for 116th nationally while taking the second-most red zone trips in the FBS (42). To Morris’ point, this is just another reminder of just how good the Cowboys could be if they can figure a thing or two out.

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Oklahoma State returned to the AP’s Top 25 ranking, landing at No. 24, after defeating Colorado 57-24 on Saturday. The Pokes took a one-week hiatus, falling to the second team out (effectively 27th) after their road loss to Houston.

The coaches weren’t quite as impressed with the win. The Cowboys are still the first team out of the US LBM Coaches poll, receiving 120 votes.

While the Cowboys got right, the rest of the Big 12 descended into chaos. It was not a great look for the league at the top.

The Big 12 Cannibalizes Itself

No. 2 BYU fell to unranked UCF after a wild finish. The Cougars are now ranked 8. No. 8 Texas Tech was upset by unranked Cincinnati. Now the Red Raiders are sitting at 13.

Utah took down Houston in a Top 15 matchup that saw the Utes climb from 10 to 6 and those Cougars drop from 14 to 18.

STILLWATER — Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes looked to be in another slugfest with what is considered to be a Big 12 contender, but then the second half started.

Oklahoma State beat Colorado 57-24 on Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium. The Buffaloes led 24-23 at the half, and then OSU scored 37 straight points.

“We couldn’t keep up with our opposition,” Sanders said.

Sanders opened his postgame news conference by giving props to the Cowboys’ performance, complimenting the OSU staff and coach Eric Morris.

Saturday’s game marked the most points and yards one of Sanders’ Colorado teams have ever given up. Although this year hasn’t been the Buffs’ best under Sanders, they had been able to keep recent games against Texas Tech and Utah tight, but the Cowboys ended up blowing the doors off Colorado. Why?

“They tried our corners,” Sanders said. “They tried our corners and tested our corners, and we didn’t do well. …

“We’ve been beaten but not beaten, and that was one of the first teams who really tried our corners just like we tried theirs. I think both teams were successful, but we weren’t successful in the second half in our attempts.”

With it being homecoming, a lot of former Pokes were in attendance, including all-time great running back Thurman Thomas. Thomas and Sanders were NFL stars at the same time and met up with each other during pregame.

“Got a chance to see old buddy Thurman Thomas before the game,” Sanders said. “It was delightful. I hadn’t seen him in quite some time. Legend, Hall of Famer — someone who actually really changed the game.”

This marked Sanders’ first time to Boone Pickens Stadium, and he got to see it at its best — a sold-out homecoming crowd with a night kickoff.

The crowd had a wave going for a while. An Orange Power chant echoed for a good few minutes. Heck, the OKC Thunder’s Jalen Williams was perusing the sidelines. It was a party.

“First of all, it’s a beautiful stadium,” Sanders said. “Lot of the schools, I haven’t ever been to, so I’m always enamored by the beauty. The scoreboard is unbelievable. It’s a heck of a scoreboard. And the atmosphere was great. It was great. It was great.

“I think they played on some of the scoreboard, the NBA team was at the game. That’s awesome to see them come and support the collegiate players. That is awesome. But it is a great atmosphere. Beautiful. Wish it would’ve turned out different, though.”

If the SEC imploded last week, the Big 12 did the same this week.

Two Big 12 unbeatens suffered their first defeat, as two other title contenders met in Salt Lake City. Here’s a recap of the Big 12’s Week 8.

Utah Outlasts Houston

The conference’s premier game of the weekend was a little ugly at times, but it had the drama late.

Houston held a 3-0 lead well into the third quarter, when the Cougs scored the game’s first touchdown to go up 10-0.

That seemed to finally get the lid off the basket, as Utah responded with a touchdown and Houston answered with a field goal. After about 45 minutes where only three points were scored, the two teams combined for 17 points in less than five minutes.

Utah RB Wayshawn Parker scored a 5-yard touchdown run early in the fourth to give the Utes their first lead of the night — 14-13.

Houston had a chance to respond, but on their first play from scrimmage on the next drive, a blitzer was on Conner Weigman before he had time to do anything. Weigman fumbled, and Utah recovered on Houston’s 9-yard line with 2:15 to play.

#GoUtes | #RSNB | 📺 @ESPNCFB https://t.co/Q8XC2EP8I1

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 25, 2026

I watched the ending of this game in the Boone Pickens Stadium press box with some of the other media members, and we were having a debate as to whether Utah should try to score or burn as much clock as possible. The Utes went with Option 1, scoring on their first play from scrimmage to go up 21-13 and leaving 2:09 on the clock.

Weigman got the Cougars moving, hitting a 41-yard pass to get to the Utah 23-yard line. But that was where Houston stayed. Four straight incompletions turned the ball over to Utah, and the Utes ran out the clock.

Utah remains unbeaten while Houston drops to two Big 12 losses.

Bearcats Dominate Red Raiders

The Brendon Sorsby Bowl goes the way of the underdogs — and by a lot.

Cincinnati beat Texas Tech 37-24 on Saturday in Cincy. Had it not been for a picked up targeting flag on a Tech pick-six, it would’ve looked even worse.

The Bearcats ran for 255 yards on the Red Raiders. Stanford transfer Cole Tabb led the way, darting for a career-high 173 yards.

Cole Tabb takes it 58-yards to the HOUSE!

@GoBEARCATS https://t.co/X19vlXjTu4

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 24, 2026

Cincy quarterback JC French sort of had an up-and-down day, but four of his passes ended in the Cincy fight song playing. Meanwhile, Tech scored one offensive touchdown and had to settle for four field goals.

It marks the first time Tech has lost a Big 12 game since falling to Arizona State in Tempe on Oct. 18, 2025.

BYU Caught in the Bounce House Trap

This was one of the more obvious letdown spots of recent memory. So much so, you wondered if it was such a trap game that it was no longer a trap game. Well, the Cougars were trapped in the Bounce House.

After an emotional home win against Notre Dame last week, BYU packed up and flew to Florida for a game against UCF. The Knights won 39-31 in a wacky, wacky, double-OT game.

Where to even start?

With the game tied at 24, UCF drove to the BYU 1-yard line with less than two minutes to play. Rather than taking the lead, the Knights elected to go for it and didn’t get it.

But the Cougars were pinned so close to their own end zone that they ended up going three-and-out, and UCF got the ball back with a little less than a minute to play.

The Knights got in field-goal range and tried to kick it on third down. It was blocked, but the UCF kicker scooped it up and ran forward and ended up getting his helmet taken off. After a discussion, it wasn’t ruled a facemask, but since the kick was on third down, it looked like UCF was going to get another shot at it. But further discussion led to something about a 10-second run off, and we were headed to OT.

Both teams scored in the first OT before UCF had to settle for a field goal in the second … until a roughing the kicker call moved the Knights in close, and former Cowboy Grayson Brousseau scored. The Knights got the 2-point conversion, as well. Then the UCF defense got the four stops it needed to finally put this game away.

UCF quarterback Keyon Jenkins finished with 293 passing yards, three touchdowns and no picks to lead his team to what has to be among the biggest wins in UCF’s history.

Built for this moment 🌟
Keyone Jenkins Highlights vs. #2 BYU 🎬

@UCF_Football https://t.co/zeexAleJSY

— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) October 25, 2026

Full Week 8 Results

UCF 39, BYU 31 (2OT)
Cincinnati 37, Texas Tech 24
Utah 21, Houston 13
Arizona 39, Iowa State 3
Oklahoma State 57, Colorado 24
West Virginia 24, TCU 20
Kansas 25, Baylor 24
Arizona State 28, Kansas State 17

Next Weekend’s Schedule

Big 12 Standings

STILLWATER — Cornerback LaDainian Fields walked into the media room with a message literally written all over his face.

“It’s from the bottom,” Fields said, repeating the message in his eye black. “Really, it’s just because I started, I didn’t start as the biggest recruit, you know. So it be staying, just keeping that quote with me, just having that in the back of my head, like ‘from the bottom.’ You just gotta just stay with yourself and just believe in yourself.”

Fields, a former three-star prospect ranked outside the top 100 at his position by every major ranking site, was arguably the biggest hero on the defensive side of the ball as he finished tied with a team-high eight tackles, including 1.5 for loss to go with two second-half interceptions in Oklahoma State’s 57-24 rout of Colorado on Saturday.

“I thought they came out and played phenomenal in the second half,” coach Eric Morris said. “(Cornerback) Mo (Horn) had some really big breakups, and LaDainian with the two interceptions — really timely interceptions — to allow us to keep that momentum that we talked about earlier. Without grading it and seeing it and doing it, I thought that they were phenomenal in the second half.”

When discussing that duo, Morris added that the first half performance wasn’t good enough, but that could probably apply to the entire Cowboy defense as Oklahoma State looked incapable of stopping Colorado on third down after allowing the Buffs to move the chains 4-of-5 times, with the only “stop” going down as a 12-yard completion on 3rd-and-13 which led to a subsequent conversion by Colorado on 4th-and-1.

Then, all of a sudden, everything went Oklahoma State’s way, starting with a fumble on 3rd-and-1 at the OSU 21-yard line. The Buffs recovered, but had to settle for a field goal.

Just like that, the Cowboys won six straight third downs, holding Colorado to 5-of-13 overall.

“I thought it was a lackluster performance in the first half as far as defending the pass,” Morris said. “We challenged them. We came out and had a couple of interceptions. We should have had more. We dropped two more interceptions. I’m proud of them. I’m excited. It’s something for us to continue to build on.”

The struggles on third down allowed Colorado to score three touchdowns and one field goal on five offensive drives in the first half. Given OSU’s inability to get off the field when going against Houston last week, it suddenly felt like the Cowboys’ identity might become that of a team that just can’t make the play on the most important down in football.

But that’s not how it felt on the OSU sidelines. Rewatching the plays on iPads, multiple OSU defenders felt they were consistently close.

“First half, lack of execution on just like third down whenever we had opportunities to make plays,” Lawson said. “We sent a blitz, coulda had a sack, and we missed it, and then just second half we just executed at high level so that was the difference.”

The play Lawson spoke of was a 3rd-and-10 that turned into a 13-yard scramble after Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson evaded multiple Cowboy defenders who threatened to bring him down for a loss.

As has been the case for most of the season, defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity and his assistants didn’t have grand changes in place for the second half. Instead, they focused a lot on one simple message.

“Go make your layup, you got an easy play to make, go make it,” Lawson said.

It’s possible Fields heard that message a little clearer than most as he assisted on a tackle-for-loss on 3rd-and-4 before recording one of his interceptions on the next third-down attempt to all but seal the win.

“I think the first half we was just really just playing timid, you know, not playing as one,” Fields said. “So coming into the second half, we know we had to play as one and trust each other. Really, everybody doing their own jobs.”

Both Morris, who very publicly critiqued the Cowboy secondary following the loss at Houston, and Fields acknowledged that the secondary heard plenty of “noise” this week from outside the program.

“It meant a lot, you know, coming from last week,” Fields said of the second-half shutout. “Everybody was talking about our secondary, our defense. We really just wanted to show everybody what we can really do as we play as one.”

Morris said one of the biggest changes the Cowboys made in the second half was playing tighter coverage and trusting the corners more.

According to PFF data, which was still under review at the time of writing, Horn and Fields played 59 and 58 snaps, respectively, out of a possible 65, which marked the first time either guy played more than 87% of snaps. This also marked their first start together since the win over West Virginia.

“Just makes you more comfortable, and just gives you more confidence in yourself,” Fields said of getting to play the entire game.

When asked about his eye black, Fields, a guy who spent most of his first 1.5 seasons firmly on the bench, made it clear he’s not arrived yet and he has no specific goals this season outside of “reaching the top” with his teammates.

“I feel like I haven’t proved anything for real,” Fields said. “I feel like I still have a lot to go. Still have a lot to prove on. Got next week. Iowa State, it’s time to go out there and just go play ball.”

OSU Bullets

• They really know how to do Homecoming in Stillwater. Check out Marshall’s 10 Thoughts on the blowout win. [PFB]

• Bill Haisten says it’s time to start on a new contract for Eric Morris. [Tulsa World]

• It was worrisome early, but things got rosy on the orange Twitter feed as time went on. [PFB]

• My first favorite RB.

Appreciate the love fam @CowboyFB https://t.co/nKG776NawR

— Tatum Bell Sr. (@Tspeed26) October 25, 2026

• After another great two-way performance, Caleb Hawkins earns high marks. [The Oklahoman]

Non-OSU Bullets

• It was a wild Saturday around the Big 12. 

🚨🚨THIS IS INSANE🚨🚨 BYU just lost to UCF after one of the most bizarre officiating sequences you will ever see. BYU blocked UCF’s potential walk-off field goal, but the refs threw a facemask flag after the kicker’s helmet came off. After review, the flag was picked up, resulting in a 10-second runoff that sent the game to overtime. BYU went on to lose in overtime. OH MY LORD 🤯 https://t.co/JV9kAisNoO

— MLFootball (@MLFootball) October 24, 2026

• It was a wild Saturday everywhere.

Footballs a funny sport https://t.co/y7drQdx9wA

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 25, 2026

• Wow.

MAXIMUM EFFORT‼️ LaNorris Sellers ties the game late in the fourth 😮 https://t.co/mb5kle2hkS

— ESPN (@espn) October 24, 2026

STILLWATER — Last week, it felt like Oklahoma State was sent to the back of the line of Big 12 contenders.

Then came a chaotic Saturday, and just like that the Pokes (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) are back in the thick of it in a four-way tie for second place in the conference.

“Not aware, what happened? Tech and BYU both lost?” said Eric Morris when asked about the day following OSU’s 57-24 win over Colorado. “Yeah, we’re not to that place building this program.

“We’re so in the trenches right now and trying to control what we’re doing. We have so many issues that we gotta continue to grow and get fixed around here. Obviously, in this day and age where you have so much access to social media and things going on, I’m the biggest believer that as soon as we get ahead of ourselves in building this program right now, this is a humbling game. … We’ll try to keep them locked in as best we can and control it and keep chipping away at this thing.”

Morris doesn’t want to say it out loud, but the thing Oklahoma State is chipping away at is far bigger than a Big 12 title game appearance.

“In our first meeting here, we put up the College Football Playoff Trophy and said ‘this is our goal, don’t shy away from it,’” linebacker Ethan Wesloski said. “And so we’ve put ourselves in a decent position, but like I said, we’ve eliminated all margin for error (losing to Tulsa and Houston). And so I have full confidence in all of our guys across the team on special teams, on offense, on defense that we are right where we want to be. If we just go week-by-week-by-week and take care of what we need to take care of, we’re going to be looking up at confetti at the end of this.”

Saturday’s result wasn’t just impressive because BYU, Texas Tech and Baylor (playing Kansas) lost. In the first half, the Buffaloes (2-5, 0-4 Big 12) looked every bit the better-than-their-record team that had No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 10 Utah on the ropes during its last two games.

Instead, the Cowboys put their foot down, outscoring the Buffs 34-0 in the second half in a game Colorado led for almost the entire first half, including a one-point lead at the break itself.

“I mean, we’re aware of it, but you know we just got to take it week by week,” said quarterback Drew Mestemaker when asked about the Big 12 race. “And you know we don’t want to be in the situation where we’re hoping for losses and stuff like that. Like it’s early enough in the season, we still control our own destiny to the playoffs and to the Big 12 Championship, and so you just got to take it week by week and keep winning.”

That’s mostly true following the results across the conference on Saturday.

Oklahoma State doesn’t face BYU, Baylor, Arizona or Utah this season. Although that means the Cowboys can’t lose to those teams, it also means OSU can’t knock them down the standings either.

Theoretically, when the day began, the world existed where BYU and Houston ran the table, which would definitively leave OSU stuck at home on championship weekend.

Now the Cowboys can, at the very least, knock Texas Tech behind them, stay ahead of Baylor, Cincinnati (which demolished the Red Raiders on Saturday) and Houston (which fell to 3-2 in Big 12 play after a close loss to Utah).

Utah sits all alone in first place, but must still face both BYU and Arizona in back-to-back weeks to start November.

If the Cowboys win out, that leaves the worst-case scenario as some kind of funky three-way tiebreaker for two spots in the conference title game.

“I mean, I am, it’s hard not to,” said kicker Sam Keltner when asked if he’s aware of where OSU sits in the Big 12 race. “But like at the same point, it’s one game at a time mentality. And if we win all of our games, we’ll see what happens. This game did help us. Like that BYU one (the loss to UCF), at least I think it did. … It’s a lot. I don’t think Tech (losing) mattered, but the rest of them, yeah.

“I mean, it’s exciting, and we all want to go to that game. And a lot of us are Texas kids, so being able to play in AT&T [Stadium] would be sick, and playoffs and all that would be a lot of fun.”

STILLWATER — Although this is his first year as a Cowboy, this wasn’t the first time Sam Keltner took in American’s Greatest Homecoming.

Keltner’s dad and sister both attended Oklahoma State, and he said his mother sent him a picture on Monday from an OSU homecoming that Keltner attended when he was 12 or 13 years old.

Well, flash forward a few years later, and Keltner was a Cowboy hero in front of the rowdy homecoming crowd. As part of the Cowboys’ 57-24 victory against Colorado, Keltner went 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts.

“It’s really special,” Keltner said. “I wish I had the opportunity to experience it fully last night, but even just sitting on the balcony in The Atherton looking out was special.”

Keltner is now a perfect 18-for-18 on the year.

With his 17th field goal, he tied Dan Bailey for the longest streak of makes to start a season in OSU history. With his 18th field goal, he tied Matt Ammendola for the longest streak of makes in OSU history, regardless of when they were kicked.

Like a baseball pitcher on a heater, Keltner said not a lot of people talk to him on the sideline, leaving him to live in his own world. He said he tries not to be overly superstitious, but in his first night in The Atherton before a game, he took the twin bed in the room, leaving Joseph Kim to get the queen. Keltner said he has stuck with that.

“I don’t think could’ve gone much better on paper,” Keltner said. “I try not to look at it because — I don’t know, people are superstitious. I’m not superstitious — a little stitious, that’s right. I do wash them, but I wear the same pair of socks every game. Small things like that.”

His five makes Saturday tie the program record for makes in a game.

“I was joking that I might get overtime pay or something like that,” Keltner said. “But no, it’s the same. … Against Murray State, I kicked as many balls, but they were extra points. It’s more spread out. I treat all those the same, so it wasn’t that bad. I felt worse for my guy Joe (Kim), who is on kickoff, and he had to go out there and kick that ball 75 yards every time. That’s a little bit more tedious than what I do.”

Keltner was SMU’s primary kicker last season after redshirting with the Mustangs in 2024. In his year of playing, he went 14-for-20 on field-goal attempts, hitting a career-long 51-yarder.

But it clearly wasn’t as good a year as what he’s having now. His coach credits the work Keltner has put in as to why he is having the success he is this season.

“He’s a professional in everything he does,” Eric Morris said. “It’s like the way he prepares, he’s one of the guys. Some teams I’ve been a part of, kickers and specialists are kind of their own little posse. They kind of hang with themselves. That’s not the case here. Sam’s one of the guys, just like all the rest of our guys are. He practices his tail off and goes out there and executes his job. I’m proud of him. He’s definitely a weapon for us.”

Keltner entered Saturday as one of seven FBS kickers to be perfect with double-digit attempts. Of that group, his 13 makes were the most. It’s hard to imagine anyone caught him after Keltner hit five on Saturday.

He doesn’t have any 50-yarders on his resume this season, but he did hit his second 47-yarder against the Buffaloes. But given his perfect resume, it’s hard to imagine Keltner won’t be in the conversation for the Lou Groza.

Bailey is the only Cowboy to win that award, doing so in 2010. Keltner, who is from Keller, Texas in the DFW area, grew up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys so, he’s plenty familiar with the all-time Poke.

“I walk by his Lou Groza every day,” Keltner said. “So I know a lot about that guy and just even being in the same conversation as him is pretty cool.”

STILLWATER — The Cowboys hung 57 points on Prime’s Buffaloes, and the Cowboys did that while leaving some meat on the bone.

Oklahoma State beat Colorado 57-24, capping off America’s Greatest Homecoming in Boone Pickens Stadium. Here are 10 thoughts on the game.

1. Justin Bowick Is Always Open

In a game that included 81 total points, there were so many stats flying around that it’s hard to say who the Player of the Game was. But I imagine the Colorado secondary will be getting on the bus glad they don’t have to see Justin Bowick anymore.

OSU’s 6-foot-5 freakazoid receiver caught five of his seven targets for 138 yards and a touchdown. It felt like if Drew Mestemaker threw the ball in Bowick’s direction every play, it’d work much more than it didn’t.

At one point, Mestemaker caused the Colorado defensive line to jump offsides, giving the Cowboys a free play. Mestemaker ripped the ball in Bowick’s direction but after having already been burnt by Bowick earlier in the game, the corner just grabbed onto him — there was already a penalty, might as well be two.

His two most impactful catches probably came within three plays of each other.

Mestemaker hit Bowick on a go, dropping the ball in a bucket for a 52-yard gain, where Bowick should good concentration to hold the corner off and watch the ball in.

It’s JB’s world, we’re just living in it

📺: FS1 | @justinbowickjr https://t.co/G1mRQz4N5f

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 25, 2026

After a run play, Bowick caught a slant where he boxed a defensive back out at the goal line and scored.

Bowick is up to 607 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games as a Cowboy. Before this year, Bowick had played 16 games of FBS football, and in that stretch, he had 648 yards and eight touchdowns. This move to OSU has done wonders for Bowick, and he will soon be a professional football player.

2. Another Tough (in a Good Way) Day for Caleb Hawkins

Caleb Hawkins seemingly grinded the Colorado defense into submission.

After not being able to get the run game going all that well last week, Hawkins rumbled for 120 yards on 19 carries (6.3 yards per).

He has now stacked games proving himself as a threat in the passing game, as he caught five balls for another 72 yards. He got that started early with a contested catch 23 yards down the field on OSU’s second play from scrimmage.

Hawkins is a weapon. Take away one aspect of his game — like Houston did last week — and he’ll be as productive in another. It seems like this offense is at its best when he’s a big part of what’s happening.

3. New RB2?

Eric Morris has spoken highly of UCO transfer tailback William Mason, but that hadn’t necessarily turned into offensive snaps — until Saturday.

Mason was the Cowboys’ unquestioned RB2 against the Buffaloes, carrying six times which trailed only Hawkins (19) and Mestemaker (eight). It should be noted that regular RB2 Ayo Adeyi didn’t play at all, while Tre Page got some late burn with the reserves — scoring an 18-yard touchdown.

With his totes, Mason had 27 yards and his first touchdown as a Cowboy. His best run of the night was a 17-yard scamper in the third quarter, but it got called back because of a hold that had little effect on the play.

Mason looked explosive in his carries. He’s experienced but unproven at the Division-I level. Across 30 games during the past three seasons at UCO, Mason carried 280 times for 1,627 yards and 13 touchdowns.

4. Welcome Back, Halftime Adjustments

Oklahoma State’s defense had a continuation of their performance against Houston — which is not good.

But like games before the Pokes’ L in H-Town, the Cowboy defense tightened things up and pitched a second-half shutout.

Third downs were killing the Cowboys in the first half. Colorado converted on 5-for-8 third downs in the opening two quarters, and there were some back-breakers, converting from 10 and 13 yards.

In the second half, CU was 0-for-5 on the down, and on top of that, the Cowboys forced the Buffs into three turnovers (a fumble and two picks).

The rush defense was good most of the night, as the Buffaloes ran for just 1.9 yards per carry.

How good is this defense? I’m honestly not sure any more. In the first half, it was bad. In the second half, it was fantastic. Does that average out to … well, average?

5. Drew ‘Hard Count’ Mestemaker

Drew Mestemaker was getting a lot of free plays on Saturday, as he made the Colorado jump offsides on three occasions.

The first came on a 4th-and-1 in the second quarter while the Cowboys were on their own 34-yard line. Objectively a spot defenders shouldn’t be jumping offsides in. Mestemaker zipped a deep ball Bowick’s way with his free play, where that corner latched himself to the Cowboys’ pass-catcher.

When he wasn’t getting guys to jump offsides, Mestemaker was still his usual, slinging-the-pill self.

He finished with 386 yards, four touchdowns and no picks. It’s his third interceptionless game of the season, as he’s now up to 20 touchdowns to six interceptions on the year. Seven games in, Mestemaker has thrown for 2,326 yards.

He’s on pace to throw for 3,987 yards and 34 touchdowns this season — those numbers would rank behind just Mason Rudolph and Brandon Weeden in OSU’s record book, and that doesn’t even include the potential for a bowl or conference title game.

6. Too Many Field Goals, but Shoutout Sam Keltner

Sam Keltner might need an ice bath after that one.

He went 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts, bringing his total to 18-for-18 on the season. That ties a streak from Matt Ammendola as the most consecutive makes in program history.

It’s spooky that OSU scored 57 points on Saturday while kicking five field goals. If even three of those turned to touchdowns, OSU would’ve scored 69 points.

But if the Cowboys are going to kick all these 3-pointers, Keltner is the right guy to be back there. He hit two beyond 40 yards, matching a season-high from 47 yards at one point. He’s now 5-for-5 from beyond 40 yards this season.

7. Corner Battle Settled?

The Cowboys’ secondary got torched in Houston, a performance that seems to have locked in the Cowboys’ corners after some heavy rotation throughout much of the season.

I believe LaDainian Fields and Mo Horn played all of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps on Saturday, the first time that’s happened this year.

Fields left with the highlights, intercepting a pair of passes. He’s picked off three passes across the past two games and is up to four INTs on the year.

His first one had a comedic element to it, as Fields rushed to the on-field suites for a Boone Baptism, but the OSU coaching staff essentially chased the players down to get them off the field. Defensive line coach Greg Richmond was literally in the end zone breaking the festivities up to save a 15-yard penalty.

PICKED. OFF.

📺: FS1 | @FieldsLadainian https://t.co/IilK9yd65E

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 25, 2026

Fields finished tied for a team-high with eight tackles. His performance also included 1.5 tackles for loss, and a slick pass breakup. Horn had six tackles and a PBU of his own.

It wasn’t always perfect (see the first half), but I do think these two guys give the Cowboys the best shot.

8. Monitoring the Safety Situation

The Cowboys safety room is turning into a bit of a MASH unit.

Mose Phillips was ruled to likely be out of the season this week. Meanwhile, Quinton Hammonds has played just about every snap this season, but appeared to get hurt after recovering a fumble in the second half. He re-emerged with a sling on.

Morris didn’t have an update on Hammonds after the game, but his absence meant the Cowboys were rolling with Cameron Epps and Evan Jackson on the back end.

For a secondary that’s already had some struggles in recent weeks, it’s not an ideal sign that reserves are turning into starters.

9. More Rotation Along the O-Line

Without having the PFF numbers quite yet, I can confidently say that Braydon Nelson played more offensive snaps Saturday than he had to this point as a Cowboy.

Nelson picked up a preseason injury that saw him miss the first four games of the year.

He rotated in at left tackle a bit the past few weeks, but picked up even more of those snaps Saturday, relieving Shaun Torgeson for stretches.

Left guard Johnny Dickson went down at one point, as well. Initially Desmond Magiya filled in there, but with the second-team skill guys in late, Nelson played with the rest of the starting O-line at left guard.

Without knowing the severity of Dickson’s knock, that could be a spot Nelson battles for the in the coming weeks as they continue to get him more involved. Or maybe he proves to be the better tackle and Torgeson moves one spot over to the inside.

10. The Big 12 Imploded, Just Win

Whether it’s just normal college football chaos or the portal providing even more parity, this week was another crazy one across the country, but specifically in the Big 12.

Texas Tech and BYU each picked up their first losses of the season, as they join the Cowboys and Arizona at the one-loss party in the Big 12 standings. As of writing, Houston and Utah are in a dog fight in Salt Lake City — a game that will factor greatly into the conference title race.

Last week was crazy in the SEC with Georgia, Alabama and Texas — all then ranked in the Top 10 losing. It led people to wonder whether the Big 12 could sneak three teams into the playoff.

Something tells me the Big 12 won’t get the same “the league is just deep” treatment the SEC gets. With the loss to Tulsa already being an anchor, the Cowboys’ path to the College Football Playoff is winning out, getting into the Big 12 title game and winning that.

They probably aren’t going to get the benefit of the doubt, but they might be favored in all of their remaining games. But if OSU can lose to Tulsa (a team that is now 4-4 this season), the Cowboys can lose to anyone else left on the schedule.

OSU has to go super cliche and just take it a game at a time, but the Cowboys are right in the middle of this title fight after Saturday’s results.

STILLWATER — Just days after Oklahoma State ruled out starting safety Mose Phillips for the season, fellow starting safety Quinton Hammonds left the game against Colorado in the third quarter.

His absence was suspicious for two reasons.

First, he hadn’t missed a snap all season against FBS competition. Second, on the play before, he recovered a fumble and returned it nine yards.

As it turned out, that fumble recovery might cost him some time, as Hammonds reappeared on the sideline wearing street clothes with a sling on his left shoulder.

TE Carson Kolb also showed up on the Cowboy sideline in street clothes in the final quarter. Instead of a sling, he appeared on crutches with a boot on a leg. Kolb was unable to haul in his lone target in Saturday’s game when quarterback Drew Mestemaker targeted him roughly 20 yards downfield on a pass that might have been grazed by a Colorado defender.

Left guard Johnny Dickson also left the game at one point. In his absence, the Cowboys turned to Desmond Magiya and later tackle Braydon Nelson when the second-string offense rotated in with the first-string offensive line. Nelson also split time at left tackle when the Cowboys’ starters were still playing.

“We had a bunch of guys step up tonight. … Just kind of like next man up, and our guys didn’t waver and went out there and competed,” coach Eric Morris said.

Morris said there was no further update when asked about Hammonds and Kolb specifically. He did praise the effort of safety Cameron Epps, who came off the bench to replace starter Evan Jackson, who quickly returned to the game in place of Hammonds.

Cornerback LaDainian Fields also complimented both safeties who were lower on the depth chart before the recent injuries.

“They came up a step, big time,” Fields said. “They came up, did their role, they did their job. … That’s all coach Cassity was preaching. ‘Everybody do your job and play fast,’ and that’s what they did.”

It was a wild game in Stillwater, and wilder Saturday for the Big 12. Let’s take a look at how former Cowboys, fans and talking heads reacted to OSU’s Homecoming blowout over Colorado.

Sometimes the simplest…

AMERICA’S GREATEST W https://t.co/Cr6CIPtJZW

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 25, 2026

Not to over react but… further notice?👀

— Tea Bag (@TylersTakes) October 25, 2026

Good Q: 🤔

Does anyone know if Mestemaker and Coleman have known each other for a long time or not?

— Tyler (@OSUfreak82) October 25, 2026

👏👏👏

BANNNGGGGGGGG https://t.co/uCpL8B45ps

— 𝙋𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙡 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙠 (@PistolRick) October 25, 2026

Second half adjustments were fantastic by the D. Going to press man and living with a few chunks changed the game. Fields was phenomenal in 2nd half. Best run blocking game this season. Hawkins is a stud, Mestaker is him . Go pokes !

— Nathan Gilsleider (@ngslider) October 25, 2026

Oklahoma State in the 2nd half https://t.co/JSWc73bEHm

— PokeNation (@Big12Pokes) October 25, 2026

🍊

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) October 25, 2026

Thurman Thomas in the house pumping up the crowd https://t.co/KG7veXynlK

— News On 6 (@NewsOn6) October 24, 2026

Rough day for some https://t.co/d30LB018uc

— Cade Webb (@cadewebb) October 25, 2026

This is pretty slick.

The folks of the Devon Tower gave me a heads up. They were going to turn the Tower orange tonight to commemorate Oklahoma State University homecoming weekend.

#OklahomaState #anericasbrightestorange #homecoming #okc #seeokc #drone https://t.co/UhudPCp4lK

— FlightTimeOKC (@flighttimeokc) October 25, 2026

All the support from OKC.

Oklahoma State Hockey 🤝 @jdubwttp

#GoPokes | #ThunderUp https://t.co/Pa8IbcgKSQ

— Pucks & Pokes (@PucksAndPokes) October 25, 2026

Today was absolute insanity in the Big 12. Just some schizophrenic scores here. https://t.co/grycUBonXR

— Carson Cunningham (@Carson_OKC) October 25, 2026

Pistols Firing photographer Devin Wilber captured the action through his lens. Here are some of his best shots. You can check out the full album here.

BOXSCORE

It wasn’t pretty early, but the Cowboys rallied for a blowout win on Homecoming.

Oklahoma State defeated Colorado 57-24. The Cowboys continue to be a second-half team.

After falling behind as much as 14-7 in the first and trailing 24-20 late in the second quarter, the Cowboys scored 37 unanswered points to blow the doors off this one. OSU outscored Colorado 14-0 in the third and 20-0 in the fourth.

We talked about the Buffaloes’ bugaboos earlier this week, and a couple of those reared their ugly heads for the visitors. Colorado came in as the Big 12’s biggest offender in both turnovers and penalties, and both of those issues hampered them from building off some of their early momentum. Then the Pokes ran away with it.

The Buffs lost the turnover battle to the Pokes 3-0 and committed 10 penalties for 84 yards with several offsides calls that give Drew Mestemaker free shots downfield. One of those resulted in this back-breaking touchdown to Wyatt Young to put the Cowboys up 47-24 early in the fourth.

Drew Mestemaker to Wyatt Young.

Perfect TD throw. https://t.co/L2GsXfPdil

— Reason (@the_real_reason) October 25, 2026

Mestemaker finished 21-for-36 for 386 yards and four touchdowns. Justin Bowick led all receivers with 138 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Young pitched in 72 yards and that score on five grabs. Miles Coleman and Morgan McPhaul each caught TD passes.

Caleb Hawkins again beat teams by turf and by air. He rushed for 120 yards on 19 carries and caught five passes for 72 yards.

The defensive game ball goes to LaDainian Fields. He had a career-high two more picks against the Buff tonight, both leading to points. He also had a career-high eight tackles, tying Ethan Wesloski for the team lead.

We all said the Cowboys needed to start faster. Well, they couldn’t have started much faster on Saturday. On the game’s third play, Mestemaker found Miles Coleman for a 47-yard touchdown to go up 7-0. Unfortunately, the Cowboys proceeded to go three-and-out on their next possession and give up consecutive TD drives to the visiting Buffaloes. The Cowboys only held the ball for 2:43 of the first quarter and fell behind 14-7.

Things settled down briefly to start the second quarter before it devolved into a backyard football.

The Cowboys’ offense finally gained a first down in the second quarter, but they stalled on that first after Drew Mestemaker was flagged for an iffy intentional grounding call. OSU settled for a 47-yard field goal by Sam Keltner to pull within 14-10 early in the second.

The Cowboys’ defense finally got a stop and then their offense paid it off. After a three-and-out was forced, the Pokes marched down the field and went 17-14 on a red zone TD connection between Mestemaker and Justin Bowick.

But before they could celebrate, the Buffs answered with another quick touchdown drive, fueled by 36-yard pass to Joseph Williams after the CU receiver pushed off to get open but wasn’t flagged. Buffs back up 21-17. The teams traded long field goals to make it 24-23 CU at halftime.

After the Buffs were seemingly driving at will for most of the first half, the Cowboys’ defense made a play to start the second.

On the first snap of the third quarter, Jerry Lawson forced a fumble on an Isaac Wilson keeper. Quinton Hammonds scooped it and gave his offense the ball back at the Colorado 13-yard line. This time the Cowboys found the end zone. Mestemaker found McPhaul for his first touchdown catch to give OSU the 30-24 lead.

The Cowboys’ defense also learned to get off the field. After the Buffaloes went 4-of-5 on third down (and converted on that fifth one) in the first quarter, OSU held them to 1-of-8 on third downs from the second quarter on.

Things were going the Cowboys’ way in the third. Even a Young fumble was called off due to a defensive hold on Colorado. The Buffaloes forced the punt a series later, just to have a turnover when LaDainian Fields got his pick. The Cowboys got three points off of that one.

Fields grabbed his second interception with 7:48 to go. This one was also paid off with a field goal to put the Cowboys up 50-24. Tre Page III scored an 18-yard touchdown with 1:18 left to pad the score even more. OSU wins 57-24.

Oklahoma State finished with 598 yards of total offense, to Colorado’s 399. The Pokes threw for a season-high 410 passing yards to 343 for the Buff. OSU outrushed CU 188-56.

The Cowboys have struggled all season settling for field goals in the red zone. That happened four times on Saturday, but fortunately Sam Keltner is really good. He went 5-for-5 from 47, 30, 41, 21 and 30 yards and has pushed his FBS-leading mark to 18-for-18.

With the win, the Cowboys improve to 5-2 and 3-1 in Big 12 play. Next up, they head to Ames next Saturday, Halloween to face Iowa State.

LaDainian Fields made his third interception of the season. It led to Sam Keltner’s fourth field goal of the game, giving OSU a 40-24 lead.

PICKED. OFF.

📺: FS1 | @FieldsLadainian https://t.co/IilK9yd65E

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 25, 2026

Mestemaker found Morgan McPhaul for his first career TD reception on a 3-yard pass (yes in the red zone).

The Pokes paid off a huge defensive play when Jerry Lawson stripped Colorado QB Isaac Wilson on the first snap of the third quarter. Pokes up 30-24 early in the third.

defense ➡️ offense

📺: FS1 | @MorganMcPhaul1 https://t.co/X466oJAsC4

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 25, 2026

The Cowboys took back the lead after giving up consecutive TD drives to Colorado in the first quarter.

Mestemaker led the Pokes on a four-play, 69-yard scoring drive that ended with a TD in the end zone. Nice.

Here’s the pass-and-catch between he and Justin Bowick. Cowboys up 17-14 midway through the second.

Drew Mestemaker to Justin Bowick AGAIN

Bowick throws up the X 👀 @DezBryant https://t.co/SADCuTnLQA

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 25, 2026

The Cowboys didn’t waste any time getting on the board.

After finding Caleb Hawkins on a 23-yard sideline jump ball, Drew Mestemaker could a wide-open Miles Coleman for a 47-yard TD to put the Cowboys up 7-0 early.

Doesn’t get more open than that!

📺: FS1 | @Milescoleman14 https://t.co/JTeDD9XFx2

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 24, 2026

Three Thoughts

• All the pregame content – previewing the game with TV details, picks and predictions, and a roundtable chewing on the game (PFB)

• CBS Sports gave Eric Morris and the Pokes a mid-term grade of a B+, which feels just right (CBS Sports) –

• The Cowboys won a scrimmage against TU yesterday, good experience for a team forming – the Oklahoman did a piece on a benefactor that Steve Lutz gives a lot of credit to (PFB + NewsOK)

Two Quotes

• What affirmation – Eric Morris compares Drew Mestemaker to Patrick Mahomes.

“Yeah, I think him and Patrick (Mahomes), their recall is phenomenal and their spatial awareness, and so I think those are two of the smartest quarterbacks that I’ve ever been with,” Morris said. “That (they) are able to take something from the meeting room, and they really diagnose it, and they’re able to put it in action right away…” [PFB]

• Some fun highlights:

America’s Greatest Homecoming 🤠 https://t.co/CFvfGFNDoX

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 24, 2026

One Question

• Can you think of a bigger celebrity coach to visit Stillwater than Deion Sanders?

Non-OSU Bullets

• The best inventions of 2026 • Make your own crossword puzzle • Quality of live against cost of living in major cities

BOX SCORE

STILLWATER — The Cowboys’ second dress rehearsal went notably better.

Oklahoma State beat Tulsa 93-85 on Friday afternoon in exhibition play. Here are five thoughts on the contest.

1. Natt Was Everywhere

Kashie Natt stuffed the stat sheet plenty, but there was a play late in the first half that tells you all you need to know about the Sam Houston transfer despite it not showing up in the box score.

Latrell Allmond scored a layup with 34 second left in the half. As Tulsa was taking the ball out, Natt covered the point guard, forcing the in-bounder to look elsewhere.

With the other Cowboys getting back to the defensive end at the point, Natt was the only Cowboy still on that side of the floor. The in-bounder instead bounced a lazy pass to someone on the opposite sideline.

Natt sprinted over and laid out, getting his mitts on the ball. He was unable to corral it before touching the out-of-bounds line, but after the GIA crowd got over its initial shock of how the heck he even got that close, it let out a loud cheer for the effort.

“Just trusting my instincts,” Natt said of the play. “I felt like it hit the ground soft, so I just had to try to go make a play on it. I don’t know what else to say, I just tried to get the ball for the team.”

Natt was the clear best player on floor on Friday afternoon — finishing an assist shy of a triple-double.  — along with being the game’s biggest hustler. He finished with 26 points on eight shots, going 2-for-4 from 3. He also had a team-high 12 boards, nine assists and five steals.

With it only being an exhibition, it wouldn’t have counted anyway, but that would’ve been just the third triple-double in OSU history and second of points-rebounds-assists, trailing an effort from Maurice Baker in 2001.

“I’ve told y’all before, he’s special,” Lutz said. “His energy and his effort, it’s contagious. It doesn’t stop. It’s every single day whether its practice at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. That young man is just special in that regard. …

“We’ve had — I don’t know — 10, 12 NBA teams, and I tell them all the same thing: he affects winning, and he affects your locker room. He affects your culture. You want him on your team no matter where you’re at.”

2. Even More Shorthanded Than Against New Mexico

The list of DNPs grew from exhibition one to exhibitions two.

On Friday, the Cowboys were without Kanye Clary, Jordan Burks, Luka Bogavac, Parsa Fallah and Mekhi Ragland. Of that quintet, I imagine all aside from maybe Ragland will heavily contribute to what OSU does this season.

3. OSU’s McDonald’s All-American Looked More In Control

Latrell Allmond is just the 11th McDonald’s All-American (10 if you don’t count Gerald Green) OSU has signed. Thus — whether fair or not — there are some high expectations of the 6-foot-8 forward getting his first taste of college hoops.

Allmond fouled out in 20 minutes on the floor in the Cowboys’ scrimmage against New Mexico, finishing with four points, two rebounds and three turnovers.

He was much better in his second dress rehearsal. He finished with 14 points, going 7-for-8 from the field with four rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.

“Latrell continues to work,” Lutz said. “You guys have heard this probably over and over — freshmen, it takes them a while for them to settle in. The game and the speed of things is moving way too fast for him right now, and when he’s able to slow down and play off instincts, he’s really, really good.”

4. Lutz Got on His Squad Early

In-state sniper Denton Forsythe got the game’s scoring started, as the Tulsa hooper hit an early uncontested 3. Despite just 23 seconds having ticked off the clock by that point, Lutz took his first timeout to get his team know that wasn’t acceptable.

“We’ve worked on defense,” Lutz said. “We’ve talked about defense. I swear to you, if I allowed you into practice, you’d be like, ‘Damn, coach, that’s all he does.’ For us to come out, just not being locked in and ready to go — it was a simple transition play. … For us not to do that, it’s just, again, lackadaisical or a lack of concentration. We weren’t gonna start out that way. I’m not gonna allow that to happen, especially after (New Mexico’s) Jake Hall came in here and hit eight 3s on us.”

The defense was better Friday than it was against New Mexico, but giving up 85 points still isn’t the greatest sign that the D is where it needs to be.

Lutz noted that his squad had a dozen deflections against New Mexico and 36 against Tulsa. He said he’s working on his magic number for how many he’d like a game, but knows it’s somewhere between 30 and 40.

The Golden Hurricane did, though, go 16-for-38 (42%) from 3, with just about all of Tulsa’s points coming from deep. OSU had a 50-18 advantage in paint points.

5. Positional Length on Display

With the Cowboys being out two centers, they had to go “small” on a few occassions, and it gave Tulsa some issues.

There were a few instances where Allmond and the 6-foot-11 Andrija Grbovic, who is more a small forward than a center, were the two bigs on the floor.

The Cowboys were able to switch quite a bit in those instances and hound whichever Tulsa player had the ball.

We’ll see if it’s a useable strategy in Big 12 play, but going small looked good at times on Friday.

“We switch a lot with Latrell and AG (Grbovic), especially when they’re at the power forward,” Lutz said. “We almost always switch with those guys. So, now you put them out there, and it allows you to stay out of rotations. It allows you stay in more compact.

“The question mark is going to be can you do that with Julius (Halaifonua). Julius has shown flashes where I can switch ball screens with him and to the same thing. Ben (Ahmed) is gonna be a little bit more of a time-consuming process, but it just helps your defense. Any time you don’t put two people on the basketball, and now you’re not in a rotation, your defense should be more solid.”

When an opposing coach is asked about an upcoming trip to Boone Pickens Stadium, there are two free spaces on the bingo card: the Paddle People and tight sidelines.

Boone Pickens Stadium is unique in that it has college kids slapping big wooden paddles on the wall, but the fact that those walls are so close to the ongoing action makes the atmosphere even more unique.

“They’re right on top of you,” said former Kansas State coach Chris Klieman ahead of his 2019 trip to BPS. “I’ve been down there once, but the guys have told me as well how tight it is. The sidelines, obviously, are really tight.”

“I don’t necessarily need to educate anybody on what that environment is like,” said OU coach Brent Venables before the Sooners’ 2023 trip. “Although, I will say that they do a great job game day. Fans there are passionate, they’re gonna be on top of you — really tight sidelines. It’s gonna get really, really loud. It’s always a good atmosphere in Stillwater for them.”

I’m blessed enough with my job to get to stand on some of these different college football fields. Last week, I stood on the field at TDECU Stadium in Houston to watch warmups, and I did the same a few weeks before in West Virginia. It’s rather spacious down there.

I’m not saying the tight sidelines in Boone Pickens Stadium are a bad thing. I think it creates an elite atmosphere, but rather than hearing about how tight the sidelines are from the words of others, let’s take a look at how it compares to the rest of the Big 12 via satellite.

I’ve been poking around Google Maps of the Big 12’s 16 stadiums. Here are some examples to show just how unique things are in Stillwater.

First, the Cowboys’ homefield.

The aspect that I think most exemplifies just how tight the Boone Pickens sidelines is what is called the safety border. It’s the dotted white line outside the sideline. It’s 6 feet outside of the playing surface.

There are points — especially in the east corners of the stadium that are somewhat covered by the shadows of GIA — where that 6-foot buffer zone comes right against the wall.

Let’s compare that to where the Cowboys just were, at TDECU Stadium in Houston.

Clearly more room around the safety border, but significantly more room in the areas players and coaches stand.

And that honestly is one of the tighter sidelines outside of Stillwater. You could drive a truck on most part of the sidelines in Waco.

Cincinnati also has extra pockets of space despite the stadium having a closer-quarters feel given its in the middle of a campus in the middle of a major city.

Thinking of some of the other heralded environments of the league, Kansas State has plenty of room surrounding the field at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

LaVell Edwards Stadium is tighter than most, but there is certainly more room than there is at BPS.

Jack Trice Stadium at Iowa State didn’t have the field painted the day Google Maps too its satellite flick, but given there’s a concreate path surrounding the grass, it’s roomier.

The point of all this? I don’t know, OSU has really tight sidelines. Thanks for following me down the rabbit hole.

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There isn’t a much better setting for the Cowboys to get a bad taste out of their mouth than America’s Greatest Homecoming.

Oklahoma State hosts Colorado on Saturday, with the Pokes looking to bounce back from a loss in Houston last week. Here are stats and other info for Saturday’s game.

Viewing Info

Time: 6 p.m. Saturday
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium
Watch: FS1 (Carlo Jiménez and Robert Smith)

Betting Info (via FanDuel)

Spread: Oklahoma State -13.5
Over/under: 56.5
OSU money line: -630

Team Stats

Statistical Leaders

Passing:
OSU — Drew Mestemaker — 136-for-203 (67%)/1,940 yards/16 touchdowns/6 interceptions
CU — Julian Lewis — 61-for-95 (64%)/733 yards/6 touchdowns/2 interceptions

Rushing:
OSU — Caleb Hawkins — 123 carries/592 yards/2 touchdowns
CU — JaQuail Smith — 51 carries/259 yards/0 touchdowns

Receiving:
OSU — Wyatt Young — 32 catches/561 yards/5 touchdowns
CU — Joseph Williams — 37 catches/508 yards/5 touchdowns

Tackling:
OSU — Ethan Wesloski — 62 total tackles
CU — Randon Fontenette — 52 total tackles

Sacks:
OSU — Malik Charles — 2.5 sacks each
CU — Lamont Lester Jr. — 4 sacks

Series History (Colorado Leads 27-20-1)

Thursday Player Availability Report

OSU:
DT Landon Dean (OUT)
WR Dayvon Standard (QUESTIONABLE)
LB Gunnar Wilson (PROBABLE)

Colorado:
WR Kam Perry (OUT)
WR Danny Scudero (OUT)
DB Braylon Edwards (OUT)
RB Micah Welch (OUT)
DE Sam Gadie (OUT)
CB Preston Ashley (PROBABLE)
DL Lamont Lester (PROBABLE)
WR DeAndre Moore Jr. (PROBABLE)
WR Quentin Gibson (PROBABLE)
DL Santana Hopper (PROBABLE)
DL Dylan Manuel (PROBABLE)

Big 12 Standings

Further Reading

No changes in the OSU depth chart
Why Morris wasn’t super impressed with Mestemaker’s 54-yard heave
Morris ‘excited’ for first homecoming
Malik Charles adding weight and playing both sides of the ball
Three things Deion Sanders said
Comparing CU QB Isaac Wilson and OSU QB Drew Mestemaker
OSU defense digging for answers after rough night in Houston
On OSU’s red-zone issues
Three things to know entering the game
Mose Phillips expected to miss remainder of season
Uniforms

STILLWATER — Halloween is just over a week away, but on his Thursday radio show, Eric Morris described Drew Mestemaker as if he was some kind of Frankenstein monster assembled in a lab.

“Yeah, I think him and Patrick (Mahomes), their recall is phenomenal and their spatial awareness, and so I think those are two of the smartest quarterbacks that I’ve ever been with,” Morris said. “That (they) are able to take something from the meeting room, and they really diagnose it, and they’re able to put it in action right away.

“They don’t need a ton of reps at it, and then I think they see the field like their eyes are always up. They’re always in great body positions to throw the football, even with people around them, and so which is a great characteristic.”

Morris was then asked how his current quarterback compared to current Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield.

“I think just toughness,” Morris said. “I mean, fiery, competitive.”

Although Morris doubts those are words tossed around by folks outside the football program who meet him on campus or around town.

“Pretty unassuming Drew is just when he talks to people,” Morris said. “He’s so kind-hearted, great teammate.

“(But) We have to cool him down from time to time now on the sideline. So he’s getting to where he likes to talk a little trash out there and have fun with it. And so yeah, I think just their (Mestemaker and Mayfield) competitive character, and like they’ll do anything to win.”

Whoa, Mahomes’ brain and Mayfield’s moxie? If that’s not a quarterback built to strike fear into NFL teams, what is?

The Cowboys head coach didn’t compare him to anything specific when another former Morris QB, Cam Ward, came up. Instead, he talked about how great quarterbacks have a mindset that sets them apart.

“I think the one superpower that Drew has is just his poise with people around him, and so he’s never fazed by big bodies, you know, big 350-pound angry men trying to get him,” Morris said.

The head coach said the great QBs have a sixth sense in the pocket that allows them to keep their eyes downfield when many others get nervous, tuck their heads and bolt for the exit.

In the middle of all the Mestemaker praise, Morris offered some advice, and maybe a somewhat ominous warning to Cowboy fans.

“So just as this thing keeps going, like just enjoy these moments,” Morris said. “Like I mean, scouts, I mean our scout list right now, week by week, is getting crazy on GMs that are wanting to watch him live in action.”

The Cowboys are looking to rebound from their second loss of the season and looking to do so in the midst of America’s Greatest Homecoming.

Oklahoma State hosts Colorado at 6 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium, but before that game kicks off, let’s predict what we think will happen.

What We’re Predicting

Uniforms: These are already out, but we made our predictions before they dropped. You get a point for the helmet color, the decal, the jersey color and the pants color.

Caleb Hawkins over/under 85 rushing yards: Hawkins is averaging about 99 rushing yards a game, having ran for 83 and 68 yards in the Cowboys’ past two. Hawkins was a big piece to the Cowboys’ passing attack last week, but we’re only predicting his rush yards.

Second-Leading Tackler: If it was OSU’s leading tackler, we’d all pick Ethan Wesloski, so we’re predicting OSU’s second-leading tackler.

TD Parlay: You can name as many players who you think will score a touchdown (passing TDs don’t count), and you get two points for each player you name. However if you name a guy who doesn’t score a touchdown, you get no points in this section.

Score: Three points are up for grabs here: one for guessing the correct winner, one for being on the right side of the spread (OSU -13.5) and one to whichever one of us gets closest to the actual score.

Marshall Scott

Uniform: Black (Cursive) — Black — Orange

Caleb Hawkins over/under 85 rush yards: Under

The Buffaloes have a decent rushing defense, and I think the Cowboys are going to look to get Hawkins involved in the passing game earlier Saturday when they did last week. I think Hawkins gets close to that total on the ground and it’s supplemented by a good chunk of yardage through the air.

Second-Leading Tackler: Quinton Hammonds

Hammonds is the Cowboys’ third-leading tackler this season, so I’m going out on a bit of a limb, but he plays a ton of snaps and has 30 tackles across his past three games.

TD Parlay: Caleb Hawkins, Terrence Lewis, Justin Bowick

Hawkins got back in the end zone last week. We’ll see if that opens the floodgates. The Buffs like to play man coverage, so I went with Bowick and Lewis to beat that at some point and find paydirt.

Score: Oklahoma State 45, Colorado 28

Colorado has been playing teams tough, and maybe that happens for a bit on Saturday. But I don’t think the Buffs will be able to keep up with this OSU offense that is looking to bounce back from a tough loss.

Kyle Cox

Uniform: White (Brand) — Orange — White

Caleb Hawkins over/under 85 rush yards: Over

Second-Leading Tackler: Tate Romney

TD Parlay: Wyatt Young, Caleb Hawkins, Malik Charles

Score: Oklahoma State 42, Colorado 21

I want to talk myself into this being closer. The Buffs came this close to a huge upset last week over Utah, but it’s homecoming and the Cowboys have already shown how well they can show out for BPS after a loss.

Tyler Waldrep

Uniform: Orange (Brand) — Orange — Orange

Caleb Hawkins over/under 85 rush yards: Over

I expected this to be an easy pick, but Colorado has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher despite falling behind by quite a bit in some of these games. Still, the Cowboys have shown a tendency to lean on Hawkins quite a bit. This feels like a line that could go right down to the wire. I think Hawkins goes over in the fourth as OSU tries to bury the Buffs for good.

Second-Leading Tackler: Tate Romney

The lineacker has an eight-tackle lead on safety Quinton Hammonds. It would be surprising to see anyone else land there unless somebody knocks Wesloski down to No. 2 for a week. Romney is the boring pick here, but that doesn’t mean he’s not the right one.

TD Parlay: Justin Bowick, Wyatt Young, Terrence Lewis

If this doesn’t hit and others get it then I’m probably just going to be boring and pick Bowick and Young only each week. Colorado doesn’t really give up rushing touchdowns so that leaves me with the receivers. Lewis seems to get looks in the red zone. I considered picking the OSU defense and seeing if Marshall would let me get away with that like it was fantasy football (editor’s note: I would’ve allowed it).

Score: Oklahoma State 34, Colorado 17

The Buffs played Utah and Texas Tech close in its last two games, but the 24-point effort against the Utes was a season high number of points against an FBS team. With it being America’s Greatest Homecoming AND the week after a loss, I just think OSU will be motivated to put its foot down this week. Bad spot for a Colorado team close to a breakthrough, but instead I think the Buffs just break instead as a high-flying Cowboy offense takes an early lead allowing the OSU defense to play somewhat opportunistic football.

Scoreboard

Tyler made up some ground last week, scoring a dozen points to go from last to a tie for second, but Kyle broke into the lead with his seven-point week.

If you’re looking for Justin’s and Nathan’s picks, they can be found on The Reload.

These points don’t include this week’s uniforms.

1. Kyle Cox — 36
T2. Nathan Gilsleider — 33
T2. Tyler Waldrep — 33
4. Marshall Scott — 31
5. Justin Southwell — 25

OSU Bullets

• Pokes go with classic uniform combo (color-wise) for homecoming (PFB)

• Cowboy fan’s guide to college football this weekend (PFB)

• The unique paradox that is the Cowboy offense – elite in something so difficult, mediocre in another. 

The Cowboys are in a weird spot in that they lead the Big 12 in total offense per game by a decent margin six games into their season. They’ve averaged 517.7 yards a game with West Virginia’s 497.1 yards per game ranking second.

But the Cowboys rank eighth in red zone scoring percentage, coming away with points on 85.3% of their red zone trips… [PFB]

• Donovan Woods is rejoining the OSU athletic department… in a development role (PFB)

• Tomorrow will be just the second time the Cowboys play Colorado in ten years, plus other nuggets around the series history (PFB)

• Could a reunion be in line?

Maryland is hiring 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/9zAkVfjbog

— Cody Nagel (@CodyNagel247) October 21, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Can science save meetings?

• AirBNB is limiting cleaning responsibilities passed on to guests

“Speed is rewarded in life.

• Decisive. Make decisions quickly and you can correct them faster.
• Proactive. Solve problems now, while they are still small.
• Bold. Go for it today rather than delaying your dreams.

Don’t rush, but don’t wait.”

James Clear

The Cowboys will wear their classic white-orange-white color combination for America’s Greatest Homecoming, but it comes with the twist of a fun helmet.

Oklahoma State will year a jumbo Pistol Pete logo on the lid.

The program unveiled the uniforms via a cool video of the different pieces to the look being displayed around the homecoming-bustling campus while the alma mater rang out on the Edmon Low Library bells.

Homecoming fit 🤠 https://t.co/cCHhObJUUK

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 22, 2026

Another week, another banger https://t.co/lJ5Fo5zKaR

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 23, 2026

It’s the second time this season the Cowboys have gone with the white-orange-white combo, also winning in the look against Oregon. Since 2011, OSU is 17-3 in the combination.

Oklahoma State and Colorado kick off at 6 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium. The game will be televised on FS1.

The big message from Steve Lutz at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday was the need for the Cowboys to get back into the NCAA Tournament.

And a big reason why Oklahoma State’s coach thinks that is possible is because of an increase in resources.

“We absolutely do (have an NCAA Tournament team on campus),” Lutz told CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish. “That’s largely because our resources have increased. We had a family that really has embraced our program. Rick and Sharon Sosa have been fantastic to us, and that’s put us in a better position. It’s not an arms race, but it’s an arms race, and we do have a team in my opinion.”

If you’d like to read more about Mr. Sosa, The Oklahoman‘s Ben Hutchens recently wrote a profile on him (sub required).

CBS Sports on Wednesday put together an all-encompassing NIL breakdown, where they talked to more than 100 sources in and around college basketball to provide estimates on what each team was spending. OSU came out in what CBS Sports called “Tier 3” in that study, with the outlet estimating this OSU roster was somewhere between $15.1 million and $17.5 million to put together.

Parrish asked Lutz if that’s what it takes to be an NCAA Tournament team in the modern landscape.

“In my opinion, yes, that is where we’re at,” Lutz told Parrish. “The fact of the matter is we had been in the bottom third resource-wise at Oklahoma State in our first two seasons, and this one gets us into Tier 3. … So, we got to the middle, but the middle gives you a fighting chance.”

OSU Basketball’s lack of funding preceded Lutz’s arrival.

Mike Boynton made waves back in February of 2024 when he discussed the program was struggling in the resource department. Back then, Boynton told the Tulsa World that there were six Big 12 programs operating above $2 million in NIL resources while OSU was operating with about $500,000. Those numbers have obviously ballooned quite a bit in the past few years.

What did Lutz do with his $15-17 million? Well, the Cowboys’ portal class ranked 12th nationally, according to On3. That paired with the Cowboys’ traditional recruiting class which ranked ninth nationally.

Since the portal has become all the rave, there have been fewer opportunities for high school prospects. Lutz said he wasn’t initially sure how much he’d have at his disposal entering the portal, so he wanted to build a base of high schoolers. Shopping in the portal can get expensive.

OSU ended up with Latrell Allmond, a McDonald’s All-American, and Anthony Felesi, Jalen Montonati and Parker Robinson — all four-star recruits according to at least one of the major recruiting services.

“With that being said, when you have guys that are ranked in the top 25 to 30, those guys are still gonna command a market price, and when you’re a McDonald’s All-American, you command a McDonald’s All-American price,” Lutz said. “But we just had to gauge it, and my thought process was if we could spend wisely with our freshmen, then maybe we would have more money in the spring when we go shopping.”

The portal shopping seemed just as fruitful. On3 considered five of the six guys OSU got out of the portal as four-star transfers.

The Cowboys are longer and more skilled than they’ve been in either of Lutz’s first two seasons. Lutz didn’t have to sacrifice certain traits for others nearly as much and has instead put together what seems to be a much more all-around basketball team.

“You still have to coach your team,” Lutz said. “You still have to get them to buy in. You still have to be one unit, but at the end of the day, if you’re not resourced at at least this level, you probably have a very slim chance of making the NCAA Tournament.”

OSU’s Exhibition Against Tulsa

When: 2:30 p.m. Friday (before Walkaround)
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena
Admission: Free

We’re getting to the point in the year where some triangles are starting to develop among three teams who have wins against one another.

Last weekend was a chaotic slate of college football, shown by the fact that only one team has remained in the same spot in my updated Big 12 Power Rankings. Take a look.

1. BYU (+1)

Record: 6-0
Week 7 Result: W, 28-24 vs. Notre Dame
Week 8 Matchup: at UCF

BYU reclaims the top spot by giving the Big 12 a massive win against Notre Dame.

The Cougars have to avoid some traps in the meantime, but their Holy War game at Utah on Nov. 7 is shaping up to be epic.

2. Texas Tech (+1)

Record: 6-0
Week 7 Result: W, 53-25 vs. Arizona State
Week 8 Matchup: at Cincinnati

Texas Tech looked as good as it has in some time while blowing out Arizona State. Whether that’s on Tech or on Arizona State (who has been blown out often of late), I guess we’ll wait and see, but in the meantime, the reigning champs move up a spot in my rankings.

3. Utah (-2)

Record: 6-0
Week 7 Result: W, 27-24 at Colorado
Week 8 Matchup: vs. Houston

The Utes had a sleepy performance in Boulder this past week. I still think they’re a good team, but they haven’t been tested by another one of the league’s contenders. That changes this week.

4. Houston

Record: 6-1
Week 7 Result: W, 35-32 vs. Oklahoma State
Week 8 Matchup: at Utah

I got a firsthand look at just how good Houston is on Saturday. The Cougar offense is balanced, methodical and punishing. After that early season loss to Tech, the Cougars have to create their own breaks from here on. They did that against Oklahoma State and will have to do it again against Utah.

5. Arizona (+1)

Record: 5-1
Week 7 Result: Bye
Week 8 Matchup: vs. Iowa State

After losing to BYU way back in Week 2, the Wildcats have been steady, beating their past four opponents by an average of 20 points a game. They slide up on their bye week with the Cowboys’ taking their second loss.

6. Oklahoma State (-1)

Record: 4-2
Week 7 Result: L, 35-32 at Houston
Week 8 Matchup: vs. Colorado

There were ifs, ands, and buts that came with the Pokes’ loss in Houston, but the fact is, they lost. Get one more stop in the second half or score more than three points in the first, and OSU would’ve moved up. But now the Cowboys will have to get their momentum rolling again.

7. Kansas State (+3)

Record: 4-2
Week 7 Result: W, 35-24 vs. Kansas
Week 8 Matchup: at Arizona State

K-State bounced back from a home loss to Houston with a win in the Sunflower Showdown. It ended a two-game losing streak for the Wildcats, who will hit the road the next two weekends.

8. Iowa State (+1)

Record: 3-3
Week 7 Result: Bye
Week 8 Matchup: at Arizona

With teams crumbling around them, Iowa State slides up during its bye week. We’ll see if the Cyclones can be a landmine for a Big 12 hopeful this week. All three of the Cyclones’ losses are to teams currently in the Top 15.

9. Baylor (-2)

Record: 4-2
Week 7 Result: L, 17-6 vs. TCU
Week 8 Matchup: at Kansas

I thought Bears were mammals and thus didn’t lay eggs, but here we are. That was a gut punch of a loss for a team that has otherwise been a pleasant surprise this season. We’ll see if that offense can get back on track in Lawrence.

10. West Virginia (+3)

Record: 4-3
Week 7 Result: W, 45-42 vs. Cincinnati
Week 8 Matchup: at TCU

The Mountaineers halted a three-game skid and vaulted up in the rankings with others falling around them. It’d be a lot easier on them if their defense had a pulse, but the Mountaineers are must-see TV with all the points being scored in their games.

11. Cincinnati (-3)

Record: 4-2
Week 7 Result: L, 45-42 at West Virginia
Week 8 Matchup: vs. Texas Tech

The team the Mountaineers beat: Cincinnati tumbles down a bit after two straight losses now. It doesn’t get much easier for the Bearcats moving forward, as their next three games are against Texas Tech, Utah and Houston.

12. Arizona State (-1)

Record: 3-3
Week 7 Result: L, 53-25 at Texas Tech
Week 8 Matchup: vs. Kansas State

The Sun Devils’ fall has been sudden. They’ve now lost three games by at least four touchdowns this season. Their wins are against Morgan State, Kansas and Hawai’i.

13. UCF (-1)

Record: 3-3
Week 7 Result: Bye
Week 8 Matchup: vs BYU

UCF slides a spot in its off week. The Knights have been stingy but haven’t exactly captured that signature moment just yet. Could they have BYU in a trap game this week?

14. TCU (+1)

Record: 3-3
Week 7 Result: W, 17-6 at Baylor
Week 8 Matchup: vs. West Virginia

The Horned Frogs got back in the win column — on their rival’s field, no less. TCU hasn’t been scoring a ton, which is on the opposite end of the spectrum of their Week 8 opponent West Virginia.

15. Colorado (+1)

Record: 2-4
Week 7 Result: L, 27-24 vs. Utah
Week 8 Matchup: at Oklahoma State

The Buffaloes have looked stingier the past few weeks, but they are on a four-game losing streak. It’s not the toughest close to the season, so maybe there is time to make things look more respectable. But in the meantime, CU is hanging out in the basement.

16. Kansas (-2)

Record: 2-4
Week 7 Result: L, 35-24 at Kansas State
Week 8 Matchup: vs. Baylor

The Jayhawks haven’t beaten a Power Conference team to this point in the season. They were up 17-7 on K-State in the first quarter this past weekend, but it was all downhill from there.

It sort of feels like a weekend of potential trap games in college football. Could it get more chaotic than last week?

Here is a look at the Big 12 slate for Week 8 and some other anticipated matchups from around the country.

Big 12 Schedule

No. 8 Texas Tech (6-0) at Cincinnati (4-2) — 11 a.m. Saturday on FS1
West Virginia (4-3) at TCU (3-3) — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN2
Baylor (4-2) at Kansas (2-4) — 12 p.m. Saturday on TNT
No. 2 BYU (6-0) at UCF (3-3) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX
Kansas State (4-2) at Arizona State (3-3) — 2:45 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2
Colorado (2-4) at Oklahoma State (4-2) — 6 p.m. Saturday on FS1
Iowa State (3-3) at No. 25 Arizona (5-1) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2
No. 14 Houston (6-1) at No. 10 Utah (6-0) — 9:15 p.m. Saturday on ESPN

Houston-Utah: Fresh off a meaningful game against Oklahoma State, Houston hits the road for Utah this week for another game with massive Big 12 title implications.

This is the Utes’ first true test of the season. Their best win is probably a 31-17 result in Ames. Houston, meanwhile, has already played Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

A Cougar win drags the Utes into the one-loss moshpit with Houston, OSU and Arizona. A Ute win keeps the home team on a much clearer path to Arlington.

WVU-TCU: This game doesn’t impact the Big 12 title race, but it could be the deciding factor on whether each of these squads go bowling.

The Mountaineers finally came out on the right end of a shootout last week, when they beat Cincinnati 45-42. Through WVU’s four Big 12 games to this point, 322 total points have been scored.

TCU got its first win of the season by upsetting rival Baylor 17-6. The Horned Frogs are averaging just 13.3 points a game in Big 12 play. Can they keep up with West Virginia?

Trap Game in Orlando?: BYU is coming off a rather emotional win, and UCF has been playing everybody close. Is an upset brewing?

It’s a spot OSU fans are unfortunately familiar with. After the Cowboys won the final Bedlam in 2023, OSU went to Orlando and lost 45-13 the next week.

Other Games to Watch

No. 18 LSU (5-2) at Auburn (4-2) — 11 a.m. Saturday on ABC
No. 11 Tennessee (6-1) at South Carolina (3-3) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
No. 7 Ole Miss (5-1) at No. 19 Texas (4-2) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC
No. 16 USC (6-1) at Wisconsin (4-2) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC
North Dakota State (6-1) at New Mexico (5-1) — 9 p.m. Saturday on CW

Honestly not a ton of games to throw up on the marquee, but that’s usually when chaos ensues.

LSU-Auburn: In a battle of Tigers, Auburn returns home after upsetting No. 1 Georgia in Athens last week. Meanwhile, LSU hasn’t won on the road this season.

Tennessee-South Carolina: After starting 0-3 in the SEC, South Carolina got a big road win against Florida and now returns home to welcome another ranked team. Tennessee travels to Columbia after an emotional win against Alabama this past weekend in what can be another letdown spot.

Ole Miss-Texas: The Longhorns are on the mat, and the referee is counting. Will they get up? Once the No. 1 team in the country, Texas has lost two in a row and welcome Trinidad Chambliss to Austin this weekend. The Rebels are coming off a dominant win against Missouri.

USC-Wisconsin: This game might not look all that sexy, but the Trojans are having to go to all the way Madison at night in late October. And the Badgers’ two losses this season are to Notre Dame and UCLA — two teams currently ranked in the top 10.

NDSU-New Mexico: A fun game in the G6 takes place in Albuquerque, as the Lobos welcome North Dakota State. New Mexico’s one loss this year is a 14-6 defeat in Norman. The Lobos have outscored everyone else a combined 171-39. In its first year in the FBS, North Dakota State is 6-1 with its only loss being 13-7 on the road against UNLV. The Bison have outscored everyone else 199-66.

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt has spent most of the last two years stumping to get the Cowgirls more respect between signature wins that never seemed to quite move the needle.

That probably won’t be the case this year as the Cowgirls start the year ranked 22nd in the preseason AP Top 25 and were picked by Big 12 coaches to win the conference for the first time ever.

All because Hoyt crushed the transfer portal with headliners including Iowa State transfer Audi Crooks and Florida transfer Liv McGill.

“This is by far the most talented roster that I’ve ever been privileged to coach. … We know we have a lot of firepower, a lot of different weapons,” Hoyt said at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday. “And I think our team understands that people are going to have to make sacrifices that maybe they haven’t had to make before. But ultimately they came here to win. They came here to write a legacy for themselves, to write a legacy for Oklahoma State.”

Crooks was the consensus top talent in the portal this offseason. When OSU announced her signing, Hoyt held up a clapperboard, the thing used to signal takes in movies, which read, “THE SUPER TEAM,” take #1.

“I think for me it was a lot about preparing myself for Oklahoma State’s style of play, right,” Crooks said. “They like to get up and down, and that is what I want to do, that is what I aspire to do because that is kinda what the pros do.”

When asked about sacrifices, Crooks said she’s prepared to kick the ball out to open 3-point shooters if the Cowgirls are knocking them down. That has traditionally been Hoyt’s bread and butter. OSU lives and dies by the 3 as much as any team.

But that could change somewhat, as this is a clear upgrade for Hoyt inside, considering Crooks averaged 25.8 points per game last season, which was good enough for second in the nation.

McGill averaged 22.5 points per game, putting her almost nine full points ahead of her closest teammate. She also finished second in rebounds, averaging 6.1, and attempted a team-high 591 shots, which was 259 more than the next Gator.

For comparison, returner Stailee Heard was one of three Cowgirls to top 300 shot attempts last season and none of them exceeded 390.

“One of the things I pride myself on is doing whatever it takes to win,” McGill said. “In the past, I had to put up a lot of shots, and I think with my teammates now I’m not going to have to do that.”

McGill said she’ll likely showcase her passing and defensive abilities more this season. She still managed to average 6.3 assists last season for a total of 195. That’s 18 more than any Cowgirl had last season. And she averaged 2.6 steals, again putting her more than 0.5 steals per game ahead of any Cowgirl.

According to On3’s Talia Goodman, OSU’s big three of Heard, Crooks and McGill combined to score 70 points in a private scrimmage against a No. 10 Iowa ranked closer to the No. 8 team than the No. 11 team.

Iowa beat Oklahoma State 93-86 in a closed scrimmage today, sources told @On3.

— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) October 17, 2026

Crooks reportedly paced the team with 25 points and presumably also led the team with eight rebounds. Heard finished one rebound behind her and locked down the No. 3 scoring spot with 21.

Anyone who has watched Cowgirl basketball in the last several years understands the significance of Heard potentially being third in the lineup with respect to scoring.

McGill nearly took the scoring lead with 24 while adding 10 assists.

As impressive as those numbers are, they don’t really point to the depth or sacrifices Hoyt spoke of at Media Days. It wouldn’t be shocking, or unusual based on recent seasons, to see OSU’s scoring leaders to fluctuate heavily between a wide number of players to start the season as this team figures itself out in real time.

Fans will get a chance to watch that process in person as the Cowgirls face Langston in an exhibition open to the public on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

Although the scrimmage against Iowa was reportedly a losing effort for OSU, Hoyt spoke of the importance of that game on Wednesday and seemed to confirm that late-addition transfer from Nebraska, Callin Hake, is on track for the season despite missing the scrimmage.

“We don’t have a single player on this roster who has played a single minute of basketball together,” Hoyt said. “So that was really great for us to get that experience in a game-like setting. …

“Just in general, we’re just trying to learn as much as we can about ourselves. … It was very affirming for the things that we think that we’re good at, and ultimately we just had fun competing.”

The Cowboys are looking to rebound off their second loss of the season this week.

Oklahoma State hosts Colorado for America’s Greatest Homecoming, with the game kicking off at 6 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium. Before kickoff, though, the PFB writers got together to hit on some of the storylines from the past week.

Marshall Scott: Well, the Cowboys got some bad news on Wednesday night that Mose Phillips is likely to miss the remainder of the season. He’s started all of OSU’s wins and not started in the Cowboys’ losses. Obviously Ts and Ps to Phillips’ recovery, but how do you think the Cowboys cope with his absence?

Tyler Waldrep: Logistically it seems to be as simple as plugging in Evan Jackson who played every snap at Houston. Mose seemed to flash as a playmaker with good instincts.

Haven’t noticed that as much from Jackson, though he did jump a route and nearly intercept a pass at Houston. It kinda got lost because Mo Horn probably picks that pass off if Jackson didn’t (not that he would know that in the moment).

Jackson has big shoes to fill to prove he can help the Cowboys lock things down. So I wouldn’t be shocked if teams test him coming up. I’m also officially worried for what the safety room looks like behind him and Quinton Hammonds. If OSU takes a huge lead this weekend or any week it would probably benefit the team to get some reps in to backups just incase.

Kyle Cox: It’s definitely a big loss, especially with the inconsistency the Cowboys have had in pass coverage and big plays over the last couple of games. I’m not sure the Buffaloes are the team to underline it, but that hole is going to look harder to fill if they can’t figure it out on the back end soon.

Marshall: Even going back to the preseason, Eric Morris had noted that Jackson has had high highs but needs to be a bit more consistent. Maybe with the more consistent snaps now, he can find that consistency. I also wouldn’t mind seeing a guy like Cameron Epps get some more spot duty. He’s a bigger body and could be better suited in certain matchups.

The last time the Cowboys came off a loss, they recorded a shock win. The opponent doesn’t necessarily provide as big a moment this week, but what would you like to see from the Cowboys on Saturday to say they’ve responded well?

Kyle: I don’t know if we’ll get a shock but the best one could hope for is an “oh, right, there they are.” It’s well-trodden road, but it starts with finishing drives in the end zone and sustaining those drives early. And that comes from moving the ball on the ground more consistently than the Cowboys have the last couple of weeks.

I’m going to pick them to win but you don’t want it to come by way of third-fourth quarter rally.

Tyler: I think the Cowboys are lucky to be home. Colorado has played two Big 12 contenders in Texas Tech and Utah tough in its last two games. This feels less like a gimme than it did two weeks ago.

That said, OSU has the potential to be great. So I’d like to see the Cowboys prove that by scoring touchdowns in the red zone in the first half and getting off the field on third downs. Maybe even come up with a few sacks for good measure. OSU is favored by 13.5 points, which feels a touch high to me for a line, but Oklahoma State also feels capable of winning by more. I’d like to see a true blowout for me to feel like this weekend proves anything real long term against better opponents.

Marshall: Yeah, I think a first-drive touchdown would relax some tensions, but even if that doesn’t happen, I think getting Caleb Hawkins going early will be a good sign. Ideally, that would involve turning around and handing it to him, but if that’s not working, get him some early dump-off passes and let him set the tone and open stuff up elsewhere.

Tyler: The “free space” has been the biggest loser in the red zone issues. I don’t think it’s Hawkins’ fault, but as you guys are sort of eluding to it feels like the line struggles to spring him in obvious running situations at times. Would be good to see him run easy a few times just because the line made some holes.

Kyle: It strangely feels like it’s been a looooong time since we’ve sat back and marveled at how well he falls forward. I’m not saying he doesn’t do it. But yes, I agree. Hawkins gaining consistent 4-5 yard plays might be almost exciting as a 40-yard pass to Wyatt Young at this point.

Marshall: The defense is also having to bounce back from its roughest performance of the season. We discussed they’ll be without Phillips, but what do you guys make of where that unit is right now?

Kyle: Like Tyler alluded to, the third-down defense is good place to start. I think the defense may have reverted to where it actually is. After half a season of data, it seems more likely that the impressive third-down % they boasted over the first three games may not have the legs for the whole season. It would help if they can win the turnover battle more consistently. Again, losing a a playmaker like Phillips doesn’t help.

They’re maybe good, not great to borrow the vernacular of a previous regime. I still think they are good enough to facilitate the Cowboys winning a lot of games if the offense figures things out, but I don’t think the Pokes’ defense is at the level I’d convinced myself after Oregon.

Tyler: I love watching the corners play, and I just don’t see it with Kollin Lewis. I just don’t understand why LaDainian Fields and Mo Horn aren’t always out there. If its an exhaustion issue, then sure, but Horn’s snap counts fluctuate a lot more than you’d expect, and Fields didn’t start at Houston which felt weird.

I think OSU will be able to stop the run much better most weeks. I’m losing faith it will stop the pass. Fields and Quinton Hammonds seem solid. Even Christian Bodnar seemed off at times last game.

I will say Morris puts pretty much all of the pass defense struggles on the secondary. This defensive line earned a lot of praise preseason and even this week. I’d like to see those guys get to the quarterback a little more often.

Marshall: Teams have been able to stay on schedule on OSU of late (first half WVU, UCF and Houston).  OSU has to find a way to buck that, whether that be with sacks or negative runs or just some good, old-fashioned incompletions. Feels like they haven’t been getting outright gashed outside of one or two plays, but a few three-and-outs would go a long way.

Tyler: I sadly think Kyle nailed it. I knew OSU wasn’t the nation’s top third-down defense when they hit that point after three games.

But I had talked myself into thinking they were great, maybe even elite on those high-leverage plays. Since then OSU has fallen down to more of a good level with occasional greatness.

Marshall: Let’s close with a bit of fun. What Drew Mestemaker throw do you think has been the most impressive to this point?

The throw rolling to his left from Saturday was outright ridiculous, and I let out an audible gasp on the flea-flicker vs. Oregon. But, I think my answer is his ball to Terrence Lewis in Morgantown where Mestemaker put the ball in a spot among a West Virginia zone that he had to trust Lewis to run into.

David Pollack did a good job of breaking it down in this video. It wasn’t his most jaw-dropping play, but there was a ton that went into it and the ball was dropped in a bucket.

Kyle: I keep going back to the 52-yard TD against Oregon, when he hangs in the pocket despite pressure, gets hit, and hits Wyatt Young with a laser off his back foot. But his deep ball is just a thing of beauty. Even with some of the tough throws he’s maybe forced a bit at times, when he glances through his progressions I have an unhealthy Steph Curry-like confidence that it’s going in.

Tyler: Oh!

For me its easily the 54-yard pass last week to Wyatt Young. I’ve written about that play this week, forced a rather bored Eric Morris to talk about that play on Tuesday and I’ve verbally recounted the play to several people.

Drew’s ability to throw the ball that far (50 real physical yards, not after the catch) and hit Young in stride all while on the move. Sheesh! I might think about that play weekly for the next year.

That anticipation throw to Lewis against West Virginia might be second for me. I prefer that vastly to the flea flicker which was cool in its own right.

But yeah I’m with Kyle, Drew’s ball is dynamic, especially when he really chucks it.

Oklahoma State is set to host Colorado on Saturday for “America’s Greatest Homecoming.”

The Cowboys and Buffs have only played once since CU rejoined the league in 2024 and just twice in the last 17 years. But there is a storied history between the two schools.

Capsule

Overall record: CU leads 27-20-1
Neutral site meetings: Tied 1-1
Meetings in Stillwater: CU leads 12-11-1
Meetings in Boulder: CU leads 14-8
Past 10 meetings: Tied 5-5
First meeting (1920): CU defeated OSU 40-7 (Oklahoma City)
Most recent meeting (2024): CU defeated OSU 52-0

If we want to be technical, these two programs have been members of the same conference three times.

It started all the way back in 1960 when Oklahoma State joined the Big 7 to make the Big 8 (back when numerals meant something).

The two programs didn’t actually sever conference ties until 2010. They remained league rivals when the four Texas schools joined to expand to the Big 12 in 1996. CU left the league after the 2010 season to join the Pac-12.

The Bowl Matchup

Despite all the intra-league history, these two did manage to squeeze in a postseason matchup during that gap.

In the 2016 Alamo Bowl, Mason Rudolph slung it around for 314 yards and three scores and James Washington racked up 171 of those yards and a TD.

Justice Hill also chipped in 107 rushing yards and a touchdown while Chris Carson added 61 and a score on the ground to help No. 13 OSU trounce No. 11 Colorado 38-8.

Payback Time?

These two teams have met just once since Colorado’s return to the Big 12, and it was rough for OSU fans.

Shedeur Sanders racked up 438 passing yards and five touchdowns to just one pick and a pair of Buff receivers hit triple digits.

LaJohntay Wester had a season-high 175 yards and two scores on 11 catches and Travis Hunter hauled in 10 passes for 116 yards and the other three passing TDs.

Maealiuaki Smith threw for just 70 yards and two picks on the Cowboys’ side as they finished their hapless season with a 52-0 defeat.

The Barry Game

Before Drew did this:

Drew Mestemaker is him. No idea how he didn’t start at QB in high school. Putting it all on the line for Oklahoma State against Oregon https://t.co/mVKanXTK8Y

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) September 12, 2026

Barry did this:

#okstate RT @si_vault: Barry Sanders goes airborne during a 1988 Oklahoma State-Colorado game: http://t.co/b01HOuieNS

— Oklahoma State Athletics (@OSUAthletics) July 16, 2013

The Cowboys headed to Folsom Field for a Big 8 opener against the Buffs. Both teams were undefeated thus far with Colorado boasting a stout defense that hadn’t given up more than 23 points to any opponent.

But the Cowboys had Barry Sanders.

It was a somewhat pedestrian performance by the eventual Heisman winner. He had 174 rushing yards on 24 carries. Four were scores. One was a 65-yarder and the other was iconic.

OSU’s defense forced six turnovers as well. That’s six more times an offense with Barry, Hart Lee Dykes and Mike Gundy got the ball. They took care of the Buffs 41-21 and would go on to finish 10-2 with a Holiday Bowl win over Wyoming.

Here’s the full clip if you want to see more Barry highlights.

STILLWATER — When Oklahoma State left Tulsa, it looked like the Cowboys were headed for another season of football so bad that even mediocrity would be considered high praise.

Instead, what transpired was a turnaround so dramatic that it would likely remain one of the biggest stories of the season if not for Oregon’s subsequent dropoff without starting quarterback Dante Moore, who was healthy when the Ducks visited Stillwater.

“Even week one, our loss to Tulsa, how we bounced back from that was huge and mature,” center Tyler Mercer said. “So I think it is the same vibe of you can’t let a loss beat you twice. So keeping our heads up and yes learning from our mistakes. … Knowing we can accomplish everything we want to accomplish going forward.”

Last time after a loss, Oklahoma State sent a then-top 6 program home at least somewhat embarrassed after the Cowboys not only won, but showed a great deal of control over the game.

At Tulsa, PFF graded Oklahoma State a 62.9 overall rating thanks in part to a 60.4 showing on offense and a 62.5 showing defensively. OSU’s only grade over a 70 was an 83.8 pass-blocking grade.

Against Oregon, the Cowboys earned a 78.5 overall score after a 65.1 offensive and 81.7 defensive showing. OSU graded out over 70 in run defense (86.7), coverage (75.2), running (71.1), passing (70.3) and pass rush (70.1).

“After the Tulsa loss too, like there’s just a different energy that goes through the facility,” defensive end Malik Charles said on Tuesday. “Everybody doesn’t like what we watched yesterday (in film review), and they showed us some bad clips, and everybody doesn’t want that to happen again. So everybody’s just been practicing. They probably practiced hard today. There’s good energy all around. Everybody was extremely focused, and we’re just ready to play.”

And if all these subjective numbers sound like mumbo jumbo, look no farther than Drew Mestemaker’s performance, OSU’s ability to run the ball and the defenses’ ability to limit yards per play.

Mestemaker threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns after being held to 241 yards and one score in the opener.

Caleb Hawkins averaged 4.8 yards on the ground and hit 110 total after a 79-yard, 4.4 average rush showing at TU.

OSU’s defense allowed Tulsa, an offense that currently ranks 101st nationally averaging 5.48 yards per play, to gain 6.3 yards per offensive snap. Then held the Ducks, who average 6.01 over the course of the season, to only 4.8 yards per play in their trip to Stillwater.

“Yeah, this group, especially our defense, we respond,” Charles said. “I feel like we respond really well to getting punched. We get punched, and we get right back up. We get knocked out and get right back up. I think this week is not gonna be any different.”

OSU players believe they will bounce back in similar fashion this Saturday against a Colorado team threatening to get its own act together after a 3-point loss to current No. 10 Utah and a halftime lead over current No. 8 Texas Tech in the Buffs’ last two games.

“The crazy thing about this team and watching this team, Colorado, right now is they might be the best two-win team in the nation. … The teams that they’ve lost to, I think their combined record is 21-3 right now,” coach Eric Morris said. “So, when you think about that, and they’ve been in these games. They’re a play away from making it happen.”

As of Wednesday night, Oklahoma State is a 13.5-point favorite on Saturday. A win might return the Cowboys, the unofficial 26th team to the AP Top 25 proper.

But the Cowboys aren’t playing for any of that on Saturday. This team has to prove it can learn from its mistakes.

It has to.

“We got to start fast, and that is evident,” Mercer said, when asked the most important lesson from the Houston loss. “We put up 30 points in the second half, and so coming out we have got to start fast. We know we are an explosive offense. … But we can’t put ourself in a situation where we are playing catch up in the second half and leaving it up to the clock.”

Oklahoma State points by quarter vs FBS

Even in wins, the Cowboys have tended to backload most of their scoring. Against Houston, the Cowboys just ran out of time.

When asked the same question, receiver Miles Coleman offered a similar answer, but he focused on the red zone struggles that have plagued this team throughout the year and emerged as one of the headlines following Saturday’s loss to the Cougars. It’s also been one of the biggest reasons for that slow start Mercer mentioned.

“Just staying consistent as an offense,” Coleman said. “We got to score in the red zone, obviously, but we know we’re a talented group, and we just got to put it all together, and we will figure things out.”

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Oklahoma State clearly wants to be really good and ranks top-three in year-over-year budget increase relative to last year’s spending. Steve Lutz went out and landed two top-40 freshmen who can hoop in Latrell Allmond and Anthony Felesi, who could have sneaky NBA upside one day. They retained starting point guard Kanye Clary. They added four high-major starters. OSU spent like an NCAA contender. [CBS Sports]

• Predicting and previewing the OSU vs. Colorado game (HCS)
  
  
• A little statistical analysis for the Pokes’ homecoming bout with the Buffs for you to look at. 

Colorado vs Oklahoma State Statistical Preview I’m planning to discuss this in a space on Wednesday at 8 as well. Oklahoma State is trending down in a lot of areas after the Houston loss. Hoping all those red arrows turn green after this homecoming game! https://t.co/aXQrAhyPjZ

— Tyler Wheat (@TylerWheat7) October 19, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• The rise of Delta’s biscoff cookies

• Helping your children from grumbling to gratitude (faith-based)

“Look around your environment. Rather than seeing items as objects, see them as magnets for your attention. Each object gently pulls a certain amount of your attention toward it. Whenever you discard something, the tug of that object is released. You get some attention back.”

James Clear

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news. 

OSU Bullets

• OSU is expected to be without a starting defensive back for the rest of the season (PFB)
  
  
• Steve Lutz is all in on making the Big Dance this season (PFB)
  
  
• The Pokes were listed as a bigger spender in NIL than you probably expected in this article, falling into the $15.1-$17.5 million range. 

Oklahoma State clearly wants to be really good and ranks top-three in year-over-year budget increase relative to last year’s spending. Steve Lutz went out and landed two top-40 freshmen who can hoop in Latrell Allmond and Anthony Felesi, who could have sneaky NBA upside one day. They retained starting point guard Kanye Clary. They added four high-major starters. OSU spent like an NCAA contender. [CBS Sports]

• Predicting and previewing the OSU vs. Colorado game (HCS)
  
  
• A little statistical analysis for the Pokes’ homecoming bout with the Buffs for you to look at. 

Colorado vs Oklahoma State Statistical Preview I’m planning to discuss this in a space on Wednesday at 8 as well. Oklahoma State is trending down in a lot of areas after the Houston loss. Hoping all those red arrows turn green after this homecoming game! https://t.co/aXQrAhyPjZ

— Tyler Wheat (@TylerWheat7) October 19, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• The rise of Delta’s biscoff cookies

• Helping your children from grumbling to gratitude (faith-based)

“Look around your environment. Rather than seeing items as objects, see them as magnets for your attention. Each object gently pulls a certain amount of your attention toward it. Whenever you discard something, the tug of that object is released. You get some attention back.”

James Clear

The Cowboys are expected to be without starting safety Mose Phillips for the remainder of the season.

An Oklahoma State official confirmed the news. Phillips started the four games the Cowboys have won this season. He suffered a shoulder injury against UCF and has been out since.

Phillips transferred to OSU this past offseason from Missouri. He had also spent time at Virginia Tech. In the five games he played as a Cowboy, Phillips had 23 total tackles and an interception that helped turn the tide of the Cowboys’ win against West Virginia.

Per PFF, Phillips played 199 defensive snaps this season, which still ranks ninth on the team despite missing half of the UCF game and all of the Houston game.

In his place, North Texas transfer Evan Jackson has gotten more run. Jackson has played 142 snaps the past two games and had played just 75 in the four games before that. Jackson has a dozen tackles as a Cowboy after making 130 across the past three seasons with the Mean Green.

Because the injury is expected to be season-ending, Phillips is on the exempt list for the Big 12’s Player Availability Report, which dropped on Wednesday night. Three Cowboys appeared on the report: DT Landon Dean (OUT), WR Dayvon Standard (QUESTIONABLE) and LB Gunnar Wilson (PROBABLE).

Dean has missed the past two games and played 38 defensive snaps in the Cowboys’ first four contests. Standard is looking to make his college debut after the freshman suffered an injury in fall camp.

The injury report was more robust on the Buffaloes’ side.

Most notably, running back Micah Welch is ruled out. Welch went into last week with the most carries on the team but was injured during his first carry against Utah and didn’t return. He has 220 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns this season.

CU sack-leader Lamont Lester is also listed as questionable. He’s played 142 defensive snaps this season where he’s made four sacks and six tackles for loss. He played just three snaps against Utah last week.

OSU:
DT Landon Dean (OUT)
WR Dayvon Standard (QUESTIONABLE)
LB Gunnar Wilson (PROBABLE)

CU:
WR Kam Perry (OUT)
WR Danny Scudero (OUT)
DB Braylon Edwards (OUT)
OL Jayven Richardson (OUT)
TE Zach Atkins (OUT)
DE Sam Gadie (OUT)
CB Preston Ashley (QUESTIONABLE)
DL Lamont Lester (QUESTIONABLE)
WR DeAndre Moore Jr. (PROBABLE)
WR Quentin Gibson (PROBABLE)
DL Santana Hopper (PROBABLE)
DL Dylan Manuel (PROBABLE)

Steve Lutz knows the Cowboys need to go dancing in 2027, and he thinks he has the team to do it.

That was consistently the third-year coach’s message while he was on the stage at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday in Kansas City.

“I was hired in April two years ago to take us to the NCAA tournament,” Lutz said. “We hadn’t been there since 2021. That’s got to be the goal. That’s always been the goal.

“Now it’s time to realize that goal. I think that we’ve got a team that can certainly do that.”

Lutz is 37-33 entering his third season leading Oklahoma State’s program. The Cowboys haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since the Cade Cunningham year of 2021 — Year 4 of the Mike Boynton Era.

OSU has had a couple of close shaves since then, so close that they would’ve been in under the new format. The Big Dance is getting even bigger, moving to 76 teams.

But Lutz said he’s not necessarily looking to scrape by into one of those newly opened spots.

“Had we expanded the field last year, we would have been in the NCAA Tournament,” Lutz said. “I look at this as we needed to schedule and we need to win as if there is no tournament expansion. I think that our nonconference schedule will allow us to do that, as long as we’re able to win those games.

“Ultimately when you get into the Big 12 — because the league is so strong — you’ve got to win games within the Big 12. That’s where we’ve fallen short. That’s where we’ve got to make sure we make a strong push.”

The Cowboys went 7-13 in Big 12 play in Lutz’s first season, good for a 12th-place finish. Then OSU turned around and went 6-12 last season — finishing 14th.

A big reason Lutz thinks the Cowboys will be better this season is they are better-funded. He got more into that in a sit-down with CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish. That’s led to an overall better roster that features 10 new players.

The first step back to national relevancy for Cowboy basketball is consistent NCAA Tournament appearances. Since Eddie Sutton’s exit in 2006, the Cowboys have been to the NCAA Tournament just seven times — a brutal reality.

Now in his third year of trying to turn OSU’s fortunes, Lutz knows the mission.

“An NCAA tournament participant,” said Lutz when asked what he hopes his team’s identity is at the end of the year. “At the end of the day it’s Year 3; that’s what we’ve got to finish with. We’ve got to finish on a high note. We have to get to the tournament and make a run.

“In terms of just identity, we have to embrace the defensive end of the floor. I think we’ve got enough talent on the offensive end, and it fits well with the way that we play, but it’s got to be on both ends of the floor. That’s where we fell short last year. If we can do that, we’ll have a smile on our face come Selection Sunday.”

The Cowboys are in search of a bounce-back performance, and they’re eying America’s Greatest Homecoming. In town this weekend will be the often hapless Colorado Buffaloes.

The Buffs are coming off a 3-9 season in 2025 and are off to a 2-4 start and are winless in the Big 12. OSU fans, it hasn’t been that long.

Let’s take a look at some things to consider ahead of the Cowboys-Buffs matchup, including some ways Colorado could try to hinder that rebound performance.

1. OSU’s Run Game Also Needs to Bounce Back

Teams have figured out how to make the Cowboys one-dimensional of late, at least for a half. We’ve talked about the issues on short-yardage situations and at the goal line, but this might be one of the contributing factors.

Against UCF two weeks ago, the Cowboys turned in their worst ground-game performance in a win. After a paltry 80 yards in the first half, OSU managed only 30 in the second. They were running away with it, outscoring the Knights 21-7 after halftime, but definitely highly dependent on big passing plays. They finished with 110 rush yards on 3.4 yards per carry.

Then in Houston, OSU totaled 134 yards, but at a more efficient clip of 5.4 ypc. But the Cowboys were effectively shut down on the ground in the first half by the Cougars. They rushed for just 14 yards before halftime, a major factor for the 14-3 hole they found themselves in.

Colorado isn’t exactly the Big 12’s version of the Steel Curtain, but they’ve been effective at slowing teams down on the ground. They rank ninth in the league, allowing 130 yards per game at 3.5 per carry. Pro Football Focus gives CU an 83.9 rating in rush defense, good for 42nd nationally.

It might not matter as much against a team like Colorado, but we’ve seen the trouble the Cowboys can get into on the ground. More importantly, you’d like an offense with this much potential to be able impose itself against what is considered a lesser team.

2. It’s Been Sloppy in Boulder

The Cowboys may have played an unclean game at Houston, but the Buffs have been shooting their toes (hooves?) off all season.

Colorado is the Big 12’s most egregious penalty team and its worst in turnover margin. In fact, the Buffs rank 129th in the FBS averaging -1 TO per game, and their 13 lost turnovers is 131st in the country. Even worse, they rank 136th in the FBS with 84.3 penalty yards per game.

Although they have been sloppy, it’s been streaky at least on the turnover side. They were even in turnover margin last week in a three-point loss to No. 10 Utah. And they were even in two other games. But they were -4 in the 29-7 loss to Texas Tech and -3 in the 41-7 loss to Northwestern. So, if they keep it somewhat even, maybe there isn’t a big of a chasm between Colorado and some of these other teams.

3. Are Things Improving?

There haven’t been a lot of bright spots for Colorado fans this season, but some latched onto a silver-lining moment last weekend when Colorado was this close to upsetting No. 10 Utah. Maybe OSU fans can relate giving the last couple of years.

After halftime, Colorado trailed 13-0 and had more penalty yards than total yards of offense (sloppy). The Buffs rallied thanks to some grit from their new QB, former Utah passer Isaac Wilson. He’s been a big part of that turnover issue and had two on Saturday, but he was able to lead them back to within a field goal with less than a minute and a half remaining.

In the final drive, the Buffs attempted a lateral play that would have put them in field goal range to tie it, but it was ruled an illegal forward pass. Then Wilson attempted a Hail Mary that was on-target, but it was defended in the end zone.

So was this just the Utes succumbing to a long season and a trap game in Boulder, or are the Buffaloes improving? Either way, they seem to have gumption. If they can somehow eliminate some of those sloppy plays mentioned above, they could provide some challenges for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys and Buffaloes square off at 6 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

There’s a world where Payne County is all of a sudden Miami Dolphins territory.

ESPN’s Field Yates released his first 2027 NFL Mock Draft on Thursday, featuring Drew Mestemaker going No. 2 overall to the Miami Dolphins. The only guy Mestemaker was behind was Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, who Yates had going to the Los Angeles Chargers.

In that scenario, Mestemaker would join forces with former Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon — a backfield that would see a lot of teal popping up in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

“Miami has needs everywhere, but its modest investment in Malik Willis (whose three-year, $67.5 million contract has no guaranteed money beyond 2027) puts quarterback in play. The 20-year-old Mestemaker oozes upside, as the 6-3 215-pounder is a legitimate dual-threat player with exceptional creativity inside and outside of the pocket.” — Yates, ESPN

Yates has long had an affinity for Mestemaker in this process. Mel Kiper, Yates’ colleague, has also come around on the Cowboys’ gunslinger, with Kiper listing Mestemaker as his No. 2 overall prospect on his initial big board — again behind only Smith.

Although both draft analysts are high on Mestemaker, it still doesn’t sound like a certainty he’ll be in the NFL next season.

“It’s gonna be interesting — does he come out or does he stay?” said Kiper on ESPN’s First Draft. “Another year would really benefit him. He’s not far removed from being safety and a punter in high school, but here we are talking about the second overall pick in terms of the big board.”

Kiper noted there was an underthrow to Wyatt Young in the Cowboys’ loss to Houston on Saturday, but noted that’s a rarity.

“He doesn’t miss many throws, and when he does have a hiccup, he bounces right back,” Kiper said. “I love the ability to just forget about it. You don’t know whether they’re winning, losing. You don’t know whether it’s first quarter, final drive when you look at Drew Mestemaker, and it’s amazing he’s only 20 years of age.

“For me, yeah, he can fill out that frame. He’s gonna get bigger, stronger. Arm strength is gonna get better. He’s only 20 years of age, as I keep saying. It’s amazing where he was and where he is now, but I put him at two. I thought about other guys like (Texas edge rusher Colin) Simmons and (Notre Dame corner Leonard) Moore to put in that second spot, but here’s a quarterback that’s gonna keep improving.”

Kiper said that with Mestemaker’s inexperience, he hopes that if Mestemaker does go into the 2027 draft that he isn’t an immediate starter in the league, rather taking the Fernando Mendoza approach with the Las Vegas Raiders. Mendoza went No. 1 overall last year but has played in just one blowout loss this season, where he threw eight passes.

Yates pointed to Mestemaker’s need to take better care of the football, but he was in early on Mestemaker and the train is still moving forward.

“You mentioned that short memory he has, that first half against Houston on Saturday night wasn’t Drew Mestemaker’s best work,” Yates said. “He did have a ridiculous throw. You know how we do this thing, Mel, when quarterbacks at pro days make these throws, and we all go bananas over them when they’re throwing against no defense in no pads and it’s the perfect environment to make ridiculous throws. Drew Mestemaker had one of those throws in an actual game on Saturday night against a Houston team that I think is now like (14th) in the country and a good defense. And Drew Mestemaker helped Oklahoma State stay in that game.

“I’m a big fan. I think the size is right about where Drake Maye was coming out of North Carolina — big, mobile, athletic quarterback with all sorts of highlight plays.”

Drew Mestemaker oh my goodness

He did the Zach Wilson Pro Day throw in a live game https://t.co/JGzIe48e3r

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 18, 2026

STILLWATER – After Saturday’s loss made the Cowboys’ warts a little more noticeable, it seems like everyone is honed in on the Cowboys’ starts and their short-yardage offense.

Those two issues might just be one issue — they were Saturday, at least.

Oklahoma State had little trouble moving down the field in the Cowboys’ 35-32 loss to Houston, but the struggles came when they got in tight to the goal-line.

The Cowboys went 43 yards in seven plays on their opening drive, ultimately having to settle for a 23-yard field goal. OSU’s next drive moved 75 yards down field, but the Cowboys were stopped on fourth down inside the 5-yard line.

So, OSU’s first two drives resulted in 118 yards of offense but just three points.

That slow start on the scoreboard meant the Cowboys scored just 3 points in the first half. Even with their outburst of 29 points and 361 yards of total offense in the second half, the Pokes weren’t able to catch up.

“I’m taking suggestions,” OSU coach Eric Morris joked Tuesday. “If y’all have my email, I’d love to hear them. I’m open to anything right now. Just going back and looking at this last one. I thought we had some opportunities on some good plays. We heavied everything up. We were probably a little bit too far out. I think we were on the 3- or 4-yard line and put a lot of big people on there. That was really the only play call that I really didn’t like.

“I think that maybe the fourth down there. The crazy part is we have opportunities on first down, second down, third down where I like it, and so it’s a combination of a lot of different things. I have to continue to find the best ways to put our guys in the best position. We got to execute and do it. We had a quarterback run play. We had numbers and everybody hatted it up, and they beat us at the point of attack. That’s an execution problem.”

We broke down all of the Cowboys’ inside-the-5 plays on Monday, so we’re not going to rehash some of the areas that lacked in execution.

Whether it’s a matter of just repping it until the Cowboys can execute it or having to change the gameplan down there, we’ll have to wait and see.

OSU is a shotgun/pistol team. On Tuesday, Morris was asked if he has been thinking about going under center in those tight quarters.

“Yeah, I think about everything,” Morris said. “So, include that in your thing too. You want to put some film in there, on my email, send it my way. We look at everything. But, yeah, I mean, obviously, it’s being studied and figuring out, like, right, there’s a problem, and our job is to figure out a solution for it. So, yeah, I think everything’s on the table.”

The Cowboys are in a weird spot in that they lead the Big 12 in total offense per game by a decent margin six games into their season. They’ve averaged 517.7 yards a game with West Virginia’s 497.1 yards per game ranking second.

But the Cowboys rank eighth in red zone scoring percentage, coming away with points on 85.3% of their red zone trips, but mathematics professors might point to the fact that seven is greater than three. That’s where the Cowboys have had struggles.

OSU’s 34 trips to the red zone tie for second in the Big 12, but the Cowboys have scored touchdowns on just 52.9% of those red zone trips, which ranks 14th in the league. OSU has scored 18 red-zone touchdowns, which ties for seventh — again, despite having the second-most trips.

“It’s one of those things like, as a coach, we preached it for a whole week last week, and it happened again, right?” Morris said. “We practiced it extra, and so we’ll continue to practice it. And I’ve had this before. Last year we were as good as anybody in the nation in that area. Three years ago, our first year at North Texas, we were almost similar to what we are now. We were not good at it. Obviously we’re not sitting here hiding behind it or saying that it’s not a problem. It’s a problem.”

STILLWATER — On Saturday night, coach Eric Morris might have been as critical as he’s been all year when discussing Oklahoma State’s pass defense.

On Tuesday, it sounded like the staff was keeping a number of options open as they attempt to shore things up on the back end this week without starting safety Mose Phillips.

“Are we doing the right things technique-wise?” Morris said. “Are we putting them in the right positions to make plays? Do we just need to, you know, play a couple guys and not so many out there? … But at the end of the day, I mean, you look all over college football. I mean, we got to have some people that can defend some one-on-one routes down the field.”

The corners have rotated throughout the season. LaDainian Fields leads the way, playing 84.5% of snaps against Big 12 opponents plus Oregon. He’s followed by Kollin Lewis (53.8%), Mo Horn (48.6%) and Kobi Foreman (9.9%), though those numbers are a bit misleading as Fields didn’t start at Houston (despite playing his usual amount) and Foreman played 24% of snaps against UCF.

For perhaps the first time this season, Morris also criticized the team’s inability to get pressure on the opposing quarterback. On Tuesday, he seemed to stick by that criticism without blaming the defensive line.

“I do think our D-line’s doing some really good things right now,” Morris said. “And so it’s definitely not on the D-line, right? There’s coverage sacks. There’s things where D-line, you catch them in a blitz. Didn’t really catch them scot-free on any blitzes. I thought their backs were good in pass pro going back and watching it.”

This all sounds pretty bad for the secondary, but Morris did acknowledge that safety Evan Jackson read a route “perfectly” and nearly had a pick on a throw that was pressured.

Morris said getting more pressure probably requires the team to make some big-picture changes and better execution.

“I think it all ties together, right,” Morris said. “And there are some times I thought that we did get pressure on them. Super close to getting strip sacks. A couple of those are inches away, but we’re right there. And credit to them. They got the ball off, and he got the ball out of his hands quick on a bunch of things.”

The Cowboys are in an eight-team tie (with BYU, Utah and Arizona State) for 85th nationally, averaging 1.8 sacks per game. According to PFF, they average 13.8 total pressures per game, which probably sounds a lot better than it actually is.

Oklahoma State’s pass-rushing grade as a team (73.3) puts the Cowboys 59th nationally. For perspective, Power Four leader LSU (88.9) and Big 12 leader Texas Tech (82.1) average 19.1 and 24.8 total pressures, respectively.

Digging deeper, the Red Raiders are sacking or hitting quarterbacks 7.5 times per game while LSU makes contact of some kind six times per game. Oklahoma State is only laying hands on opposing quarterbacks 4.5 times.

Defensive end Jaleel Johnson leads OSU, averaging 2.8 pressures per game on his own while fellow end Malik Charles leads the team in sacks with 2.5. On Tuesday, Charles described the lack of pressure as an execution issue.

“We’re tired of what we’re just hearing, ‘We were almost there,’ or, ‘We were this close,’” Charles said. “We want to be there. We want to hit him. So just straining that little bit more to whether it’s straining, just to reach your arm, your backside arm, or rip your backside arm through, or reach with your outside arm to try to hit the ball.

“Whatever it is, to try to affect the game. That’s what we need to do, and I think our coaches have harped on us about that this week, and we attacked practice the last two days with that mentality, and I think we’re gonna keep doing the same thing going forward.”

Before the Presleys, there were the Woods. Just a few weeks ago, a Presley returned to the football team, and now a Woods is headed back to OSU Athletics in a development role.

Oklahoma State on Wednesday announced that Donovan Woods has rejoined OSU Athletics as the Associate Athletic Director of Development for the OSU Foundation, where he will “focus on cultivating and stewarding athletic support for the institution.”

Woods had worked with the OSU Foundation for more than a dozen years, primarily on the OSU-OKC campus.

“I am extremely blessed to continue to be part of the Cowboy Family,” Woods said via OSU’s release. “My time as a student-athlete, my role at our OSU-OKC campus, and now as a part of Athletics provides me with a unique perspective of Oklahoma State University. I can’t think of a better place to continue positively impacting the STATE’s Institution.”

Woods played at Oklahoma State for 2004 to 2007.

Although his brothers were receivers, Woods initially came to OSU as a quarterback.

He was the Cowboys’ starter as a freshman in 2004 — Les Miles’ final year with the program. Woods led the Pokes to a 7-5 record that year, throwing for 1,628 yards and 13 touchdowns to five INTs. He was the Cowboys’ second-leading rusher behind Vernand Morency, running for 436 yards and another 10 scores.

Woods played two games at QB in 2005 — Mike Gundy’s first year — before switching to linebacker. He finished that season with 163 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 63 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 32 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions — shades of Bob Fenimore.

The move to the defensive side of the ball stuck, as Woods closed his Cowboy career with 175 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and five picks.

He’d go on to play six games in the NFL across two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was part of the Steelers’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2009.

Rashaun Woods, Donovan’s oldest brother, caught 293 passes for 4,414 yards and 42 touchdowns as a Cowboy. That’s the second-most catches, the second-most receiving yards and the most receiving touchdowns in an OSU career.

D’Juan Woods, the middle brother, had 163 catches for 2,751 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns as a Cowboy — the 10th-most catches, seventh-most yards and eighth-most touchdowns in OSU history.

One of the best defensive backs in the junior college ranks is considering making the move to Stillwater.

JUCO All-American corner Coaleon Johnson trimmed his list to 10 on Tuesday: Oklahoma State, Arizona, North Carolina, Florida State, Missouri, Kansas, Texas Tech, LSU, Ole Miss and Kansas State.

Johnson will announce his college decision on Nov. 30.

https://t.co/uLTb0x3B5o

— 3⭐️Coaleon Johnson (@CjSauceJohnson) October 20, 2026

Listed at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, Johnson plays at Iowa Western. In seven games this season, Johnson has 12 tackles and four interceptions.

Out of Chicago, Johnson played at Rochester Community and Technical College as a freshman last season, where in 10 games he intercepted six passes, recovered three fumbles and made 55 tackles on his journey to being named to the NJCAA All-American.

In 17 junior college games, Johnson has intercepted 10 passes, which is a ridiculous pace.

OSU was among the earliest in his final group to pursue Johnson, with him announcing his Oklahoma State offer on Sept. 9. He is set to graduate from Iowa Western in December to be on a Division-I campus for spring.

The Cowboys are carrying eight corners on their current roster, but of that group, Mo Horn and Trudell Berry — two guys on OSU’s two-deep — are redshirt seniors. OSU has two high school defensive backs committed in Bryson Brown (Broken Arrow) and Chayce Davis (Euless, Texas).

OSU’s 2027 Commits

For a second straight season, the Cowgirls will enter the year ranked 22nd in the country.

The women’s basketball preseason AP Poll was announced on Tuesday, showing Oklahoma State at No. 22. The Cowgirls are one of three Big 12 teams in the ranking, joining No. 15 TCU and No. 24 West Virginia.

Here is the poll in full:

This marks the first time since 2014 the Cowgirls have been in the preseason AP Poll for back-to-back seasons. OSU stared the season ranked three years in a row from 2012-14.

It’s interesting that these rankings are somewhat notably different than the Big 12’s preseason coaches poll that released earlier this month. The coaches picked the Cowgirls to win the league.

There were a handful of Big 12 teams just outside the Top 25, with Arizona State, Baylor, Kansas, and Colorado all in the receiving votes category.

There will also be opportunities for ranked wins outside of the league.

OSU will play No. 16 Washington as part of the Coconut Hoops Tournament on Nov. 27 in Florida. The Cowgirls will play No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 6 in Columbia, South Carolina, and they’ll play No. 21 Oklahoma on Dec. 12 in Oklahoma City. So, the opportunity for forward movement is there.

The Cowgirls unofficially open their season Tuesday with an exhibition against Langston. The season gets going for real on Nov. 2 when OSU hosts Southern.

On one side, you have an established QB1 set to rebound after his first loss in four tries. On the other, you have a recent QB change that saw a journeyman trying to right the ship. But he’s only extended the Buffs’ losing streak.

Let’s take a look at Mestemaker and Wilson’s numbers before getting into the matchup.

Isaac Wilson is making his return to BPS but wearing a different jersey.

Back in 2024, Wilson led Utah to a 22-19 win over then- No. 14 Oklahoma State in the Cowboys’ Big 12 opener. Yes, if you’re a bizarro history buff, you’ll remember that this was the loss that started a nine-game skid to finish the season — and a two-year losing streak against teams not in the FCS.

Earlier in that week, Cam Rising was expected to start for the Utes (even then-Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham thought so) but a nagging finger injury kept him out and Wilson took the reps and Rising only made one other appearance due to a leg injury.

Against OSU, Wilson went 17-for-29 for 207 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for 41 yards. Not exactly Heisman buzz numbers, but it was enough to overcome an OSU offense that was just starting to get exposed.

In nine games for the Utes that year, Wilson finished throwing for 1,510 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completing just 56.4% of his passes. Those 41 yards rushing against OSU was a season-high, and he totaled just 47 all year. The Utes went 0-5 in his appearances the rest of the way that season, so maybe Wilson just has a thing against OSU.

That wasn’t even his first trip to Stillwater. Wilson, like Rising, was also an OSU offer. The Cowboys even made a final group for the younger brother of current-New Orleans Saints QB Zach Wilson, but he chose to stay with in-state Utah, ultimately.

So what about Wilson today? After losing the job to current Utes QB1 Devon Dampier, Wilson sat on the sidelines all last season before transferring to Colorado this offseason. He was set, once again, to play backup, this time behind five-star freshman Julian Lewis. But after a blowout loss to Northwestern and a slow start against Baylor, head coach Deion Sanders made the switch to Wilson.

Wilson didn’t get the win against Baylor but apparently did enough to keep the freshman on the sidelines. He’s started the last two games, even narrowly missing out on an upset win against his former team last week. Wilson overcame his second interception of the game to set up a Hail Mary that would have been a game-winner, but a Utah defender made a play on it. The Utes eked it out 27-24.

Now Wilson returns to Stillwater in the similar spot as the backup-turned-starter, hoping to pull another upset. His numbers coming in aren’t exactly impressive, and he’s not won a game against a Power Four opponent since that trip to Stillwater over two years ago. But Sanders and Co. see something in Wilson, at least for now.

But those were two very different teams. If you look at the numbers this year, Wilson has been pedestrian at best and more so when under pressure. He also appears incapable of straining a defense on the back end. In deep attempts (20-plus yards) this season, Wilson is 2-of-16 with no touchdowns and three interceptions. If the Cowboys can simply bring pressure and win at the line of scrimmage, they should be able to corral the journeyman and cross off one more trivia factoid that they picked up over the past two seasons.

OSU Bullets

• Eric Morris is excited about being a part of homecoming — Bil Haisten called it the best homecoming aura in football (PFB + Tulsa World)

• Pokes missing a significant piece of the secondary for a second week in a row (PFB)

• Eric Morris is also open to feedback on how to fix the slow starts.

“I’m taking suggestions. If y’all have my email, I’d love to hear them.” [GoPokes 247]

• On CBS Sports “midseason All-American list,” the Cowboys had a member on the team, and it wasn’t Drew Mestemaker (CBS Sports)

• Deion wants to go fishing with Mike Gundy (PFB)

• This is so unique — OSU goes three-and-out less than anybody else in the country.

How Often Do You Go 3 & Out? https://t.co/yhv7xj0aVM

— The Fourth Quarter (@4thQuarterCFB00) October 20, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• How to make small talk

• Laziness (faith-based)

It’s crazy to think about, but Deion Sanders will be standing on the Boone Pickens Stadium sideline this weekend.

Oklahoma State hosts Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes at 6 p.m. Saturday. Ahead of his trip to Payne County, Sanders held his weekly news conference on Tuesday. Here are three things that stood out.

1. Potential Prime-Gundy Fishing Trip Coming Soon

Just about any time Sanders has been in front of a microphone talking about Oklahoma State, he’s shared his admiration for Mike Gundy.

Colorado and OSU have only played once since the Buffs rejoined the Big 12 (less said about that game the better), with this marking Sanders’ first run in with the Pokes since Mike Gundy’s dismissal midway through last season.

But Coach Prime shared a message with the ole ball coach to start his news conference.

“Replacing a darn legend, Mike Gundy, like, oh my god,” Sanders said. “If this gets back to Coach Gundy, love you, appreciate you. You — not were — you are still the man. And anytime you want to fish, let me know. I love it. He’s unbelievable, the run that he had and the man that he is.”

Please someone give them microphones and turn that fishing trip into a podcast.

2. On Morris, Mestemaker

Sanders also talked about OSU’s current team.

Morris said Tuesday that he didn’t know Sanders personally but watched him plenty whether that be on the gridiron or the baseball diamond.

Sanders spoke highly of what Morris has built in a short amount of time in Stillwater.

“Coach Morris has been doing a great job,” Sanders said. “I mean a great job, coming from my old stomping grounds in North Texas and has been phenomenal. He brought a ton of guys over with him, cleaned out the house a little bit and got what he wanted. The right guys in, doing a phenomenal job. He has a quarterback that can flat out spin it. Defense, they coming, they’re gonna get there. But I’m proud of him, really am. Because I root for all the guys in the Big 12 except when they play against us. I root for all of them.”

He was also asked about Drew Mestemaker, and the man of many talents noted the quarterback’s talents.

“The kid can spin it,” Sanders said. “He can flat out spin it. What we wanna do is get him uncomfortable, get him off his spot. He’s a phenomenal quarterback. Man, the kid could spin it. That’s why the coach was compelled to bring him over there with him. He’s a bonafide leader.

“We got to get him off his spot and make him uncomfortable because if he sits back there, even on the boots, when he gets his feet set, he’s extremely accurate. Knows his offense like the back of his hand, and he can get it done. He’s one of the best in the conference as well as in college football to me.”

3. Colorado Running Back Micah Welch Sounds Doubtful

The Buffaloes have been a bit of a by-committee approach at the running back position, but one of those main committee members was injured this past weekend. And it doesn’t sound as if he’ll play in Stillwater.

Micah Welch started CU’s first four games of the season and entered Saturday’s game against Utah as the Buffaloes’ leader in carries. But he took only one carry against the Utes and left injured.

“He’s hurting,” Sanders said. “He didn’t practice today. … I have no idea (if it’s a long-term thing). He’s hurting right now.”

Welch has 45 carries for 220 yards and two touchdowns through six games. He’s been sharing the workload with JaQuail Smith, who after rushing 13 times Saturday is up to 51 carries for 259 yards on the season. He has a touchdown reception but hasn’t gotten in on the ground to this point.

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State’s sack leader won’t blow anyone away with his numbers (2.5 sacks), but defensive end Malik Charles earned the one he got on Saturday.

He fought through 1.5 blockers (one lineman came over late to help) on first-and-20 to record a 14-yard sack. As if that wasn’t enough, Charles nearly pushed his blocker into Houston quarterback Conner Weigman on third-and-27 on a throw which took the receiver just out of bounds.

That drive went down as one of only two Houston punts on the night and Charles’ performance is even more impressive considering he got pressure on those plays despite OSU only rushing two other guys.

“I think the weight I gained honestly has helped a lot with my power rush,” Charles said, explaining his success. “And me being able to still run pretty quick has really helped my long arm and bull rush be successful. You know, a lot of a lot of guys see a way and just think I’m a slower person, but you know, I run 20 miles an hour, almost 21.

“I’m still pretty quick, I like to think, you know. So I can still beat you off the edge with speed. And then, but I love to bull rush. I love to power. So you know, that’s basically what I’ve done this whole season, and it’s been pretty successful in my opinion.”

Charles told reporters that when he arrived in Stillwater ahead of the 2025 season he weighed 240 pounds and played most of last season weighing around 280. These days he’s playing around 290, but weighed as much as 305 during the offseason.

“Even last year, I didn’t feel like my bull rush was as effective as it is now,” Charles said. “I mean, it was effective, but I feel now that it’s pretty effective. But my biggest thing I had to readjust was just like learning how to move with the weight.

“I couldn’t change direction as fast as I as I used to, and I had to learn how to re-navigate that. And so now I’ve gotten used to moving around with it. I’ve lost a little bit of it, and so like, I feel really healthy right now. I feel probably the best I have in a while.”

That weight likely plays a huge role in coach Eric Morris’ decision to use Charles at tight end on goal line packages in the last two games.

“It literally caught me off guard,” Charles said. “We were walking to practice and Tre Page, one of our running backs, he comes up to me, and he’s like, ‘Heard you’re coming to offense for a little bit.’ I said, ‘Where’d you hear that? I didn’t hear it.’”

Shortly after that, the Cowboys were stretching ahead of practice during the bye week, and Eric Morris walked over.

“He’s like, ‘We have a couple goal-line plays we wanna put in with you,’” Charles said. “I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ So they pulled me over, they taught me the verbiage and what to do, and I was like, ‘OK, let’s do it.’”

Charles saw the field once against Houston on second-and-goal from the three-yard line. The Cougars sent six initially, with several others tight inside the box who moved in once it’s obvious Caleb Hawkins took the handoff.

The play resulted in a 1-yard loss, as the Cowboys were overwhelmed by a red tidal wave, but Charles held up better than some of the linemen. Charles first saw the field twice at tight end against UCF. Both plays came at the one-yard line, with one resulting in a score that ran to the opposite side of the field.

“I told Coach Morris he’s not gonna make me a tight end, I like playing D-end,” Charles said. “I think it’s really fun. It’s fun being able to go out there for practice and catch a pass, block, just do whatever I can just to help the team win.”

Charles spent one year as a college tight end at Western Mexico, but he didn’t see the field that season. He transferred to Northern Arizona after that and walked on as a defensive lineman.

When asked if that experience helped him learn this new role, Charles was quick to answer.

“Honestly, no,” he said. “Obviously, y’all know I barely played tight end before college. I was still learning the position my freshman year, and then I realized I don’t like to block, and I don’t like to get hit, so I switched to defense.”

It sounds like Charles has found a love of blocking this year now that it’s not his primary responsibility. He would definitely rather block than catch passes.

“I realized I was trying to block like I’m taking on a block,” Charles said. “Instead of hitting and trying to block the person, I’m hitting them and trying to hold a gap. I’m like, that’s not what I’m supposed to do. Just getting rid of those little habits when I’m on that side of the ball and being able to switch back when I go back to the defensive side of the ball. That’s what I’m trying to figure out how to perfect.”

STILLWATER — For the past two decades, the Cowboys’ football coach was well aware of the ongoings of America’s Greatest Homecoming, but Eric Morris will get his first taste of the festivities this week — while trying to prepare for a game.

Oklahoma State hosts Colorado at 6 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium, but there will be things going on all week around campus.

“Excited to see it later in the week,” Morris said Tuesday. “Happy it’s a night game to see Boone at night. They called it America’s Greatest Homecoming, right? At some point this week, I’ll go over and look at the fountain. Last night, on purpose, I got out of here late last night and drove through campus just to look at the buzz on campus and watch everybody make the house decs. So, I’m excited to see that Friday, the Walkaround. It’ll be cool.”

The fountain outside the Edmon Low Library was dyed orange on Sunday, the kickoff to homecoming week.

When Morris and his team make The Walk on Saturday, they’ll do so on a decorated Hester Street, as it will get painted on Wednesday.

Friday is the star of the show when it comes to homecoming festivities outside of the football game. The OSU men’s basketball team will host Tulsa for an exhibition game at 2:30 p.m. Friday before Walkaround in the evening, where thousands will gather around Greek row to look at the house decs.

There’s a lot for Morris, a Texas Tech alum, to learn about America’s Greatest Homecoming, but he has to balance throwing himself in head first with his day job: finding a way to win the football game.

“Got a lot of family coming in to town Friday night to experience it and be able to go out and watch it,” Morris said. “I’ll try to stick to my routine as much as possible, obviously staying in The Atherton and all those things. There’s a lot of commotion going on, and I think it will be important to keep our guys focused on what’s going to make the finale of homecoming and make everybody go home happy that night, is us winning the game against a really good Colorado team. But excited to kinda see it.”

America’s Greatest Homecoming Schedule

Tuesday:
Harvest Carnival & Chili Cook-Off at Payne County Expo Center (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.)

Wednesday:
Hester Street Painting (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)

Friday:
OSU basketball exhibition vs. Tulsa (2:30 p.m.)
Joe State Homecoming Tailgate feat. Stoney LaRue
Walkaround (5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
Family Fun Zone at the McKnight Center (5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.)

Saturday:
Sea of Orange Parade (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.)
OSU vs. Colorado (6 p.m.)

MORE EVENTS

STILLWATER — On Saturday night, Drew Mestemaker added arguably his best throw of the season when he hit receiver Wyatt Young for a 54-yard pass that currently ranks as the team’s third-longest offensive play of the season.

When asked what impressed him about the play on Tuesday, Eric Morris sounded a bit muted as if he’d seen better. To be fair to the head coach, he actually has.

“Yeah, probably not fair to ask me that question because you know I had the privilege of coaching Patrick Mahomes and Cam Ward,” Morris said. “And I’ve seen, you know, we used to make these tapes of them throwing no looks and rolling and doing all this crazy stuff in games, practice the whole nine yards.

“So that’s probably not fair to ask me that question just because it’s probably a little bit more normal in my eyes than what it should be, just because I’ve seen it over the course of the last 10 years or so.”

Just to recap the play Morris described as “normal” sees Mestemaker line up on the right hash.

He waits a beat after catching the snap, as if it’s any other play. He then spins to his right and rolls all the way back to his left until he crosses the left hash. At which point, he lets it rip while still on the move.

“Throwing off platform and getting his body in great position to be able to deliver,” Morris said, coming dangerously close to actually praising the throw. “Like to get your body in a position to throw that running full speed left is not easy to do, but it’s something that we do practice.”

Drew Mestemaker oh my goodness

He did the Zach Wilson Pro Day throw in a live game https://t.co/JGzIe48e3r

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 18, 2026

Morris reveals that the Cowboys repped the play something like five or six times last week. It’s not clear if that’s the total amount or if the Cowboys ran it that many times to each side because Morris also revealed that OSU was ready to call that either direction.

“Liked it a little bit better on the left hash and letting him roll right,” Morris said. “We had it in on both hashes, and so you know I just think when you go out there and you see somebody do something with your eyes, obviously that’s the first time probably you know a bunch of people in America seen him roll left and throw that.

“And we had probably five or six reps of it during the course of the week, and he’d been super accurate getting it out there, and so trusting him to be able to get out there and throw. So it didn’t surprise me, but I’d also seen it a couple different times where it was just as pretty.”

Despite his ho-hum response to Mestemaker’s new highlight, Morris gave his quarterback an “A+” for his ability to throw on the run this season.

As for the throw itself, at the point of release, Mestemaker was nine yards behind the line of scrimmage. The ball traveled roughly 49 yards through the air landing cleanly in Wyatt Young’s hands.

On rewatch it seems possible that Young slowed just a hair for the catch, but whether he did or not it wasn’t something obvious and it certainly didn’t detract from the amazement most (outside of those who have worked with Mahomes) would have at the play.

“It was unreal,” receiver Miles Coleman said. “You know, I see that kind of every day, but you know, seeing it live and seeing like just the consistency with him, it’s been amazing. It was a great route by Wyatt, and just seeing that throw rolling to his left, it’s one of a kind.”

He was asked about the play a few different times on Tuesday as reporters cycled around the room. Coleman’s excitement at reliving that particular play never seemed to dim.

“I’ve seen him do it for a while now, but it still surprises me each and every day,” Coleman said. “His consistency in every throw, the velocity, his accuracy is one-of-a-kind. He’s a special player and he’s the ultimate competitor.”

STILLWATER — The Cowboys will be without a starting safety for a second straight week, but perhaps their best pass-catching tight end is starting to get a little more put on his plate.

Mose Phillips III missed Oklahoma State’s loss to Houston this past week with a shoulder injury he suffered the week before against UCF. OSU coach Eric Morris said Phillips would be out again when the Cowboys host Colorado for homecoming at 6 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium.

Phillips has started four of the Cowboys’ games this season. The two he hasn’t started: Tulsa and Houston, the Cowboys’ two losses.

With Phillips out, Evan Jackson played all 76 snaps against the Cougars on Saturday. He had been averaging 28.2 defensive snaps a game, but that includes a 66-snap performance against UCF when Phillips got injured in the first half. Before the UCF game, Jackson had been averaging 18.6 defensive snaps a game.

Per PFF, Jackson was targeted six times in Houston and gave up four catches for 28 yards and a TD.

But while we’re overanalyzing snap counts, tight end Oscar Hammond played more than five times as many offensive snaps Saturday than he had all season.

Hammond was out there for 16 snaps against the Cougars after having previously played three offensive snaps: the three kneels downs in Morgantown.

“Yeah, finally healthy,” Morris said. “I thought he played good. He had a couple of mental things that, a couple of mental busts that get him back in the action and playing and reacting and doing everything fast.

“He’s a different dynamic. I think he played well doing some stuff on the perimeter for us. He was really good on special teams for us, so another big body that we can trust in a lot of different roles for this team. So, yeah, I think you’ll see a continuous us just adding him more and more in there with Carson (Kolb).”

Kolb has had to carry almost the Cowboys’ entire tight end load to this point, having played 338 snaps. Morgan McPhaul has played the second-most snaps with just 58.

Kolb is a remarkable story going from walk-on to starter on a team that has had the successes that OSU has this season, but he has often graded out poorly on PFF — for whatever that’s worth to you.

Hammond joined the Cowboys ahead of last season but missed the entire year with a preseason injury. Before that, he played for Morris at North Texas in 2023, where he was the Mean Green’s primary pass-catching tight end, finishing with 19 catches for 238 yards and a touchdown across 10 games.

“Oscar, he’s a big guy who can run,” OSU receiver Miles Coleman said. “He’s got crazy speed. He’s a good route runner, so I think having him, his presence in the passing game is gonna help us a lot. Just having a bigger guy out there to switch up the defenses, like having him out there then having me out there, they’re not gonna know what to do. So I think having his presence out there is gonna help us a lot.”

Last week, Morris sounded confident in freshman receiver Dayvon Standard making his college debut in Houston, but as it got closer to game time, Standard was ruled out with injury again. Morris gave an update on him Tuesday, as well.

“We are just slowly working him back into it and getting his legs back underneath him,” Morris said. “And so we’ll continue to kind of work and see what kind of role he can progress into throughout the course of the year.”

Oklahoma State hosts Colorado for America’s Greatest Homecoming at 6 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium.

Mose Phillips is on the depth chart, but Eric Morris said on Tuesday that he’d again be out with injury after missing the Houston game.

Here’s the Week 8 depth chart in full:

Quarterback

QB1: Drew Mestemaker (R-So., 6-3, 215, North Texas)
QB2: Grant Jordan (R-Sr., 6-2, 217, UMass) OR Brodie Vehrs (Fr., 5-11, 205)

Running Back

RB1: Caleb Hawkins (So., 6-0, 219, North Texas)
RB2: Ayo Adeyi (R-Sr., 5-7, 194 , James Madison) OR Tre Page (R-So., 5-8, 184, Tarleton State)

Wide Receiver

Z1: Chris Barnes (R-So., 5-7, 169, Wake Forest)
Z2: Terrence Lewis (So., 5-11, 170, North Texas)

X1: Justin Bowick (R-Sr., 6-5, 209, Illinois)
X2: Rodney Harris II (R-Sr., 6-1, 207, Ohio)

Y1: Miles Coleman (Jr., 5-6, 158, North Texas) OR Wyatt Young (Jr., 6-0, 199, North Texas)

Tight End

TE1: Carson Kolb (R-So., 6-4, 243, Oregon State) OR Morgan McPhaul (R-Sr., 6-2, 265, VMI)

TE2: Bodie Boydstun (R-Jr., 6-5, 239, SWOSU) OR Donovan Green (R-Sr., 6-3, 238, LSU) OR Oscar Hammond (R-Sr., 6-3, 243, returner)

Offensive Line

LT1: Ashton Lepo (R-Sr., 6-7, 320, Michigan State) OR Braydon Nelson (Jr., 6-4, 327, North Texas) OR Shaun Torgeson (R-So., 6-4, 302, Portland State)

LG1: Johnny Dickson III (R-Sr., 6-2, 317, North Texas) OR Desmond Magiya (R-Jr., 6-4, 333, North Texas)

C1: Tyler Mercer (R-So., 6-4, 300, Kansas)
C2: Louie Canepa (R-Sr., 6-3, 299, returner)

RG1: Joseph Hanson (Sr., 6-4, 302, Coastal Carolina)
RG2: Jakobe Sanders (R-Jr. 6-2, 327, returner)

RT1:Ashton Lepo (R-Sr., 6-7, 320, Michigan State) OR Braydon Nelson (Jr., 6-4, 327, North Texas) OR Shaun Torgeson (R-So., 6-4, 302, Portland State)

Defensive End

END1: Jaleel Johnson (R-Sr., 6-4, 270, returner)
END2: Malik Charles (R-Sr., 6-3, 284, returner) OR Keviyan Huddleston (R-Jr., 6-4, 269, North Texas)

RUSH1: James Williams (R-Sr., 6-5, 256, Florida State)
RUSH2: DeSean Brown (R-Sr., 6-2, 266, returner) OR DJ Jackson (Sr., 6-4, 243, Troy) OR Billy Walton III (R-So., 6-3, 253, SMU)

Defensive Tackle

NT1: Jerry Lawson (Sr., 6-1, 312, Louisville) 
NT2: Saadiq Clements (R-Jr., 6-4, 310, North Texas) OR Luke Webb (R-So., 6-3, 311, returner)

DT1: Iman Oates (R-Sr., 6-3, 317, returner) OR Braylon Rigsby (R-Jr., 6-3, 283, Texas Tech)
DT2: Landon Dean (R-Sr., 6-5, 290, returner) OR Enai White (R-Sr., 6-5, 300, Penn State)

Linebacker

SAM1: Ethan Wesloski (R-Sr., 6-1, 234, North Texas)
SAM2: Trip White (R-Sr., 6-3, 234, returner)

MIKE1: Tate Romney (R-Sr., 6-1, 223, Arizona State)
MIKE2: Taurean Davis (Jr., 6-1, 231, Miss. Gulf Coast)

WILL1: Isaiah Chisom (R-Jr., 6-0, 234, UCLA)
WILL2: Gunnar Wilson (R-So., 6-2, 217, returner)

Cornerback

CB: LaDainian Fields (R-So., 6-1, 176, returner) OR Kobi Foreman (So., 5-10, 175, returner)

CB: Trudell Berry (6-1, 196, Vanderbilt) OR R-Sr., Mo Horn (R-Sr., 5-11, 183, Texas Tech) OR Kollin Lewis (R-Jr., 5-10, 188, North Texas)

Safety

BS1: Mose Phillips III (Sr., 6-2, 196, Missouri)
BS2: Evan Jackson (Sr., 5-11, 188, North Texas)

FS1: Quinton Hammonds (Jr., 6-1, 206, North Texas)
FS2: Markeith Williams (R-Sr., 6-2, 175, Miami)

N1: Christian Bodnar (R-Jr., 6-0, 188, Liberty)
N2: Cameron Epps (R-Sr., 6-2, 207, returner) OR Vincent Holmes (R-Jr., 6-2, 175, Washington)

Kicker

K1: Sam Keltner (R-So., 5-10, 185, SMU)
K2: Joseph Kim (R-Jr., 5-9, 196, UCO)

Punter

P1: Lachie Pozzobon (So., 6-4, 182, Stephen F. Austin)
P2: Nate Ost (R-Sr., 6-2, 198, Robert Morris)

Kickoff

KO1: Joseph Kim (R-Jr., 5-9, 196, UCO)
KO2: Sam Keltner (R-So., 5-10, 185, SMU)

Long Snapper

LS1: Caden Yates (R-Jr., 6-1, 223, North Texas)
LS2: Nolan Akins (R-Fr., 6-1, 198, SMU)

Holder

H1: Nate Ost (R-Sr., 6-2, 198, Robert Morris)
H2: Lachie Pozzobon (So., 6-4, 182, Stephen F. Austin)

Kick Return

KR1: Chris Barnes (R-So., 5-7, 169, Wake Forest)
KR2: Miles Coleman (Jr., 5-6, 158, North Texas)

Punt Return

PR1: Miles Coleman (Jr., 5-6, 158, North Texas)
PR2: Bobby Deal Jr. (R-Jr., 6-1, 190, Coffeyville CC)

What went wrong for that group down in Houston, and does that side of the ball deserve the blame it’s getting?

Today’s Final Draw will cover:

— Eric Morris said Oklahoma State needs to get more pressure. How close did the guys up front actually come on Saturday? And what can we learn from the standout performances?

— Oklahoma State’s coverage was shredded first on the field, second by Morris in the postgame, then by us here at PFB. What happened?

But first, Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker has made his living airing things out this season, but the Cowboy quarterback kept his deep ball holstered for most of the night. When he did let loose, it wasn’t pretty.

Working on His Short Game?

​Mestemaker completed a season-low 20% of his 20-yard completions on Saturday night. He was much better between 10-19 yards downfield, completing 60% in that zone. However, added together, only 29% of his 34 passing attempts traveled at least 10 yards through the air.

That edges out his 27% rate of medium and deep passes thrown in the loss to Tulsa. In wins over Oregon, West Virginia and UCF, Mestemaker threw medium or longer 40, 41 and 57% of the time.

Also, it might feel like Mestemaker wasn’t slinging it out as much in general, but his 34 pass attempts were up from his showing against UCF (28 attempts) and against West Virginia (27). So this wasn’t a sample size problem.

The lack of a deep ball was particularly noticeable after the fact. Mestemaker finished 1-of-5 on those throws, and his one completion was probably his best throw of the night on this highlight-worthy 54-yard completion to Wyatt Young.

Drew Mestemaker oh my goodness

He did the Zach Wilson Pro Day throw in a live game https://t.co/JGzIe48e3r

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 18, 2026

Overall, it was just another way OSU gave off shades of their performance in the opener.

Mestemaker 20-yards or more

As disgusting as those numbers look, it’s not completely out of the ballpark with what Houston has done to other teams this season.

Houston defense 20-yards or more vs lead passer

The drop in deep shots would be easier to overlook if it was accompanied by an uptick in the midrange, or perhaps even if those passes were close to 20 yards downfield.

Instead, Mestemaker threw only five passes in the medium range. Here’s a look at those same two charts for the midrange this season

Mestemaker 10-19 yards

Houston defense 10-19 yards

Together, these charts suggest Mestemaker had a relatively mundane outing both by his standards and the one set by the Cougar defense against others this fall.

It’s especially jarring to look at the total deep+medium attempts thrown at Houston this season. Kansas State and UCF attempted nine total to OSU’s 10. Texas Tech threw 12, Georgia Southern 13 and Oregon State 21.

It might feel like splitting hairs, but Mestemaker makes his money going for explosive plays. His PFF grades based on depth look like this:

Deep- 95
Medium- 90.4
Short- 63.4
Behind line of scrimmage- 67.7

​In fairness, Mestemaker’s short-game approach was almost enough to unravel Houston, but don’t be surprised if the Cowboys QB lets it rip far more against everyone else on the schedule.

Did the Cougars Thrive Under Pressure or Just Never Feel It?

The rest of this article is available on our PFB+ board, you can read it here. Don’t have a PFB+ account? Well, here’s a discount for $50 for a year (or $8 a month)

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• Pokes draw a night kickoff for Halloween in Ames (PFB)

• Where the Pokes are projected to bowl at the midway point (PFB)

• This Cowboy football team is dealing with new pressure since the Oregon game — higher expectations.

They must hit their potential now if they intend to turn this season, which is increasingly looking like Drew Mestemaker’s last college try, into a special one. In the old days, this fall would be all about proving Oklahoma State could hang on the field with anyone, and 2027 would be THE year the Cowboys really aim for championships. But as the last regime repeatedly discovered, those days are long gone. [PFB]

• How OSU’s 2027 recruiting class performed on Friday night. (PFB)

• We’ve got an orange fountain, folks. 

🍊+⛲️ = America’s Greatest Homecoming #okstatehc | #TheCodeCalls https://t.co/xOog2IuNlv

— Oklahoma State Univ. (@okstate) October 19, 2026

• What a treat to get this guy back in Stillwater for another year.

31 home runs. 75 RBIs. One more year in Stillwater. Kollin Ritchie is back with @OSUBaseball after going undrafted, giving the Cowboys a rare opportunity to bring back one of the nation’s elite hitters for his senior season. KinaTrax Fall Report 👉 https://t.co/uPZdpg3YOv https://t.co/BMFCC8Fate

— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) October 19, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Thunder kicks off its season against the Spurts tonight — here’s Chet on the matchup.

• Solid take on fighting sin (faith-based)

• What a great idea for building grit — rejection Tuesdays.

In college we has `rejection Tuesdays` where you had to try and get rejected. Homies got married left and right

— Andrew Carr 🤸 (@andrew_n_carr) October 19, 2026

Here’s a roundup of the week that was for the Pokes’ class with stats and highlights provided when available.

First, let’s welcome a newcomer to the class.

Keilan Neal / DL / Franklin Road Academy (5-3) / Tennessee

Height: 6-1
Weight: 280
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 838

Neal’s Franklin Road Academy Panthers were on a bye this past weekend, but they’re 5-3 in his senior season with two regular season games to play.

The Panthers close by hosting Grace Christian Academy (6-2) this weekend and Columbia Academy (2-6) the week after.

Neal, who also plays on the offensive line, recently scored on a touchdown on a perfectly executed trick play.

Here are some more highlights from his senior season.

Ake O’Neal / WR / Argyle (7-1) / Texas

Height: 6-3
Weight: 195
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,507

Argyle just keeps rolling. The Eagles beat The Colony 56-14 to push the win streak to seven games. Dave Campbell has Argyle ranked third in Texas’ 5A-D2.

O’Neal caught three passes for 47 yards in the win. He’s up to 523 yards and six touchdowns in his senior season.

Argyle hosts Colleyville Heritage (4-3) this week.

Cooper Hooker / WR / Pryor (5-2) / Oklahoma

Height: 5-9
Weight: 165
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,062

Cooper Hooker and the Pryor Tigers got back in the win column with a 52-27 runaway from Nathan Hale.

Hooker caught five passes for 44 yards and a touchdown in the win. He has caught 53 balls for 688 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior season.

Pryor travels to Collinsville (3-4) this week.

Carson White / QB / Hightower (5-2) / Texas

Height: 6-2
Weight: 205
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 466

White’s Hightower Hurricanes were off this week. Hightower travels to Fort Bend Travis (6-1) for a big game this week.

Jake Baker / OL / Ensworth (4-4) / Tennessee

Height: 6-6
Weight: 295
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,596

Baker and the Tigers were off this past weekend. They travel to Baylor (8-0) this week.

Baker updated his highlight reel in his week off.

Talan Scott / TE / ALA-Queen Creek (2-5) / Arizona

Height: 6-4
Weight: 225
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,296

The Patriots busted a three-game losing streak with a 35-22 win against Casteel.

Scott had a 5-yard rush, three tackles and a sack in the effort.

The Patriots hit the road to Desert Vista (4-3) this week.

Israel Hammons / LB / Choctaw (6-2) / Oklahoma

Height: 6-3
Weight: 230
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 173

Choctaw remains unbeaten in its district with a 66-0 smacking of Putnam City-North.

The Yellowjackets travel to Putnam City (3-4) this week.

Jayden Vessell / EDGE / Baton Rouge Catholic (4-3) / Louisiana

Height: 6-2
Weight: 230
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,296

Make it three wins in a row for Jayden Vessell’s Catholic Bears after beating Zachary 70-38.

The Bears host Baton Rouge Central (3-3) this week.

Bryson Brown / DB / Broken Arrow (7-0) / Oklahoma

Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,136

The Tigers still haven’t really been tested this season after beating Mustang 35-10.

Brown updated his highlight reel.

The Tigers host Southmoore (0-7) this week.

Sonny Mullen / OL / Troy (5-2) / Texas

Height: 6-7
Weight: 285
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,270

The Trojans have lost two in a row now after falling to C.H. Yoe 40-26.

Troy hosts Lorena (5-2) this week.

TJ Lewis / RB / Bolingbrook (8-1) / Illinois

Height: 6-0
Weight: 225
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1,095

Make it eight straight for the Raiders. They beat Minooka 45-14.

Odaefe Oruru / OL / Jenks (5-2) / Oklahoma

Height: 6-6
Weight: 310
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 486

Jenks’ win streak extended to four with a 64-7 win against Edmond Santa Fe.

The Trojans travel to Yukon (6-2) this week.

Chayce Davis / DB / Trinity (5-2) / Texas

Height: 6-0
Weight: 173
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 551

Davis’ Trinity Trojans have also won four in a row after going to Nimitz and winning 49-3.

Davis was credited with four tackles in the win.

Trinity hosts Grand Prairie (2-5) this week.

It’s been a (relative) while since Cowboy football has had to worry to much about where they are projected to go bowling.

After an 18-year bowl streak snapped in 2024, the Cowboys haven’t gone bowling in two seasons. It’s still not a guarantee this year, but at 4-2, it’d take a collapse I’m not ready to even think about for the Cowboys to finish short of the six-win threshold.

At the halfway point of the regular season, here is where different outlets project the Pokes.

ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. SMU
ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. SMU
On3 (Brett McMurphy): Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. SMU
Sports Illustrated (Bryan Fischer): Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Virginia Tech
CBS Sports (Brad Crawford): Liberty Bowl vs. Missouri

Get ready to learn Pop-Tart, by the sounds of it.

If you’re going to go to a bowl instead of the College Football Playoff, the Pop-Tarts Bowl has positioned itself as at least one of the more fun bowls to go to with all the hijinks of eating the game’s mascot.

And as a guy who doesn’t mind a Disney trip (especially when it’s not 1,000 degrees in Florida), a trip to Orlando doesn’t sound half bad, either.

The Cowboys haven’t played in this bowl since it gained a new title sponsor, but they have made the trip to the Orlando-based bowl twice in the past decade.

Their most recent trip came after the 2020 season when it was the Cheez-It Bowl. OSU finished the regular season at 7-3 that year (shortened because of the pandemic). Led by a three-touchdown performance from freshman Brennan Presley, the Cowboys beat Miami 37-34 in that game. Aside from Presley going nuclear, it might best be remembered by the postgame Cheez-Its. Jomboy made a hilarious video breaking it down.

The Cowboys also went to that bowl when it was called the Camping World Bowl in the 2017 season. It was Mason Rudolph’s final game in an OSU uniform, as he led the Cowboys to a 30-21 win against Virginia Tech.

Speaking of the Hokies, they are one of the teams the Cowboys are projected to play in the bowl. There’s a renewed energy in Blacksburg, with Virginia Tech hiring former Penn State coach James Franklin. The Hokies are 5-2 thus far this season, but their s schedule is somewhat backloaded. They travel to Clemson this week and still have games at No. 23 SMU and at No. 1 Miami.

And speaking of SMU, the Mustangs are the most prominent pick for the Cowboys’ bowl opponent. Now in their third season in the ACC, the Mustangs are 5-1 this season — Rhett Lashlee’s fifth with the program.

The only non-Pop-Tarts Bowl the Cowboys were projected in by these outlets was CBS Sports projecting a Liberty Bowl matchup against Missouri. That’d be a rematch of the 2018 Liberty Bowl, where Taylor Cornelius led the Cowboys to a W against Drew Lock and the Tigers.

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State pushed in most of its chips on Saturday night. The Cowboys bet they could make Houston quarterback Conner Weigman one-dimensional and bet on their offense at the 2-yard line.

Those didn’t pan out as the offense ran into an all-too-familiar wall in the red zone, and Weigman hit a career-high through the air while moving the chains four times on nine carries.

The Cowboys are quite simply out of time.

They must hit their potential now if they intend to turn this season, which is increasingly looking like Drew Mestemaker’s last college try, into a special one.

In the old days, this fall would be all about proving Oklahoma State could hang on the field with anyone, and 2027 would be THE year the Cowboys really aim for championships.

But as the last regime repeatedly discovered, those days are long gone. And even someone with Morris’ pedigree for QB development can’t count on landing a first-round quarterback anytime soon.

Mestemaker’s talent adds urgency to the present moment, but it also brings hope. Oklahoma State will likely be favored, or at worst, very slight underdogs on the road, against everyone left on the schedule except when No. 10 Texas Tech visits on Nov. 14.

The Red Raiders seem to have finally woken up in recent weeks, blowing out three consecutive opponents, but it’s possible Texas Tech is still the same group that squeaked out a 2-point win AT HOME over Houston thanks to a failed 2-point conversion in the final minute.

The Cowboy offense threw away nearly an entire half on the road versus those same Cougars and still found itself with a chance to win on Saturday if the defense could get a stop. That’s the power of Mestemaker.

“This loss here on the road by three points isn’t going to define this team,” Morris said.

He’s right.

Oklahoma State’s loss to Houston, which surged up to 14th in the latest AP Poll, won’t be the game on the minds of the College Football Playoff Committee once those rankings start coming out on Nov. 3.

It will be the 24-10 loss to Tulsa (now 4-3) that will prove to be an anchor around Oklahoma State’s neck. That’s why the Cowboys dropped seven spots out of the AP Poll despite losing a competitive road game against the then-No. 20 team in the country.

The Cowboys’ remaining schedule is both a blessing and a curse. Oklahoma State’s path to the Big 12 Championship Game is almost as simple as just beating Texas Tech and avoiding the pitfalls.

The Cowboys have two games, including one this weekend, against the only winless teams in the conference. All of Oklahoma State’s other games come against teams with a 1-2 record in Big 12 play, and none of them have looked like Big 12 contenders themselves.

Meanwhile, OSU dodges No. 2 BYU, No. 10 Utah, No. 25 Arizona and a Baylor squad that almost beat the team that just beat Georgia.

Outside of Texas Tech’s visit, Oklahoma State won’t have any meaningful chances to impress the CFP committee in the regular season. Since Tech doesn’t face Utah or BYU, it’s possible the winner of the Holy War faces whoever comes out of a Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Houston tiebreaker scenario (assuming the Cowboys win out).

Oklahoma State almost certainly won’t have a shot at serious CFP discussion if the Cowboys drop any other games outside of maybe a competitive loss in Arlington.

This might feel heavy-handed for a program that has already wildly exceeded the standard lowered by the last two seasons of disastrous football. The Cowboys are relevant not just in the conference but on a national level.

And it’s entirely possible that Mestemaker could come back despite seemingly every NFL Draft analyst moving him higher into the first round by the week.

But for a program that’s come exceedingly close to the national championship postseason in both the BCS and the four-team playoff eras, falling just short again this season would feel excruciating regardless of Mestemaker’s decision.

Whether in 2027 or 2028, Mestemaker seems destined to start on Sundays. If the Cowboys don’t make the bracket this year, next season is no guarantee either, and few fanbases know that like the Loyal and True.

Sixty-five percent of OSU fans just wanted to see this group make a bowl game before the season kicked off. But that was before beating Oregon, before rising as high as 18th in the country, and perhaps most importantly, before seeing Mestemaker make throws like this:

#OklahomaState QB Drew Mestemaker rolling left delivers a RIDICULOUS throw to Wyatt Young for 54 yards.

Firm QB1 for me. Potential #1 overall pick in April. https://t.co/p0SCTCvE5j

— Andy (@AndyyNFL) October 18, 2026

Oklahoma State still has a shot at an all-time season, but the margin for error is gone. Time to see what these Cowboys have left in the tank.

The Cowboys’ goal-line offense has been under a microscope since their opening drive of the season in Tulsa, but Saturday brought reason to bring said microscope back out.

Oklahoma State ran six plays from within Houston’s 5-yard line in Saturday’s loss, in what has continued to be an area of concern for OSU’s offense.

Those plays resulted in 10 OSU points, meaning OSU averaged 1.7 points per play from inside the Houston 5.

Let’s take a deeper look at each of those plays.

OSU coaches, players discuss the short-yardage struggles

Third Down from the 5: The first of such plays is an obvious passing down, so the formation looks similar to something the Cowboys would run anywhere else on the field.

Houston rushes three and has two guys hovering just past the line of scrimmage spying Drew Mestemaker.

Mestemaker tries to hit Wyatt Young in a tight window across the middle. There’s an argument to be made for pass interference, but it’s one of those where both teams would’ve had an argument no matter the call.

Second Down from the 3: This one is a math problem that favors Houston.

OSU comes out in a heavy diamond formation with Justin Bowick as the only receiver split out. There are nine Cougars in the box. When Mestemaker hands to Caleb Hawkins, there are only eight Cowboys to block those nine Cougars.

Bowick is in one-on-one coverage to the outside, but there is a Houston safety taking away a slant. That safety is also in position to take away a Mestemaker zone-read pull. It felt like that safety was in the perfect position to take two reads away.

Mestemaker gives to Hawkins, who is stuffed.

Good call from the Cougars. Bad math for the Cowboys.

Third Down from the 4: This time the math favors the Cowboys, but they still didn’t punch it in.

OSU lines up in shotgun with three guys bunched wide to the right and Bowick alone on the other side. Mestemaker sends Hawkins out to the bunch side pre-snap, and a defender follows him. The Cougars are in man.

With that defender leaving the box, there are five Cougars and five Cowboy blockers. Mestemaker takes the snap and runs. Not enough one-on-one wins, as a few Cougars get to Mestemaker before he gets very far.

Fourth Down from the 2: The Cowboys are again in the shotgun with two receivers tight to Mestemaker’s right, and Bowick and tight end Carson Kolb tight to his left.

Houston sends six on the pass rush with six OSU blockers (the line plus Caleb Hawkins). One guy comes free off the edge, but Mestemaker gets the ball out before he gets home. It’s another pass to Young in the middle of the field. It’s another instance where you probably couldn’t flagged for a DPI or holding, but no matter the call, whichever team it was against could’ve felt upset about it.

First Down from the 2: OSU is in the same formation it was on the third of these plays — with a trio of receivers bunched up out to Mestemaker’s right and Bowick alone on the left side.

This time, Hawkins doesn’t motion out. It’s a quick pass to Terrence Lewis, who is on the bunched side. Kolb looked momentarily confused on who he was supposed to block, which gives the defensive back closest to the line of scrimmage time to get to Lewis and break the pass up.

Second Down from the 2: From shotgun again, Houston brings five vs. the OSU O-line. Two end up getting to Mestemaker as he throws, but Young wins his matchup and secures a tough catch for a touchdown.

Overall Take: Even taking the first play out of account since it was an obvious passing down on third-and-medium, OSU threw three times inside the 5 and ran twice, which probably tells you something about the Cowboys’ confidence of just punching it in. Of those throws, two were to the middle of the field to Young (and the one we’re not counting also was).

The throw to Lewis was a block shy of working. The Mestemaker run up the middle had the numbers to work but didn’t. As cliche as it sounds, it comes down to execution, and the Cougars just made the plays.

That’s right Halloween night in Ames, what could go wrong? (Insert spooky music and lightning bolt flash here).

If you’re just checking box scores, its obvious things aren’t going well up in Ames, Iowa, but what might get missed is how competitive the Cyclones (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) have been despite being largely viewed as one of the worst teams in the conference during the offseason. As it turned out, everyone forgot to give that memo to the Cyclones.

They led current No. 15 Iowa for most of the day and didn’t trail for the first time until the final 15 seconds, eventually losing by three points.

After winding up in a huge hole, the Cyclones scored back-to-back touchdowns against now No. 10 Utah to put themselves in a one-score game with 11 minutes to play, eventually losing by 14 points.

They added some interest back into their matchup with now No. 2 BYU just over a week ago to put themselves in a short two-possession game, eventually losing by 14.

• Jacie Hoyt landed a serious recruit last night for 2028 (X)

• ESPN’s system projects the Cowboys to beat Colorado, 34-19 (X)

• Pokes dropped out of both polls after the loss to Houston (PFB)

• Chuba Hubbard had another monster day, plus other NFL updates on former Cowboys (PFB)

• It’s wild that this is the player NFL folks often compare Drew Mestemaker to – because he can do stuff like this.

JOSH ALLEN IS UNREAL 🤯

WHAT A SEQUENCE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. (via @BuffaloBills) https://t.co/7kWXSMtrPv — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• The issues with a 24-team playoff in college football • OKC Thunder extended defensive ace Cason Wallace for a reasonable deal

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news. 

OSU Bullets

• OSU drew a night game for homecoming – evening kickoff set for Colorado game (PFB)

• Jacie Hoyt landed a serious recruit last night for 2028 (X)

• ESPN’s system projects the Cowboys to beat Colorado, 34-19 (X)

• Pokes dropped out of both polls after the loss to Houston (PFB)

• Chuba Hubbard had another monster day, plus other NFL updates on former Cowboys (PFB)

• It’s wild that this is the player NFL folks often compare Drew Mestemaker to – because he can do stuff like this.

JOSH ALLEN IS UNREAL 🤯

WHAT A SEQUENCE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. (via @BuffaloBills) https://t.co/7kWXSMtrPv — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• The issues with a 24-team playoff in college football • OKC Thunder extended defensive ace Cason Wallace for a reasonable deal

You know what helps the show and helps us make more shows? When you rate us on Apple Podcasts or subscribe to our pod: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | SoundCloud.

As always, we appreciate our sponsor Chris’ University Spirit, Echo Contracting. and Farm Service Company.

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But we still have some highlights to get to, starting with Chuba Hubbard, who looked pretty fresh coming off his own bye week.

Chuba’s Big Day

After a trio of former OSU running backs went off while he was off last weekend, Hubbard made sure to make the headline in Week 6.

The former Poke rushed 28 times for 120 yards and touchdown as he helped his Panthers defeat the Eagles. It was his second consecutive game of at least 120 rushing yards after rack up 122 and two scores against Detroit.

Chuba Hubbard HARD YARDS. https://t.co/YYyAvkVVDE

— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) October 18, 2026

In five games, he has 426 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. It’s no coincidence that the Panthers have won these last two games in which he balled out. Carolina is now 3-2 and in first place in the NFC South.

Warren Shows Up When Needed

A week after making history and earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week, Jaylen Warren had a quieter game. But he showed up when he was needed.

Part of the dip in production was due to the return of Rico Dowdle from injury. Last week, head coach Mike McCarthy’s said that Warren would still be the featured bell cow and to his credit, Warren had 14 carries to Dowdle’s seven.

Warren totaled just 50 rushing yards, his lowest total since Dowdle’s injury. But the Steelers’ offense was pretty quiet for the first three quarters, on the whole. They came into the fourth quarter down 16-3 but scored 13 in the fourth to force overtime.

Then they used Warren to chew up nearly seven minutes of overtime on a 14-play game-winning touchdown drive. Warren had three straight plays running of 12, five and seven yards including this thing of beauty.

Jaylen Warren has juice. https://t.co/b1gf1gJnic

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) October 18, 2026

Other Updates

• Justice Hill had three catches for nine yards in the Ravens’ loss to the Browns.

• From the opposite sideline, Tylan Wallace had one catch for 12 yards in the same game.

• Teven Jenkins remains out for the Browns with the back injury he sustained in fall camp.

Bye week: Tyler Lacy (Detroit Lions), Tay Martin (Detroit Lions) Amen Ogbongbemiga (Detroit Lions), Malcolm Rodriguez (Detroit Lions), Ollie Gordon II (Miami Dolphins)

The Cowboys came back from Houston with their first Big 12 L and a reminder that you can’t just out-second half every team and expect to win. Let’s try to put a bow on this one by looking at the good, the bad and the ugly from OSU-Houston.

The (Still) Good: Second Halves

The Cowboys are a second-half team, which is not a bad thing to be.

After a loss, it can be easy to lump some of these things together. Would you like to start faster and not need all those halftime adjustments? Sure. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. I’d much rather a team have the coaching ability to make those adjustments and the culture to foster that resiliency which we saw from the Cowboys in the second half.

The difference in this game was that the Cowboys succumbed to a couple of issues that have plagued them all year — red zone woes and third down efficiency — among other things we’ll get into. You can’t do all of that while digging yourself a hole like that when you’re playing a good team on their field.

Even after falling behind two scores late in the third, the Cowboys had a chance — and it briefly felt like they would. Again, Houston is a good team with an offense designed to play keep-away. OSU was held to a season-low nine drives and only got two in the fourth quarter. It felt like one more and they might have completed the comeback.

So give me the second-half team. Just maybe clean up some of the other stuff. Like…

The Bad: The Ground Game

The Cowboys got their run game going a bit in the second half, but against a team like Houston you can’t afford to be one-dimensional. OSU rushed for just 14 yards in the first half. That played right into the Cougars’ plans and put Drew Mestemaker in unfortunate position of trying to force things.

I’ll digress a moment here. Mestemaker is the QB you want in those situations. He’s proven that, more times than not, he’s the guy you want in those situations. Playing behind all night, OSU rushed it just 25 times, a season low. Much like with the previous point, you want that guy running your offense. Just need to find a way to not get into those situations.

The Cowboys’ rushing has dipped the last two weeks. After just 110 yards on the ground against UCF, OSU totaled just 134 yards against Houston.

We will give some credit to the Cougars, who are sixth in the nation, allowing just 82.6 rushing yards per game. The only Big 12 team better is Texas Tech who allows just 82 rush yards per game. Hopefully, the Cowboys can figure out how to improve in the ground game before they host the Red Raiders next month.

The Ugly: Penalties

There were a few options that could have gone here, but we’ve already addressed the defensive inconsistency and the continuing red zone woes. So let’s look at some of the needless penalties the Cowboys were flagged for. Several of them really hurt.

In the second quarter, a false start on 3rd-and-10 essentially killed the Cowboys’ chances on a their attempted two-minute drill to try to close the gap before halftime.

In the third, with OSU down just four points, Christian Bodnar got flagged for an illegal blindside block after the play was over. It gave Houston an extra 15 yards, the first down and momentum. On the very next play, Weigman found Amare Thomas for a 51-yard, catch and run to set up Houston on the OSU 2. The Coogs were back in the end zone shortly thereafter to go up 21-10.

And then there was the holding call that eliminated a 24-yard pass to Caleb Hawkins in the fourth quarter.

All in all, the Cowboys tied a season high with nine penalties for 71 yards. Eliminating even just one of those listed above might have made the difference in the outcome.

HOUSTON — Last week, Oklahoma State players talked about Saturday night’s top 20 showdown as an opportunity for the Cowboys to prove they are good, no context needed.

That was nearly the case as the then-18th ranked Cowboys couldn’t quite complete the comeback at then-No. 20 Houston on Saturday night.

“We have a gritty group and that’s what I told them in the locker room,” coach Eric Morris said. “We’re building this program up right now and you put yourself in these chances to win these games on the road.”

The Cowboys head coach also expressed a general sense of uncertainty when it comes to OSU’s inability to assert itself in the first half. Oklahoma State trailed Houston 14-3 at the half, then managed to outscore the Cougars 29-21 in the second.

“We’re two different teams first half, second half right now,” Morris said. “And (that) blows my mind to be honest with you.”

Oklahoma State broke open a 21-21 first-half shoot out last week thanks to a dominant 21-7 second half effort. The Cowboys also blew out West Virginia 28-10 in the second half after trailing 14-13 at the break.

“Once we start rolling, feels real easy on offense,” quarterback Drew Mestemaker said. “We just can’t get into those lulls, and if we do, we gotta snap out of it real quick.”

The last time Oklahoma State lost a game, the team responded by shocking the world against Oregon. The Ducks don’t look quite as good these days, losing your starting quarterback will have that effect, but there’s no question that the performance against Oregon was a huge lift from the one at Tulsa.

Now Oklahoma State must find a way to respond once again.

“We just got to keep our head down and keep working,” safety Quinton Hammonds said. “Because we know we can beat any team in the country, and just off night, we just didn’t execute well enough to beat a good team like Houston.”

Hammond was one of several Cowboy leaders who spent most of their time talking to reporters focused on personal mistakes and how they could get better in the days ahead.

“There has got to be some growth in this,” Morris said. “But our kids got to stick together right now, this coaching staff and this locker room. Our culture is growing in a positive way overall in our program. … I know what kind of group we have: Tough guys, good leadership and so we’re going to have to bounce back a big way next week for homecoming.”

When asked if he felt better about the team’s direction now than he did after Tulsa, running back Caleb Hawkins said every loss feels the same to him, but he was arguably the most positive player who spoke to reporters following the loss.

“When you take a hard loss the only direction is up,” Hawkins said. “So we just got to keep moving forward.”

Morris was asked if he expects a similar bounce back week from his players.

“We don’t have any choice,” he said. “We don’t have any time to feel sorry for ourselves and no one is going to feel sorry for us. I feel like we have a really good ball club … There’s going to be a lot of good things on that tape, but it’s our job to correct a lot of these mistakes. And there’s going to be some glaring ones on all three sides of the ball. All three sides of the ball made mistakes today when there’s plays to be had.”

The Cowboys were expected to drop after a loss, but they fell all the way out of the poll

Oklahoma State is now unranked after falling to Houston on the road Saturday night. The Cowboys are the first team out of the Top 25 receiving 128 votes.

The Cowboys dropped out of the US LBM Coaches Poll, from No. 20 all the way out of the Top 25. OSU is the second team out, receiving 87 votes.

Here’s a look at the complete ranking.

Elsewhere in the Big 12

Other than the Cowboys, the rest of the ranked Big 12 teams came out on top this weekend.

BYU took Notre Dame’s place at No. 2, moving up from No. 8, after toppling the Irish. Texas Tech climbed from No. 10 to 8 after stomping Arizona State 53-25. Utah is up one spot to 10 after escaping Boulder with a close victory against a two-win Colorado team.

Even Arizona climbed up three spots to sneak in at No. 25 whilst on a bye week.

Some Fuzzy Logic

I’m not going to say I was initially shocked that the Pokes dropped out of the poll. But falling what is essentially seven spots after a road loss to a team now deemed No. 14 seems a little excessive. But, hey they have two losses now so I can’t see a huge gripe.

What I might take exception with — if I were a Cowboy with stakes in the ranking — is the mental gymnastics that had to have taken place to prop up the SEC.

Texas is 1-2 in conference play and is still considered the No. 19 team in the country.

UT lost to an unranked Florida team a week after losing to an unranked Oklahoma team (also 1-2 in the SEC). The Longhorns did drop 12 spots this week, but I’m curious how many touchdowns they’ll need to lose by to Ole Miss to fall out of the ranking.

To bolster that fuzzy logic, Florida, who received only nine votes a week ago, skyrocketed 12 spots to get back in the ranking at No. 20 (just behind Texas). They must be that good. They beat the No. 19 team in the country.

Georgia dropped all the way down to… oh wait. The Bulldogs are still No. 5 after losing to unranked Auburn. I half expected the Tigers to climb into the rankings as well.

It seems strange to say this, but I can at least see why Alabama, also now with two conferences losses, only dropped to 13. At least their two losses were to ranked opponents.

Of course, none of this really matters and I have no issue with a two-loss Oklahoma State not being ranked. It just illustrates some of the baked-in biases that surround the sport. Also, the CFP committee comes out with its initial ranking on Nov. 3. So we’ll have one more ranking for everyone to argue about in a couple of weeks.

The Big 12 proved itself on a national stage Saturday night.

One of the conference’s schools got a big out-of-conference result while others battled amongst themselves. Here’s a recap of the Big 12’s weekend.

BYU Does It for the Big 12

Three Top 5 teams fell Saturday and a fourth needed double-OT to scrape out a win. It’s going to be hard to keep BYU out of the Top 3 when the AP Poll updates Sunday afternoon.

The Cougars bested No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 as BYU improved to 6-0.

There were some wild swings in the contest. The Cougars took a 21-10 lead into halftime, but that came after Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr botched a spike and ended up bobbling the ball and moreso pushing it into the ground. BYU defenders made a heady play to jump on the ball, and after review, it was determined Carr didn’t have control of his spike.

CJ CARR FUMBLES ON A SPIKE 😮

BYU recovered 👀 https://t.co/vMOczouW8s

— ESPN (@espn) October 18, 2026

But that didn’t doom the Irish.

Notre Dame took a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter before Bear Bachmeier led a 10-play, 55-yard touchdown drive to get the lead back with 1:47 to go.

Despite that, Notre Dame was still able to make it down the field, but the Irish were unable to get in the end zone.

In a bit of a reverse of Michigan’s result against Western Michigan from earlier in the year, there is some discussion as to whether Notre Dame should’ve gotten another crack at it.

The final play of BYU vs. Notre Dame has people asking questions about the clock https://t.co/C0KdyuhDp5

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2026

This was a massive win for BYU and the Big 12.

Notre Dame doesn’t have a ton of quality games on its schedule with Miami being the undeniably best opponent the Irish have left. If Notre Dame loses that game as well, it could end the Irish’s playoff hopes. Which in turn could lead to the Big 12 getting another spot.

On top of that, it’s just good PR for the conference to beat a Top 5 team from outside the conference. We’ll see if the Big 12 actually nets some respect out of the result, but the conference certainly should.

TCU Ends Baylor’s Hot Streak

The Revivalry put an end to Baylor’s hot streak.

TCU beat Baylor 17-6 on Saturday after the Bears came off a win against Colorado and a thumping of Arizona State.

Jaden Craig threw a pair of touchdown passes, while DJ Lagway threw for 256 yards and a pick. Both teams combined to finish with just 87 rushing yards.

Defenses shined, as both teams had four sacks and an interception. Baylor had 10 tackles for loss to TCU’s 6.

Baylor was approaching darkhorse status in the league, but Saturday’s result will reconsider that fact.

West Virginia (Finally) Wins a Shootout

The Mountaineers have been on the wrong end of many shootouts of late, but while defense remained optional in Morgantown on Saturday, West Virginia got back in the win column.

The Mountaineers beat Cincinnati 45-42 in a game that featured 1,220 yards of total offense.

Michael Hawkins was the whole show. He had 464 passing yards, 77 rushing yards and accounted for five total touchdowns. DJ Epps was his target of choice, as the Mountaineers’ receiver had 163 yards and a touchdown.

Cincinnati held a 42-35 lead with about five minutes to play before Hawkins hit running back Cam Cook for a 40-yard touchdown.

Then as time expired, Jack Cassidy hit a 35-yard field goal to end WVU’s three-game losing streak.

JACK CASSIDY WALKS IT OFF

📺 TruTV | TNT | HBO Max https://t.co/66UhzMI2bD

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 17, 2026

Full Week 7 Results

Houston 35, Oklahoma State 32
BYU 28, Notre Dame 24
Texas Tech 53, Arizona State 25
Utah 27, Colorado 24
West Virginia 45, Cincinnati 42
Kansas State 35, Kansas 24
TCU 17, Baylor 6

Next Weekend’s Schedule

Big 12 Standings

Oklahoma State’s game against Colorado will kick off at 6 p.m. CST in Boone Pickens Stadium it was announced on Sunday. It will be the culmination of America’s Greatest Homecoming.

The Cowboys are fresh off a road loss to Houston and will be ready to get that taste out of their mouths. The Buffs, on the other hand, have lost four straight and are winless in the Big 12. They did play No. 11 Utah tough though, coming just one failed Hail Mary attempt from upsetting the Utes before falling 27-24.

OSU will now have played three of six games at night, with primetime road games at West Virginia and Houston and a 6 p.m. kickoff against Murray State in Week 3.

Here is the full Big 12 slate:

West Virginia at TCU — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN2
Texas Tech at Cincinnati — 2:30 p.m. on FOX
Kansas State at Arizona State — 2:45 p.m. on ESPN2
Colorado at Oklahoma State — 6 p.m. on FS1
Iowa State at Arizona — 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Houston at Utah — 9:15 p.m. on ESPN

HOUSTON — Oklahoma State’s defense put the Cowboys on the doorstep of an improbable comeback twice in the final three minutes by pushing the Cougars to third down.

Both times, the defense responded to the moment by giving up 16- and 18-yard pass plays that let the 20th-ranked Cougars run out the clock in their 35-32 win over No. 18 OSU.

“I thought we were really bad in the secondary tonight,” Eric Morris said. “You know, we lost in man-to-man coverage. We lost in zone coverage.”

There was plenty of blame to go around for all of OSU’s DBs, considering Houston quarterback Conner Weigman finished the game completing 24-of-33 passes for a career-high 343 yards and five touchdowns (a first for him against Power Four competition) to one interception.

The worst thing for OSU’s defense is that those guys did some of their worst performances when the game mattered the most. Houston converted seven-of-13 third downs, all three fourth downs, and finished the game with three touchdowns, all through the air, on four red zone trips.

“In my mind right now, it wasn’t just one thing,” Morris said. “We lost in man coverage, we lost in zone coverage, play action and roll out pass. There’s a lot right now off the top of my mind. Like we got to go back and see how maybe we can put them in better situations in certain times.

“And then, too, I think just like for us when they have the ball. We got to be able to rush the passer and get some heat on him and not let him be comfortable back there.”

PFF data from the game was still under final review, but several hours after the game, the Cowboys were credited with seven total pressures (including four hurries) on 37 dropbacks by Weigman.

The Houston QB was particularly deadly in the red zone, where he hit Patrick Overmeyer for a 2-yard touchdown on third-and-2 after the tight end successfully faked his block to beat safety Evan Jackson, who was filling in for injured starter Mose Phillips.

On a later red zone drive on third-and-5, Weigman found a soft spot between nickel Christian Bodnar, who seemed to get beat off the line a bit, and safety Quinton Hammonds, who came flying across the field to sandwich receiver Amare Thomas just as he hauled in the 7-yard touchdown.

Then on third-and-2, Weigman hit receiver Trent Walker after he hit corner LaDainian Fields with a nice move to get just enough separation on the outside for the 2-yard touchdown.

When the Cowboys needed to get the ball back at the end, it was Jackson who seemingly gave up the 16-yard pass on third-and-3 and cornerback Kollin Lewis who gave up the 18-yard completion on third-and-7.

“We just weren’t disciplined enough,” safety Quinton Hammonds said when asked about giving up third-down conversions, especially in the red zone. “We didn’t fight, we didn’t strain. We didn’t give up, but we didn’t play as hard as we should have.”

Despite not starting, Fields dominated the position on Saturday, playing 84% of the snaps according to PFF data, well in line with his other performances. Horn and Lewis were next, playing 40 and 33% of the snaps.

Lewis gave up all five targets thrown his way for a team-worst 88 yards. Fields came down with the lone pick and limited Houston to 3-of-5 receptions for 13 yards, but that did include one touchdown.

Kobi Foreman gave up a 48-yard touchdown pass despite playing only nine plays. Horn gave up one catch on one target for only 10 yards.

“You saw four of them tonight,” Morris said of his corners. “It’s just being able to figure out the two that we can trust at a consistent level, right? And who’s going to make the plays? Even thinking back in my head right now, it’s not like one of them was the only one that … They kind of took turns. We got to figure out who the two are that we’re going to go with.”

When asked to clarify if he would like to shorten his corner rotation down to two primary guys, the head coach walked things back from that ledge just a bit.

“I would like to have as many as they can play and can make plays,” Morris said. “I want to see guys out there that are competing and can contest these balls.”

OSU has typically played three guys with a heavy involvement, with Foreman’s role fluctuating wildly.

Although the secondary took the brunt of Morris’ criticism in his postgame presser, the defense overall seemed to disappoint as Houston’s primary rushers (Weigman and running back Makhi Hughes) combined for 129 rushing yards on 29 carries (4.4 yards per carry). That included one third-and-short down conversion (on three attempts), a fourth-and-one conversion and the game-sealing eight-yard run on second-and-6 at the end.

“You gotta look inwards first,” linebacker Ethan Wesloski said. “My tackling wasn’t good enough. I was leaving too much space between me and ball carriers. I can’t speak for the other 10 guys on the field with me, but if I’m giving an eagle-eye view, I’d just say it wasn’t good enough. There’s too many times I saw people miss tackles. It’s on the other 10 guys to strain to the ball, finish it and get him down.”

Both Wesloski and Hammonds stressed that the Cowboys didn’t win their one-on-ones, and both defensive leaders put plenty of blame on their own plate.

“I played too soft, didn’t play strong,” Hammonds said. “Got punched in my mouth, didn’t fight back, and it is just getting out of that slump. I just didn’t do it, and I didn’t perform well enough to my standards.”

OSU Bullets

• As always, your postgame debriefing should include Marshall’s 10 Thoughts. [PFB]

• Sad state: a prolific offense continues to search for answers in the red zone. [PFB]

• There’s no finger-pointing in the Cowboys’ locker room after a loss. [Tulsa World]

• Caleb Hawkins had the Cowboys’ receiving record — before a penalty called it back. His performance was a bright spot in the loss. [PFB]

• Just for fun.

There was signs… https://t.co/h7NjOmjrcu

— OgnBurgh (@scottiloss) October 17, 2026

• LOL

The head of the Jungle Ball Association, David Taylor, held a press conference addressing referee firings and cheating in the great game of JB. More details to be released to the press soon. https://t.co/aUL9g8X0kV

— stillyboys (@stillyboys_) October 17, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Book Rec: If you like books about music, or the Midwest or just ones that are well-written, I’d say give this a shot. No Choice But Action: The Kansas Postpunk Scene

• That’s a big OOF.

Cincinnati DT Josh Hough is carted off with an injury at West Virginia and only ends up in more pain after the cart backs him into a wall. As seen on the TNT Sports broadcast. https://t.co/caoaWqUH84

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 17, 2026

• And this was painful for everyone but Ohio State fans.

Might be the most painful way to lose a football game ever https://t.co/Xc17eYXyge

— NFL Memes (@NFLMemes) October 17, 2026

HOUSTON — The Cougars entered Saturday night with the best run defense in the Big 12, but that didn’t stop the Cowboys from getting their star tailback the ball. They just did it in a different way.

Oklahoma State lost a big game to Houston 35-32 on Saturday night in TDECU Stadium, where OSU running back Caleb Hawkins finished with 125 receiving yards on seven catches.

It’s the second-most receiving yards an OSU running back has ever had in a game. It trails only Terry Brown, who had 127 receiving yards against Kansas in 1968.

Hawkins finished with 68 rushing yards, 125 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

“I mean, he’s a dog,” OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker said. “… People kind of forget about how big of a part he is, how big of a part in this offense he is.

“He’s not an emotional guy. He’s always just gonna do his job, and I think having a guy that you can go to in games like this, honestly, he’s the reason it was close. Threw that little wheel route to him, and he took it to the house. All those big runs. So I think that really shows how big of a part he is in this offense, and we got to get him rolling earlier.”

Hawkins took a little flair route in the second half and turned it into a 14-yard gain, but it wasn’t exactly that simple.

As Hawkins neared the first-down marker, Houston defensive back Will James tried to chop the 219-pound Hawkins down at the knees, but Hawkins soared over him.

On Hawkins’ way down, defensive back Javion White tried to lay some lumber on him, but Hawkins braced for the hit and bounced out of bounds. Meanwhile, White — who technically got credit for the tackle — had to take some injury time after the play.

Caleb Hawkins takes FLIGHT 🤯

@CowboyFB https://t.co/a7ZygfP6EE

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2026

“The play before, I kinda tumbled over somebody, and I was kind of in the air a little bit,” Hawkins said. “Just setting my mind on if I get the ball and it’s a safety, I might as well jump over him because they’re gonna go low. It was more of a game-time decision, but I had it in the back of my head.”

Then early in the fourth quarter, Mestemaker hit a somewhat mundane swing pass out to Hawkins, who proceeded to run 66 yards to the end zone. He made one man miss about 40 yards downfield before winning the race to the goal line. It was the Cowboys’ biggest play of the night.

Caleb Hawkins takes it 66 yards to the HOUSE for @CowboyFB 🏠 https://t.co/I4YOoUHCCD

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2026

As flashy as those plays were, Hawkins will do the dirty work, as well.

The Cowboys had a 4th-and-7 to start the fourth quarter. Mestemaker dropped back to pass as Houston sent a rusher from the edge opposite of the side Hawkins lined up on.

Hawkins got across the line and stoned the would be rusher. Mestemaker hit Justin Bowick for a first down on the play.

Hawkins will run it. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll catch it. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll vaporize a blitzing linebacker. He’s just a football player.

“His pass pro has been phenomenal all year,” OSU coach Eric Morris said. “He’ll stick his nose in there and take on whoever they bring. Same way, he’s someone that loves to compete. He’ll fight to the end with his teammates. I thought that we could get him on some matchup at times in the passing game. I think just continues to create value for this team in so many different ways.

“The ball continues to find people that plays the way he does.”

HOUSTON — When the team was winning, it almost felt like a sick, but frustrating, joke that one of the best offenses in the country struggled in the red zone.

On Saturday night, when the Cowboys had a chance to put themselves on the shortlist for a Big 12 Championship spot, that inability to capitalize came back to haunt No. 18 Oklahoma State for the second time this season as the team fell 35-32 to No. 20 Houston.

“Huge problem,” Eric Morris said. “That’s why I opened with it to start my statement tonight. That’s been a problem for the last couple weeks — actually the whole entire year. Go back to the first drive of our season offensively. We drive down and don’t get it on fourth down against Tulsa.”

In many ways, Oklahoma State couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Cornerback LaDainian Fields took an interception 20 yards the other way, setting the offense up past midfield. Two completions later, OSU stood at Houston’s 10-yard line.

As it turned out, that’s right where the Cougars, and seemingly every other defense, want the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State settled for a field goal from the 5-yard line. So much for the jugular.

On the very next drive, Oklahoma State went right back down the field. This time, the Cowboys ran four plays from within Houston’s 8-yard line, but Morris couldn’t bring himself to pull the offense off the field on 4th-and-2, resulting in a turnover on downs.

“Hindsight is 20/20,” Morris said. “Going back, I chased some points again. Look back, maybe if I had kicked that field goal early, here we are. Tie ballgame, and maybe we find a way to get it into overtime. So it is something that I got to soul-search on, and we had so much momentum. I felt like both of those two drives to start the game, and we’re marching it down and hit some big plays. To come away with just three at halftime is bad for them.”

It was a huge deviation for Morris, who has largely chucked the analytics book in the trash when it comes to field goals in the red zone. In wins over UCF, West Virginia and Oregon, Morris always chose to kick when faced with fourth-and-anything inside the red zone.

The Cowboys have pulled the offense for kicker Sam Keltner at the opposing 1-, 2-, 6-, 11-(twice), 12- and 13-yard lines.

“We can’t be a team that can’t score in the red zone,” OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker said. “(Can’t be) an offense that is a one-half, two-half team. We have to play a full game on offense, and it starts with me. I have to play better at the end of the day.”

Oklahoma State finished the game with three touchdowns and one field goal on five total red zone opportunities, but even some of the successes were suspect. Running back Ayo Adeyi looked lucky if he got back to the line of scrimmage on his 13-yard touchdown, but then he managed to bounce away from what looked to be OSU’s worst run of the night and sprinted into the end zone thanks to a nearly empty perimeter.

Receiver Wyatt Young’s 2-yard touchdown pass on OSU’s next drive came after the Cowboys moved the chains on 3rd-and-3 thanks to a pass interference call drawn by Young. That play was only possible after OSU overcame 2nd-and-12.

Morris was asked about the issue for what feels like at least the 10th time this season. This time he was asked if it was an offensive line issue.

“Yeah, I think probably,” Morris said. “I mean, we’re not just huge interiorly right now. But that’s my job as a coach, is I gotta put them in better positions and figure out what we can execute. I thought there later, we went to being able to put the ball in the air a little bit more and utilize that when we got a little bit closer down there and were able to punch a couple in.”

Last week, the Cowboys brought 284-pound defensive end Malik Charles out at tight end to bolster the offensive line near the goal line. The Cowboys showed that look again tonight and sent offensive tackle Braydon Nelson out at tight end as well before a timeout led to them changing the look.

Both running back Caleb Hawkins and Drew Mestemaker expressed frustration over the inability to score consistently in the red zone.

“Maybe a repetitive thing,” Hawkins said when asked if the issues scoring changed game-to-game. “I was saying earlier that it is a mental block that I feel like we have, and once we get out of that and get out of our heads, we’re going to be fine.”

Mestemaker said opponents are selling out to keep Hawkins out of the end zone down there, so the offense has to find another way to score.

He, too, felt the offense was plagued by a repeated issue when it came to the team’s mindset.

“I guess you can put it all into the same category of not executing,” Mestemaker said. “It’s not like we’re not strong enough to be down there. It’s not like the other team (is) pulling out these magical plays. We’ve just got to execute the play call at the end of the day.”

HOUSTON — As good as the Cowboys have looked over the past month, there were some consistent bugaboos lingering, and they costed the Cowboys on Saturday.

Oklahoma State lost to Houston 35-32. Here are 10 thoughts on the game.

1. OSU’s Worst Defensive Game

The Cowboys’ defense had been perhaps the most pleasant of surprises this season, but the group was flat bad in Houston.

It felt like the Cowboys needed one stop for most of the second half and just agonizingly couldn’t get it.

The Cougars had 10 offensive drives in the game — only three of those ended in a punt or turnover. Five ended in Houston touchdowns, and the final drive ended with the Cowboys scrambling to get a stop that just wouldn’t come.

The Cowboy offense scored in its first drive out of the half to cut Houston’s lead to 14-10. Houston responded with a touchdown.

OSU scored later in the third quarter to cut Houston’s lead to 21-17. The Cougars responded with a touchdown.

OSU scored at the start of the fourth to cut Houston’s lead to 28-25. Houston responded with a touchdown.

The Cowboys scored to make it 35-32. Houston secured three first downs and ran out the clock.

It felt like a single stop in any of those instances could’ve done it, but the Cowboys couldn’t get off the field.

OSU allowed 505 yards of total offense — a season high. The Cowboys allowed Conner Weigman to throw for 343 yards and five touchdowns — both season-highs against the OSU defense. Houston rushed for 4.1 yards per carry — one of three games above 4.0, joining Tulsa (4.1) and West Virginia (5.1).

2. More Inside the 5 Woes

The Cowboys offense is elite, but there’s no doubt it’s a group that struggles when things get tight near the goal line.

OSU made it inside Houston’s 5-yard line three times on Saturday, and those instances resulted in 10 OSU points.

The Cowboys promptly marched down the field on their first drive of the game but had to settle for a Sam Keltner 23-yard field goal.

OSU again drove the field on their second drive put rather than setting up for another short field goal, Eric Morris left his offense out there and shades of Tulsa, the Cowboys didn’t get it.

Those 3 points obviously would’ve been nice in a game that ended 35-32, but in the moment, I was team go-for-it. I thought it’d be tough to win a game kicking what were essentially extra points. Hindsight is very much 20/20, but I’m not mad at trying to get 7 there.

The Pokes scored a touchdown in their final trip inside the 5. It came on a contested catch from Wyatt Young.

They have to figure something out down there. The Cowboys have now been bitten by their short-distance offense woes in their last two losses.

3. Slow Starts Finally Bite the Cowboys

OSU is a second-half team, and players and coaches alike have said there aren’t some grandiose epiphanies happening in the halftime locker room.

The Cowboys had 3 points at the half on the road against a Top 20 opponent. Going to be tough winning those types of games with that type of output.

Here’s a breakdown of the halves:

Given the second half, it doesn’t feel right pinning much on the offense, but the point remains that if you play just a little bit better in the first half, you’re probably not trying to run the Cougars down all night.

4. Penalties Were a Problem

Another area the Cowboys shot themselves in the foot: they had nine penalties that provided 71 yards to the Cougars.

I think the worst of which was probably Christian Bodnar’s personal foul in the third quarter. OSU had just forced the Cougars into a third down, but away from the play, Bodnar blindsided a Houston player, giving Houston 15 yards and a first down.

On the next play after that, Conner Weigman hit Amare Thomas for a 51-yard gain, and Houston had its mojo again. That drive also featured two Cowboys nearly intercepting a Weigman pass but neither came down with the ball. Either catching the pick or not committing the foul could’ve gotten the Cowboys off the field.

Then a penalty against the Houston long-snapper in the fourth quarter meant the Cougars were able to kick off from the 50-yard line. Houston took advantage of that and sent a worm-burner down the field that momentarily skipped past Miles Coleman, and Coleman was able to get it to only the OSU 4-yard line.

That meant a longer drive, with OSU burning 4:51 off the clock and leaving just 4:54 that the Cougars had to burn to win it.

Also in the fourth quarter, Drew Mestemaker hit Caleb Hawkins for a 24-yard gain. A holding brought it back.

5. Houston Is a Good Team

All Willie Fritz does is win, and he has the horses to do it in Houston.

Weigman is a feel-good story of college football given some of the trials and tribulations he faced as a young player at Texas A&M before keeping his head down and turning into a dang good college quarterback.

Wide receiver Amare Thomas was open all night. He finished with seven catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

Houston was relentlessly pounding the rock in the first half. It felt like they could turn around and hand it off to get 5 yards all night.

Even Houston’s first-half punt was impressive, as it pinned the Pokes on their own 3-yard line.

The Cougars can eat clock. They can run. They can pass. They can keep a team guessing. I was impressed.

6. A Few More Back-Breaking Plays

One second-half drive a microcosm of the game.

Houston had a 3rd-and-7 on its 28-yard line late in the third quarter. It was one of the few times the Cougars were behind the chains all night. But then with everyone covered, Weigman scampered for a gain of 44. So close.

Then later in the drive, Houston had a 4th-and-3 on the OSU 21. Get off the field there, and you’re in it. Houston scored a 21-yard touchdown on that fourth down. So close.

Time and time again, the Cougars made the plays when they needed, and the Cowboys just couldn’t.

7. Good, Not Great Game from Mestemaker

Despite the loss, I still thought Drew Mestemaker gave his team every chance to win that football game.

He finished with 365 passing yards, three touchdowns, an interception and 34 rushing yards.

His interception came when Chris Barnes slipped on a route in the first half. Barnes played very little after that.

Mestemaker fumbled in the second half. Never ideal to fumble, but Mestemaker was hit off both edges and then a guy came up the middle for good measure.

There were a few balls that could’ve used some better placement, but I don’t leave this game being worried about the Cowboys’ quarterback position in the slightest.

Plus, this was sick.

Drew Mestemaker oh my goodness

He did the Zach Wilson Pro Day throw in a live game https://t.co/JGzIe48e3r

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 18, 2026

8. Hawkins Contributed by Land, but Mostly Air

Caleb Hawkins’ 125 receiving yards were the second-most from an OSU running back ever — just two yards shy of Terry Brown’s 127 against Kansas in 1968.

The Cougars boast the top rushing defense in the Big 12, and the Cowboys were struggling against in in the first half. So, OSU started throwing its running back the ball.

Throwing Hawkins the ball almost makes him more deadly because it often puts him in space.

In one instance, Hawkins turned a flew over a defender with an Ollie Gordon-esque hurdle.

Caleb Hawkins takes FLIGHT 🤯

@CowboyFB https://t.co/a7ZygfP6EE

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2026

On another instance, Hawkins took a swing pass 66 yards to the house.

Caleb Hawkins takes it 66 yards to the HOUSE for @CowboyFB 🏠 https://t.co/I4YOoUHCCD

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2026

He also decleated a guy in a pass protection rep when Drew Mestemaker completed a big fourth-down pass.

Hawkins finished with 193 all-purpose yards.

9. Old School Big 12 Football

OSU punted one time on Saturday and lost the game. OSU had 499 yards of total offense and lost.

Track meets are back on for the Stillwater-based team. It’s a lot more fun than what we’ve been subjected to of late.

10. Gotta Respond and Might Need Some Help

The last time the Cowboys lost, they turned around and beat a Top 10 team.

This team is in a different spot now than they were after that loss to Tulsa, but OSU will have to respond similarly.

With one conference loss, the Cowboys are still very much alive in the Big 12 title race, but they could need some help now.

I consider OSU, Houston, Texas Tech, BYU and Utah as contenders in the Big 12 at this point. It’s a league where anyone can beat anyone, but here’s how those five teams match up in the coming weeks:

OSU (1 conference loss):
vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 14

Houston (1 conference loss):
at Utah on Oct. 24

Texas Tech (0 conference losses):
at OSU on Nov. 14

BYU (0 conference losses):
at Utah on Nov. 7

Utah (0 conference losses):
vs. Houston on Oct. 24
vs. BYU on Nov. 7

So, the path is still there. That game against Tech will be massive. But in the meantime, the Cowboys need to get back in the lab and handle their business.

Here are his best shots from the Cowboys road game against the Cougars. You can check out the full album here.

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The Cowboys have been a second-half team for most of the season, but after falling behind early in Houston, their bugaboos finally came back to bite them.

No. 18 Oklahoma State fell to No. 20 Houston 35-32 on the road. The Cowboys made a push late, but they couldn’t quite dig out of this one.

The Cowboys were ineffective in the red zone in the first half, were statistically outperformed on third and fourth downs and lost the turnover battle 2-1. We knew these would all be important things to watch coming in.

The Cowboys, again, were resilient in the second half. But it’s hard to overcome those issues against a team like Houston on the road.

Drew Mestemaker has been the talk of college football and draft heads all week, but it was Conner Weigman who looked like a pro from start to finish.

The Cowboys’ sophomore QB finished 22-for-34 for 365 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. After a rough start, he rebounded in the second half, but it was the sixth-year senior finished 24-for-33 for 343 yards, a career-high five passing touchdowns and a pick.

OSU fell behind as much 14-3 in the first half, but if a couple plays went their way, it could have been 14-all at halftime. On their first two drives, the Pokes made it to within the two yards and five yards of the goal line. They came out of those with three total points.

The Cowboys have had red zone issues all year, but the Cougars kept the Cowboys’ offense off-schedule and one-dimensional for most of the first half. Mestemaker was just 6-of-15 for 124 yards and an interception in the opening two quarters.

Oklahoma State came out of the locker room intent on pushing it on the ground, and it paid off in the end zone. With his first carry of the game, Ayo Adeyi capped OSU’s first drive of the second half with a 13-yard touchdown run. On that opening drive of the third quarter, OSU rushed for 56 yards at 11.2 yards per carry and that set the tone.

After rushing for just 14 yards in the first half (one in the second quarter), the Cowboys ran it for 120 yards at 7.1 per carry in the second half. And after struggling in the red zone in the first half, the Pokes scored red zone touchdowns on their first two drives of the third quarter.

But despite the ability to get into the end zone in the second half, the Cowboys couldn’t keep Weigman out of it all night. After his opening-drive interception, five of Houston’s next seven drives ended with a touchdown.

Again, the Cowboys were resilient in the second half and Mestemaker was able to erase some early snafus from his memory and come with big plays. There were just simply too many mistakes and too many big plays given up.

The Cowboys fell behind 28-17 after trading touchdowns with the Cougars. Then Mestemaker was strip-sacked late in the fourth quarter. It was his second turnover of the game and gave the home team all the momentum. But then the Cowboys’ defense earned its first three-and-out of the game and their QB rewarded them.

On the first play of the next drive, he found Caleb Hawkins on the dump-off and he hit the sideline and ran it 66 yards for a touchdown. Mestemaker found Justin Bowick for the two-point play to pull within 28-25 with 11:57 to go.

But Houston answered again with another big play. This time Weigman found Koby Young for a 48-yard touchdown pass to go back up 35-25 with under 10 minutes to go. To add insult to issue, the Cowboys were called for roughing the snapper on the PAT, which added 15 yards to the kickoff. Then a botched kickoff, pinned the Pokes at their 2-yard line. A couple plays later, Caleb Hawkins’ 24-yard catch was erased due to a holding call on Shaun Torgeson.

The Cowboys kept swinging. Mestemaker dug them out of that tough spot when he broke loose for a 29-yard scramble. Then a couple of plays later, he found Bowick in the end zone again to pull back within 35-32 with 4:54 left. Unfortunately, the Cougars are adept at controlling clock and they squeezed every second of clock and all three timeouts from Eric Morris’ pocket before Mestemaker could get a chance for another heroic finish.

Caleb Hawkins’ game will probably go a bit unnoticed due to the result. But he led the Cowboys in receiving and rushing, reeling in seven of eight targets for a career-high 125 yards and a score to go with 68 rushing yards.

Wyatt Young added five catches for 99 yards and a score. But he and Mestemaker were uncharacteristically out-of-sync, especially early. It took nine throws to get those five grabs.

Ethan Wesloski led the Pokes with nine total tackles (four solo), a tackle for loss, a QB hurry and his share of a sack with partner Jaleel Johnson. Evan Jackon and Tate Romney each added eight total tackle a piece. Malik Charles had the Cowboys’ other QB takedown to go with four tackles.

With the loss, the Cowboys fall to 4-2 on the season and 2-1 in Big 12 play. Next up, Oklahoma State returns home to host Colorado next Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium.

The Cowboys answered Houston’s late-first quarter touchdown with 54-yard connection between Drew Mestemaker and Wyatt Young.

I promise you — you are NOT underrating Drew Mestemaker’s arm talent https://t.co/NDBD1bw5UT

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 18, 2026

The Cougars looked set to march right down the field and score on their first drive. Then the Cowboys defense bowed up. It started when Ehtan Wesloski sacked Houston QB Conner Weigman for a loss of six.

After he found himself at third-and-13, Weigman’s next pass was tipped, then picked off by OSU cornerback LaDainian Fields who returned it for 20 yards.

It was Weigman’s second pick all season.

Houston, we have a pick

📺: FOX | @FieldsLadainian https://t.co/NISdu465xc

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 17, 2026

OSU’s coaches were making their final preparations for the a primetime road matchup when some good news was announced.

Keilan Neal, a 2027 defensive line prospect, shared the news of his commitment to the Cowboys on Saturday afternoon, via his X account.

Home🏡 https://t.co/c77KuFqT5x

— Keilan Neal (@KeilanNeal64) October 17, 2026

Neal hails from Franklin Road Academy in Nashville, Tenn. He’s a 6-foot-2, 280-pound tackle who play on the interior of both the offensive and defensive lines as a prep. He finished 2025 with 65 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He even scored a 29-yard touchdown the one time he handled the football.

The Cowboys like versatility and Neal certainly qualifies. He’s taken part in track and field and baseball at the varsity level.

OSU isn’t the only school that likes talent and versatility. Neal chose the Pokes over a list of 20 total offers that include fellow Big 12 rivals Kansas State, West Virginia, Iowa State, as well as other Power Four schools like UNC and Maryland.

Neal is a three-star prosect according to 247Sports and the No. 79 DL prospect in the nation. He’s ranked as the No. 25 overall player in Tennessee. Rivals ranks him 91st among D-linemen and 42nd in the state.

This makes for the No. 13 commitment for the Cowboys’ 2027 recruiting class and the second defensive lineman, joining three-star edge rusher. His pledge brings the Cowboys to No. 74 in team recruiting rankings which still ranks at just 13th in the Big 12.

Take a look at Neal’s junior season highlights.

The Cowboys are in their own version of a marque Big 12 matchup in Houston, but ESPN’s GameDay crew is in Provo to check out another Big 12 team on the big stage. BYU hosts Notre Dame in a Top 10 matchup that will certainly have overall conference ramifications.

But the GameDay crew turned their sights toward Houston for a moment, along with celebrity guest picker, NFL Hall of Famer and former BYU quarterback Steve Young.

Desmond Howard kicked things off with some confidence for the Pokes. “I like the young quarterback, Drew Mestemaker. I like what he’s doing so far offensively with the Cowboys, so give me the Cowboys.”

Nick Saban countered on behalf of the home team. “I’m going to take Houston. I think they’re one of the most underrated teams in the country.”

Pat McAfee rattled off his latest throw-away catch phrase. “I like Coach Fritz and Houston, as well, Coach Saban. I like that your mind was thinking like my mind is thinking. Is Steve Young’s mind thinking like our mind?”

The hall of famer broke that noise up with an actual coherent answer germane to the matchup. “Connor Weigman. The guy has 15 touchdowns throwing, five rushing [actually six]. He’s true dual-threat, not a runner who can pass. He’s a passer who can run.”

Kirk Herbstreit took a minute to validate Young’s comment. “And this guy knows about that.”

Bringing things home for the Cowboys, Kirk Herbstreit pointed back to Mestemaker.

“There are so many good games today. This one’s a sneaky really, really good game. An important game in the Big 12. Balanced attack with Weigman and their ability to run the football. And as we’ve been talking about this Mestemaker. This guy is playing as well as any quarterback in college football. I think he’s the difference in the game, in a high-scoring shootout, old-school WAC kind of game. Give me Oklahoma State to win that one.”

.@KirkHerbstreit: ball knower https://t.co/uY1nEFTHKl

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 17, 2026