Oklahoma State Survives Boise State on the Road, Wins 21-20

Oklahoma State came back from a 20-7 first half deficit, while overcoming a second-half scoring drought with big-time defensive stops throughout the second half to beat Boise State 21-20 on the road.

With the win, the Cowboys move to 3-0 on the season. The win also gave the Broncos just their 11^th home loss since the year 2000.

“We actually started concerning ourselves with time of possession, which we haven’t done in 15 years,” head coach Mike Gundy told the Cowboy Radio Network. “The big run that Jaylen [Warren] had in the first quarter kept us alive, because at that point we hadn’t slowed [Boise State] down and we hadn’t got a first down. So, that was big. Then, when they turned the ball over in the second quarter to us, that gave us a chance. Then we had 3rd and 18 and they pass interfered and put the ball on what, the five-yard line? So, in the first half, we really never slowed them down and we really never moved the ball on offense. Then going into halftime, I looked up at the scoreboard and we were ahead; I felt like we were down at least two touchdowns. We were ahead based on like three plays. They outplayed us in the first half. They have a good environment here; they do a great job. You can see why they steal some recruits from Power Five schools.

“At halftime, I thought our coaches outcoached them, and they’re good coaches. They outcoached us in the first half. At halftime, we made adjustments and we outcoached them. So, the first drive, we use like eight and a half minutes, that’s a big deal because it kept our defense on the sidelines.”

Once again, the Cowboys squeak out a nail-biter late, with the defense coming up with huge stops. After Kolby Harvell-Peel came up with an interception with just under five minutes in the game, Jaylen Warren had the ball stripped with just over three minutes to give Boise State the ball back.

Brock Martin came up with a huge seven-yard sack, but it was called back on a roughing the passer call. Following that, the defense came up with three huge plays to force a field goal opportunity with 2:05 left in the game.

Enter Jason Taylor II. The human highlight reel rose up and blocked the 36-yard attempt to give the Pokes the ball back on their own 20.

“Earlier in the game, [Boise State] kicked a PAT; he kicked it kind of low, so I just kind of knew I could get my hands on one,” Taylor II told the Cowboy Radio Network. “I just waited, the game on the line, jumped up and tried to tip it.”

While there were several big plays throughout the game on both sides of the ball, the play of the game came on 3rd and 7. Spencer Sanders dropped back and found redshirt freshman receiver Cale Cabbiness for 24 yards and the first down, effectively sealing the win for the Cowboys.

That marked Cabbiness’ first-career catch.

“I wouldn’t be able to do it without my blockers and Spencer throwing a perfect ball, but I’m just excited we got the win,” Cabbiness said on the Cowboy Radio Network.

“I was surprised; I was getting kind of mobbed and trying to get away from them, but I love my teammates, they support me through everything. I’m just grateful.”

“We had another wide out get hurt, and we put in Cabbiness, and he makes the catch of a lifetime for him,” Gundy said of Cabbiness. “I mean, what a story, young man walks on, and he’s probably been like four, five, six plays in his career, and Spencer threw a great ball, and the kid went up and made a catch and the game was over.”

Sanders finished the day going 6-of-13 for 87 yards through the air and 15 carries for 40 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

Jaylen Warren set a career-high in rushing yards as he had 32 carries for 218 yards and two touchdowns.

Once again, Malcolm Rodriguez led the way for the defense with eight total tackles, five of which were solo stops, but Brock Martin finished the day with two sacks.

The Cowboys finished the game with 333 yards of total offense 246 of which came on the ground on 57 carries. On the flip side, the Pokes held the Broncos to -2 rushing yards in the second half and just 61 total yards on the game.

“We were able to rush the ball when they knew we were rushing the ball,” coach Gundy told the Cowboy Radio Network. “Much better than what we’ve done in the past two games, but we’re one dimensional right now.”

The Cowboys got off to a slow start on both sides of the ball as Boise State took a 10-0 lead before the five-minute mark of the first quarter, while converting on 4-of-5 on 3rd down attempts. However, Jaylen Warren got the Pokes on the board with the best run of the season so far for OSU. On the first play of the ensuing drive following the BSU touchdown, Warren went 75-yards untouched to bring the score to 10-7, Boise State.

That marked his third touchdown in as many games.

Time of possession was a major issue for the Pokes in the first quarter as they had the ball just 3:29, while Boise State finished with 11:31. The Broncos also converted 4-of-7 on 3rd down, compared to 0-2 for the Pokes, while the yardage comparison was 154-89 in favor of the Broncos.

It was more of the same in the second quarter as Boise State found the end zone early in the quarter, to take the score up to 17-7. The Broncos kicked another field goal with 6:30 left in the second quarter, bringing the game to 20-7. That came after just a 25-yard punt by Tom Hutton.

Jaylen Warren broke another nice run, this time a 27-yarder up the middle, giving the Pokes just their second first down of the game. Spencer Sanders would pick up the Pokes’ third first down of the game just a few plays later.

Warren capped that drive with a six-yard touchdown, bringing the Pokes back within six, 20-14. On the ensuing drive, Malcolm Rodriguez striped the ball, which was recovered by Devin Harper. Jaylen Warren had another nice run, 14 yards down to the Boise State one yard line. It took a few attempts following a snap infraction, but Spencer Sanders found the end zone from one yard out to give OSU its first lead of the game, 21-20 with just :06 remaining in the first half.

Coming out of the half, the Cowboys started with the ball and continued their streak of running the ball, completing 20-straight runs before Sanders attempted a pass, an incomplete pass out of bounds. He did, however, complete a 16-yard pass to Rashod Owens down the right side for a 1st down on 3rd and long.

However, the drive ended with an eight-yard sack on 3rd and 18, forcing another Cowboy punt.

The OSU defense came up with a huge stop on the ensuing drive, forcing Boise State’s first three and out on the day to give the Pokes the ball back on their own 47-yard line. Sanders finds Rashod Owens once again, this time for 18-yards down the right side on 3rd and medium. However, the drive ended in a missed 41-yard field goal by Alex Hale.

The Pokes’ defense came up with another huge stop, the second three and out in a row, giving OSU the ball back with :40 left in the third quarter on their own 34-yard line.

Late in the fourth quarter, with just under five minutes to go in the game, safety Kolby Harvell-Peel came up with a huge interception to give the Pokes the ball back following an OSU punt.

However, Jaylen Warren had the ball stripped on 3rd and short to give Boise State the ball back on the OSU 41-yard line.

The defense came up with a huge stop to force a Boise State field goal, which was blocked by Jason Taylor II to give the Pokes the ball back. To clinch the game, Sanders found redshirt freshman receiver Cale Cabbiness for 24-yards and a first down on 3rd and long to seal the game.

The Pokes are back in action against Kansas State next week, Sept. 25, with a 6 p.m. CT kick on ESPN+.