Oklahoma State at Texas: Postgame Notes

Postgame Notes

• This is the second time this season Oklahoma State has erased a double-digit deficit to win. The Cowboys trailed Boise State, 20-7, and came back to win, 21-20 on Sept. 18. In the Mike Gundy era (2005-present), Oklahoma State has 16 wins in games in which it trailed by 12 points or more.
• The Cowboys closed the game by scoring 19 unanswered points in the second half and outscoring the Longhorns by a 16-0 margin in the fourth quarter.
• In the fourth quarter, Oklahoma State had 170 yards of total offense. Texas had one yard of total offense in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys ran 26 offensive plays in the final stanza to the Longhorns’ six.
• The Oklahoma State defense forced four consecutive three-and-outs in the second half and on the fifth possession, held Texas on a fourth down that amounted to a three-and-out. The Cowboy defense followed that stop with an interception. Meanwhile the OSU offense scored on four of five possessions during that same span to secure the victory.
• The Cowboys rushed for 145 yards in the fourth quarter after having only 61 yards rushing after three quarters.
• Running back Jaylen Warren rushed 33 times for 193 yards. It was his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing performance. He outperformed the nation’s third-leading rusher, Bijan Robinson, by 58 yards on the ground. In the fourth quarter alone, Warren carried 14 times for 138 yards.
• In the last four games, Jaylen Warren has 659 rushing yards (164.8 per game).
• Jason Taylor II returned a second-quarter interception 85 yards for a touchdown. It represented a significant shift in momentum at the time of the play, as Texas held a 17-3 advantage and had driven to the Oklahoma State 18-yard line in a bid to extend the lead. Following Taylor’s interception, the Cowboy defense held the Longhorns to a three-and-out and then OSU’s offense drove down the field to score a touchdown late in the first half to bring the score to 17-13.
• For Taylor, it marked the third touchdown of his career. He had an 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown at Kansas State last year and returned an onside kick 48 yards for a touchdown against Texas Tech last season. Taylor’s pick-six tied for the fourth-longest interception return in Oklahoma State history and was the longest since 2001.
• Taylor’s pick-six marked the sixth non-offensive touchdown for Oklahoma State since the start of the 2020 season. A closer look:
• 2020 vs. West Virginia – Tyren Irby 56-yard fumble return
• 2020 at Kansas State – Jason Taylor II, 85-yard fumble return
• 2020 vs. Texas Tech – Jason Taylor II, 48-yard kickoff return
• 2020 vs. Texas Tech – Tre Sterling 65-yard interception return
• 2020 at TCU – Brock Martin 42-yard fumble return
• 2021 at Texas – Jason Taylor II, 85-yard interception return
• Spencer Sanders connected with Brennan Presley for a seven-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was Presley’s second touchdown reception in the last three games. He also had a score against Kansas State. The Sanders-to-Presley touchdown capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive in which 68 of the 80 yards came on the ground.
• Texas entered the game scoring 44.5 points per game and converting on 51.9 percent of its third-down opportunities. The Cowboy defense held the Longhorns to 24 points and 4-of-14 on third down (28.6 pct.)
• Texas quarterback Casey Thompson entered the game ranked fourth nationally with a 187.4 pass efficiency rating. The Oklahoma State defense held him to a 108.7 rating.
• Cowboy Back Logan Carter saw his first action of the season.
• Defensive end Brock Martin returned to the starting lineup for Oklahoma State after missing the last game to injury.
• Game captains for Oklahoma State were Danny Godlevske, Josh Sills, Devin Harper and Demarco Jones.

The Oklahoma State win...

• Made it 13-5 in its past 18 games and 17-8 in its past 25 games vs. AP Top 25 teams.
• Marked the first time in school history OSU has beaten AP-ranked opponents in three consecutive games.
• Made it 6-0 for the first time since 2015 and for the fifth time in the Mike Gundy era.
• Marked its eighth straight win, securing its longest winning streak since OSU won 12 straight from 2014-15. OSU's seven-game winning streak entering the game was the fifth-longest active streak in the FBS.
• Made it 8-4 in its past 12 games against Texas.
• Made it 6-1 in its past seven games against Texas in Austin.
• Made the Cowboys 10-26 all-time vs. Texas and 7-16 vs. Texas in Austin.
• Improved Mike Gundy's career record vs. Texas to 8-9.
• Improved Mike Gundy's record in Big 12 games to 86-55.
• Improved it to 14-3 in its past 17 games, dating back to the 2020 season.
• Made it 142-66 in its history when playing as an AP-ranked team.
• Made it 6-2 in its past eight games when both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25.
• Made it 130-37 in its history when playing as a higher AP-ranked team than its opponent.
• Improved it to 28-22 vs. AP ranked teams since the beginning of the 2011 season.
• Marked Mike Gundy's 34th career win vs. AP Top 25 opponents. Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney are the only other active coaches with more wins over AP Top 25 teams at their current schools.

Notable Streaks and Trends

• OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50 percent third down conversion rate in 17 straight games.
• OSU has held 15 of its past 17 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average.
• Jaylen Warren has rushed for 659 yards in the last four games (164.8 yards per game)
• Jaylen Warren has scored a rushing touchdown in six of his past seven games played.
• OSU is 30-10 in its past 40 games decided by fewer than 10 points.
• Dating back to 2008, OSU is 67-8 when winning the turnover battle.
• OSU has forced 18 turnovers in its last 10 games.
• OSU has had a 100-yard rusher in 11 of its past 16 games.