Oklahoma State 43 Houston 30: Postgame Notes

November 18, 2023 | Houston, Texas (TDECU Stadium) | Attendance: 33,906 

Final Score: No. 23 Oklahoma State 43, Houston 30 

Updated Records: Oklahoma State 8-3 overall (7-2 Big 12); Houston 4-7 overall (2-7 Big 12) 

Postgame Notes  

• After trailing 23-9, the Cowboys scored 24 points unanswered before trading hits to defeat Houston, 43-30. For the Cowboys, it marked its largest comeback win since the 2021 Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame. 
• Brennan Presley had a historic performance against Houston on Saturday: 
• Brennan Presley’s 15 receptions on Saturday marked the second most by a Cowboy in program history. Presley finished one shy of Alex Loyd, who recorded 16 receptions versus Kansas on Oct. 22, 1949.  
• He recorded the most receiving yards (189) by a Cowboy in a game this season and the most since Dillon Stoner had 247 at Baylor on Dec. 12, 2020. 
• Presley caught nine passes for 103 yards in the first half, setting new career-highs for both in a half. He also became the first Cowboy with 100 receiving yards in a first half since Dillon Stoner on Dec. 12, 2020, against Baylor. 

Ollie Gordon II had another big day

1. Gordon II finished with 164 rushing yards and three touchdowns, marking his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season. 
2. With three rushing touchdowns, Gordon II has five games with multiple touchdowns this season and has rushed for 11 touchdowns in his last five games. 
3. With a 62-yard carry in the third quarter, Gordon II now has three carries of 60+ yards this season, with the other two going for 71 and 75 yards. 
4. In Big 12 play, Gordon II has 1,305 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns, for averages of 163.1 rushing yards and 1.75 touchdowns per game. 

• After trailing by 14, Oklahoma State overcame a two-score deficit to win for the 21st time in the Mike Gundy era and the 14th time since 2014. 
• With two takeaways on Saturday, Oklahoma State has now forced 16 turnovers in its last seven games. In that time, OSU has won the turnover battle, 16-10. 
• OSU didn’t allow a sack in the game for the fifth time this season and the fourth time in its last five games. The Cowboys have allowed just two sacks in their last seven games while recording 14 sacks of their own in that stretch. 
• Alan Bowman completed 29-of-43 passes for a season-best 348 passing yards and two touchdowns. 
• Jaden Bray scored the first touchdown of the day for the Cowboys, catching a 23-yard pass from Alan Bowman in the second quarter. It was the second touchdown reception of the year for Bray in his return from a three-game absence. 
• Trey Rucker logged his fourth career interception in the second quarter, returning the ball for 29 yards. It marked Rucker’s first interception since the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Wisconsin on Dec. 27, 2022. 
• Leon Johnson III brought in his first career touchdown as a Cowboy in the second quarter, reeling in a 21-yard touchdown from Bowman.  
• Ollie Gordon II punched in a 6-yard rushing touchdown to hand OSU its first lead of the game in the third quarter. 
• On the next offensive possession, Gordon II broke out for a 62-yard run – his third-longest gain of the season – before rushing in for a six yard touchdown on the following play. 
• Rashod Owens brought in a 36-yard pass from Bowman to set up Ollie Gordon II’s third touchdown of the game to give OSU a 41-30 lead. 
• Cam Smith sealed the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter, the first of his career. 
• Smith’s interception marked the Cowboys’ third game with multiple interceptions this season and its first since Kansas on Oct. 14. 
• Alex Hale nailed all three of his field goal attempts on Saturday, elevating to the third-most field goals (24) and third-most field goal attempts (30) by a Cowboy in a single season. 
• Nickolas Martin finished with 12 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and a quarterback hurry. It was his fifth game this season with double-digit tackles and the 3.0 TFL’s was a career high. 
• Oklahoma State’s game captains against the Cougars were Braden Cassity, Nick Martin, Joe Michalski and Kody Walterscheid 

The Oklahoma State Win… 

• Gave it at least eight wins for the 13th time in Mike Gundy's tenure as head coach. 
• Improved Mike Gundy's record in road games to 56-41. 
• Improved Mike Gundy's record in Big 12 games to 101-63, moving him closer to matching Bill Snyder's 104 wins for the second most in the history of the conference. 
• Tied its series history against the Cougars, improving to 10-10-1 overall 
• Notched its first conference win over Houston since 1956. Both programs competed as members of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1951-57. 
• Made it 29-11 in past 40 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season. 
• Improved Mike Gundy’s record in November games to 40-31

Notable Streaks and Trends 

• OSU has forced 16 turnovers in the past seven games. 
• OSU's offensive line has allowed three total sacks in its past eight games. 
• Over the past 48 games, OSU has held opponents to 221-for-726 (30.4%) on third down. 
• OSU has held its opponents to just 3-for-22 on fourth down attempts this season - the No. 2 percentage in the nation. 
• Ollie Gordon II has rushed for more than 100 yards in seven of the last eight games. 
• Dating back to 2008, OSU is 80-8 when winning the turnover battle.