Oklahoma State Loses Barn Burner to Texas Tech 56-48

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State battled Texas Tech all game, playing one of its best games of the season, but came up short in the end, losing 56-48 to the Red Raiders.

With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 3-8 on the season and 0-8 in Big 12 play. 

“All right, so we couldn't get off the field on third down again,” head coach Mike Gundy said after the game. “I knew it wasn't good, they were 14-22, but so many opportunities on third down we couldn't get off the field. We weren't very good on third down at 2-9. We did out rush them yards per carry, which is good, five yards a rush, which is what we're looking for. We did not have a good day on special teams. We had a lot of critical errors on special teams. I'm aware of the two bad snaps, which the timing of that wasn't good, but the one that cost us the touchdown, obviously, is not good. But the point being is, throughout the game, we've got to be able to get off the field on third down. But, I was pleased with the way we rushed the ball. I was pleased with the way the young quarterback played. We had a tough day on special teams. That what I told the team was, is that they practiced well enough for two weeks, and they played well enough to win the game. They just had critical errors, which is very uncommon for us here at Oklahoma State, we had critical errors three or four that really cost us the game. So, when you look at it, it gets right down to it, the third downs, and we had three or four critical errors. Couple of special teams, couple of snaps we didn't get lined up correct on the long run on fourth down, critical error. The guys played well enough to win, we just couldn't get off the field on third down, had some critical errors.”

The game turned for the worse for the Pokes late in the fourth quarter. Tahj Brooks got into the end zone from one yard out to put Tech on top 49-42 with 6:12 left in the game. On the third play of the ensuing drive, Joe Michalski sailed the snap over Maealiuaki Smith’s head, which was recovered in the end zone by Tech following a loss of 28 yards. That put Tech up 56-42 with just under five minutes left in the game.

Smith led the Pokes down the field in seven plays and into the end zone on the next drive, completing six passes for 69 yards, capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass to Owens. 

The Cowboys came up with a huge defensive stop on Tech’s ensuing drive, but not before the Red Raiders ran more than two minutes off the clock. Smith led the Pokes out onto the field but threw an interception over the middle to Jacob Rodriguez to end the game.

Freshman Maealiuaki Smith got the start and had a great game as he went 26-of-36 326 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. As for running back Ollie Gordon II, he had his best game of the season as he rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. He also had three receptions for 30 yards on three targets.

De’Zhaun Stribling and Rashod Owens also had great games as Stribling had seven catches for 133 yards  and one touchdown, while Owens had six catches for 124 yards and one touchdown. 

As a team, the Cowboys combined for 508 yards, 155 yards on the ground for an average of 5.0 yards per carry. On the other side of the ball, the defense gave up 543 yards, 139 on the ground, but allowed Tech to convert on 14-of-22 third downs.

The Red Raiders struck first as they scored 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the game before the Pokes answered. For his first touchdown of the day, Gordon II broke off a 68-yard touchdown down the right side of the field, complete with a stiff arm. It marked his longest touchdown run of the season, and his longest rush since the Cincinnati game last season.

Gordon II tied the game up at 14 following a one-yard rush up the middle, but the drive featured a 27-yard pass from Gordon II to De’Zhaun Stribling on a wildcat flea flicker. 

The Red Raiders would take the lead going into halftime following a 25-yard pass from Morton to Brooks on busted coverage from Kendal Daniels, but Gordon II got into the end zone for the third time early into the third quarter to tie the game up at 21.

After a Tech score five minutes into the third quarter, Smith recorded the first touchdown of his career with a 13-yard rush into the east end zone. But it came after he led a masterful drive down the field, hitting Stribling for 35 yards deep down the right side and then Camron Heard over the middle for 11 yards.

Smith would connect with Stribling on the Pokes’ next drive, a 19-yard touchdown over the middle. Stribling was, however, called for an unsportsmanlike penalty after he punted the ball into the student section.

Brooks got back into the end zone from 40 yards out on the ensuing drive, but the Cowboys tied it right back up following a 19-yard touchdown rush by Rodney Fields Jr., his first rushing touchdown of his career.

The Cowboys are back in action next week on the road at Colorado on Friday, Nov. 29.