Oklahoma State squandered a 14-point lead to lose to UCF by three, 17-14, as the Knights kicked a field goal with one minute left in the fourth quarter.
With the loss, the Cowboys dropped to 1-10 on the season.
After a 34-yard field goal to take their first lead of the game, the Knights tipped and intercepted a pass from Zane Flores, returning to the 10-yard line, the 25-yard line after an unsportsmanlike penalty, where they took two kneel downs to end the game.
Quarterback Zane Flores finished the game going 13-of-28 for 124 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also had five carries for one yard and one touchdown.
Running back Rodney Fields Jr. led the way in rushing with 19 carries for 87 yards. He also had two catches for 12 yards. Gavin Freeman led the way in receiving for the Pokes with five catches for 40 yards and one touchdown.
After 14 points in the first half from the offense, it was a defensive second half. To that point, the Cowboys had just five yards of total offense in the third quarter. The Cowboys also had four three-and-outs in four drives to start the second half, with Freeman picking up the Pokes first first down of the second half at the nine-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
While the Pokes gave up 129 yards in the third, 83 yards came on one play, a touchdown, when Raymond Gay fell down.
As an offense, the Cowboys failed to come out of the locker room after the break as they combined for just 27 yards of total offense, 19 through the air and just eight on the ground. They were 0-of-5 on third down attempts and had just two first downs.
“Offensively, we had 200 yards in the first half, and then, I could be mistaken, but I think we had 28 yards in the second half,” said Doug Meacham. “28 yards will wear your defense down and get them to a point where they can no longer fight because they’re wore out. That looks to me what happened because I thought they played a great game other than that one deep ball first play of the third quarter.”
On the other side of the ball, the Knights combined for 265 yards of total offense in the second half, giving them 396 total yards.
The sad part is the first half was one of the best from the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. Cam Smith recorded his first interception of the season towards the end of the first quarter. LaDainian Fields recorded his second interception of the season with one at the end of the first half.
As for the offense, they went into the break leading 14-0, the first one a five-yard pass from Flores to Gavin Freeman on the opening drive of the game. They had 201 yards of total offense, while holding the Knights to 131.
The Cowboys wrap up their season next Friday as they play host to Iowa State for senior day.
