STILLWATER – No. 18 Oklahoma State had a surge in the second half on both sides of the ball to pull away to beat UCF 42-28 in the Pokes’ Big 12 home opener.
With the win, OSU improved to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2022.
The Cowboys combined for 414 total yards, 304 through the air from quarterback Drew Mestemaker and 110 on the ground.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys held the Knights to 375 total yards, 265 through the air and 110 on the ground.
Mestemaker was efficient as he went 19-of-28 for 304 yards and two touchdowns and had two carries for two yards and a touchdown. He was sacked for a loss of nine, but his rushing touchdown was on an 11-yard carry.
Running back Caleb Hawkins had 23 carries for 83 yards. Receivers Justin Bowick and Wyatt Young had great games as Bowick had six catches for 98 yards and one touchdown and Young had five catches for 52 yards and one touchdown.
Linebacker Ethan Wesloski had 17 total tackles, eight of which were solo stops and 0.5 tackles for loss. Fellow linebacker Tate Romney had 14 total tackles, six solo stops, two tackles for loss, including a half sack.
Safety Cam Epps recorded an interception on the Pokes final defensive play of the game and Evan Jackson had a scoop and score.
The play of the game for the Cowboys came early in the fourth quarter. After a 29-yard field goal by Sam Keltner, UCF began their drive on the 25-yard line. After an 11-yard pitch and catch on 3rd and 10, quarterback Keyone Jenkins threw a backwards pass, which was blown up by safety Christian Bodnar and the ball was scooped up by Evan Jackson and returned 28 yards for the score.
After a review upheld the call on the field, Drew Mestemaker got into the end zone on the ground for a two-point conversion to make it 35-21 with 10:32 left in the game.
It was a less-than-ideal start to the game for the Pokes as Caleb Hawkins fumbled the ball on the second play of the game, leading to a touchdown by former OSU tight end Grayson Briusseau. The Cowboys got things dialed in on their next drive as they drove 75 yards in just under four minutes, capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
The Knights responded on their very next drive with a 12-yard pass from Jenkins to Derry to make it 14-7, but that was the last time the Cowboys trailed as Morgan McPhaul got into the end zone early in the second quarter from one-yard out to tie the game at 14 apiece.
The Cowboys and Knights both had punts, but the Cowboys were next on the board as Mestemaker hit Bowick from 18 yards out to put the Pokes up 21-14 with two minutes left in the first half.
The Knights, however, had other plans as they scored with 13 seconds left to tie the game back up at 21.
Keltner the kicker came out strong in the second half as he made two field goals, one from 40 yards and one from 29 yards to make it 27-21, before two-straight scores from the Pokes in the fourth quarter as Jackson scored on the fumble recovery and Mestemaker hit Wyatt Young from five yards out to make it 42-21.
The Knights got back into the end zone late in the game as Jenkins hit Piening from four yards out to make it 42-28.
