Oklahoma State snaps 21-game FBS skid by stunning No. 6 Oregon

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

371 days ago, Oklahoma State was nothing more than a punching bag to Oregon. Perhaps the Cowboys’ 69-3 shellacking in Eugene was the nadir of their 21-game losing streak to FBS opponents, a reign of terror which extended from Week 4 of 2024 through Week 1 of 2026.

Oklahoma State was coming off a stunning defeat at Tulsa in head coach Eric Morris’ debut, but that early hiccup didn’t faze the Cowboys when the No. 6 team in the country strolled into Stillwater. Last time Oklahoma State ousted an FBS opponent at Boone Pickens Stadium, it won 39-31 over Arkansas in Week 2 of the 2024 season.

And once again in Boone Pickens, in Week 2, the same exact score of 39-31 resurfaced. Except this time, the Cowboys didn’t just snap their FBS streak against any ordinary opponent. They stunned a presumed National Championship contender in Oregon which had won 27 of 30 games since 2024.

Immediately when 39-31 was solidified in the scoreboard, a sea of orange traveled from the stands to the field, and the goal post was a casualty of the celebration. It was a far cry from the scene at Boone Pickens Stadium last October, when one shirtless fan in Section 231 stood alone, patiently waiting for a winning product to return to Stillwater. Now, all the fans celebrated a long-awaited victory together — Oklahoma State’s highest-ranked victory since its 2021 Fiesta Bowl comeback against No. 5 Notre Dame.

“I’m happy for our fans,” Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris said. “That was a long time coming. We’ll find some new field goal posts. We have a great ag(ricultural) department here. They can probably weld those.”

The fans in Stillwater were rewarded for their patience. Lightning in the area delayed kickoff approximately 90 minutes. But once the adverse weather subsided, Oklahoma State wasted no time in setting the tone. On its first play from scrimmage, quarterback Drew Mestemaker showcased his mobility with a 75-yard run down the sideline. The nation’s reigning passing yards leader relied on his legs more than usual, contributing a career-high 109 rushing yards in the victory.

But Mestemaker’s run only led to a 3-0 lead, as execution inside the 10-yard line proved to be a recurring issue for the Cowboys in the opening quarter. On their second drive, the Cowboys once again prodded inside the 10-yard line, and the result was far worse than a mere field goal. Mestemaker’s throw to the end zone was batted at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Devon Jackson, who returned a 96-yard pick-six. In the second quarter, Mestemaker had another deflected ball intercepted by the Ducks, which led to a 1-play, 1-yard Oregon touchdown drive.

But these mistakes didn’t shake Oklahoma State’s confidence. The Cowboys simply just kept moving the ball. Mestemaker provided Oklahoma State a 24-14 advantage in the late second quarter on a 52-yard delivery to his former North Texas teammate Wyatt Young. Mestemaker finished the game with 317 passing yards and two touchdowns.

“Drew, he’s a dog,” Morris said. “I have no other way to say it. He made some throws today that were just eye-opening. There’s a throw on a flea-flicker that he threw to Wyatt Young across the field that not many people in this world could make. Then we thought with their gameplan going into it, we thought we could run the quarterback a little bit.”

Simultaneously, Oregon’s offense struggled to string together long drives, finishing 14-of-29 in the passing game and logging just 90 rushing yards on 30 attempts. But the Ducks briefly escaped that funk in the second half, proving the Cowboys didn’t build enough cushion. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Oregon finally erased its double-digit deficit to secure its first lead of the game at 31-30.

Still, Oklahoma State showed resilience. Mestemaker captained a 12-play, 75-yard drive early in the final frame, finishing with the ultimate exclamation mark. On 3rd and 8 from the Oregon 10-yard line, the redshirt sophomore called his own number, hurdling a defender and absorbing a massive hit at the goal line. Through it all, he secured the football and brought home what would be the game-winning touchdown.

“I moved up underneath that and kind of slid out of the pocket,” Mestemaker said. “Everyone was standing in the end zone, so I was like, ‘All right, I’m just gonna fit as much as I can here.’ That same guy I jumped over earlier in the game hit me low, and I got close, and I was like, ‘I’m gonna just go for it.’ I saw him going low right when I jumped, and it was perfect. I felt like I was in the air for a year, and then I hit the ground so hard. But it’s all good because I was in the end zone.”

Oklahoma State reached the red zone shortly after, thanks to Oregon attempting a 4th and 8 from its own 33 with over six minutes remaining. The Cowboys, which could have gambled on 4th and 1 in the red zone, instead extended their lead to 39-31 on Sam Keltner’s fourth field goal of the afternoon. But that fourth down decision proved irrelevant, as Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. fumbled a pitch on the Ducks’ attempt at a game-tying drive. That turnover sparked a celebration in Stillwater years in the making.

The 39-31 score was not indicative of how the game unfolded. Oklahoma State dominated on both sides, out-gaining the No. 6 Ducks, 554-281. The near equalizers were the two deflected interceptions and the Cowboys’ propensity to settle for short field goals. And most impressively, the Cowboys offense dominated one week after losing starting offensive tackle Jacob Sexton for the season, while pitted against an Oregon defensive line comprised with three 2025 All-Big Ten selections.

“Without the two tipped passes that ended up being interceptions in the first half, we might have won the game by 25-plus points,” Morris said. “Physically, we played so much faster and more aggressive. The guys went out there and competed their tails off. For them to have that moment, for me as a coach, that’s what’s rewarding for me.”

Nevertheless, the upset transpired, and Oklahoma State captured its first FBS win in 728 days — and the first win of the Eric Morris era — in style.

“I think it exceeded every expectation I had, honestly,” Mestemaker said on the postgame scene. “That’s the best moment of my life, honestly, and to have the fans behind us, it was unreal the whole game.”

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos