Oklahoma State stunned No. 6 Oregon 39-31 on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, handing the Ducks their first loss of the season and delivering one of the biggest surprises of the young college football year.
The Cowboys entered the game as heavy underdogs after a 24-10 loss at Tulsa the week before. They also carried a 21-game losing streak against FBS opponents into the matchup. None of that showed on the field.
Oklahoma State piled up 554 total yards while holding Oregon to 281. The Cowboys controlled the clock for nearly 37 minutes and produced 25 first downs to Oregon’s 12.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning did not hide his frustration after the game.
“The score was closer than it really was, because it really wasn’t close. We got our a— kicked,” Lanning said after the game.
Two defensive plays kept the Ducks within striking distance. In the first quarter, linebacker Devon Jackson intercepted a tipped pass from Drew Mestemaker and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown. That gave Oregon a 7-3 lead.
Later in the second quarter, Matayo Uiagalelei picked off another Mestemaker pass and returned it to the Oklahoma State one-yard line. Running back Jordon Davison punched it in on the next play. Those two scores accounted for 14 of Oregon’s points.
Lanning pointed to problems on both sides of the ball.
“We didn’t have a lot of rhythm on offense; defensively, we gave up way too many explosives, some poor eye discipline, not winning at the point of attack. Our guys are much more capable of that, so all that starts with me. I didn’t prepare our guys well enough,” Lanning said.
Quarterback Dante Moore finished 14 of 29 for 191 yards and two touchdowns. He started slowly and the Ducks never found a consistent running game, finishing with just 90 rushing yards.
Mestemaker was the difference for Oklahoma State. He completed 26 of 43 passes for 317 yards and two scores while adding 109 rushing yards and a 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that put the Cowboys ahead for good. Running back Caleb Hawkins added 110 yards on the ground.
Oregon took a brief 31-30 lead early in the fourth on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Evan Stewart. Oklahoma State answered immediately and later kicked a field goal after Oregon turned the ball over on downs.
This was the second straight uneven performance for the Ducks. They needed a late comeback the week before to beat Boise State at home.
Oregon now has two weeks to get ready for its Big Ten opener against USC. Ten regular-season games remain, and Lanning said the team’s goals are still in front of it.
Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris called the win special after his team had been written off. The Cowboys improved to 1-1 and ended a long losing streak in memorable fashion.
Oregon dropped to 1-1 and faces questions about its early-season form heading into conference play.
