Drew Mestemaker ran 10 yards for a touchdown to finish Oklahoma State’s 12-play, 75-yard answer after Oregon took the fourth-quarter lead. The Cowboys stopped the Ducks on fourth down, added a Sam Keltner field goal and secured James Williams’ recovery of a fumbled pitch on Oregon’s final possession. Oklahoma State won 39-31. The Cowboys kept producing the next play they needed after Oregon went ahead.
Murray State visits Saturday, September 19, at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+, with Oklahoma State carrying a 95.7% chance to win. A comfortable evening is a reasonable expectation. There is no consequential outside result to chase this week; the interactive guide and methodology have the season outlook and its explanation.
The contrast with Tulsa is worth keeping in mind when the Cowboys reach scoring territory. In the opener, Oklahoma State lost two fumbles, threw two interceptions and turned the ball over on downs three times. Against Oregon, the Cowboys committed only two penalties and lost no fumbles. But Mestemaker again threw two interceptions, both on tipped passes. Saturday’s welcome development would be aggressive passing that ends with Oklahoma State still holding the ball.
Eric Morris brought familiar players into this offense. The February roster announcement identified 21 who had played for him at North Texas, including Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young. Against Oregon, Mestemaker threw for 317 yards and ran for 109; Hawkins supplied 110 rushing yards, and Young caught five passes for 121 yards, including gains of 33 and 52. Morris has a quarterback, runner and downfield target who already know his offense, giving this rebuilt roster something to build on. Keep watching for Hawkins to make another handoff worthwhile and Young to threaten downfield, while Mestemaker takes the available completion when a bigger play is covered.
The blocking deserves its own attention. Jacob Sexton suffered a season-ending leg injury against Tulsa. Shaun Torgeson started in his place at left tackle against Oregon, and Desmond Magiya also played. The line allowed no sacks and supported 237 rushing yards. Those are encouraging results for the unit, without establishing how consistently either tackle protected individually. Watch the left edge on ordinary passing downs, especially when Mestemaker needs time to find his next receiver.
Skyler Cassity’s defense supplied more than the final recovery. Oklahoma State held Oregon to 281 yards, recorded four sacks and stopped all three fourth-down attempts. Malik Charles, Keviyan Huddleston and Jaleel Johnson each had a sack. Williams explained in the postgame comments that the plan emphasized containment so Dante Moore could not step up and run. Against Murray State, root for rushers to close the pocket without opening an escape route.
The Racers also have a runner worth following. Tyrell Campbell gained 117 yards on 14 carries against Valparaiso after scoring on a 46-yard run against Middle Tennessee. Tackling him before he gets into open space would give Cassity’s defense a concrete accomplishment beyond collecting sacks.
Oklahoma State lost 69-3 at Oregon in 2025, so Saturday’s victory deserves to be enjoyed on its own terms. The larger recovery still requires conference wins. The Cowboys reached the Big 12 championship game in 2023, then went 0-9 in league play in both 2024 and 2025. They visit West Virginia on September 26 to begin this year’s conference schedule.
Against Murray State, enjoy the long gains and watch the possessions between them. Oklahoma State answered Oregon with a dozen plays when it needed a touchdown. An evening of Hawkins extending drives, Mestemaker protecting the ball and the offense finishing possessions would be a satisfying way to follow it.