Oklahoma State football defeated Colorado 57-24 at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday night, fueled by a dominant second-half performance. The victory moves the Cowboys back into contention for the Big 12 Championship game following conference losses by Texas Tech and BYU.
The Cowboys entered the matchup following a three-point loss at Houston one week prior. Despite a competitive first half that saw the teams tied 24-23, Oklahoma State outscored Colorado 34-0 in the second half. The defensive shift at halftime allowed the Cowboys to hold Colorado to zero points in the final two quarters.
Defensive tackle Jerry Lawson initiated the second-half surge by stripping the ball from Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson on the first play from scrimmage. The play was recovered by Quinton Hammonds at the 13-yard line, leading to an Oklahoma State touchdown two plays later. Colorado turned the ball over three times after halftime.
With the results from other conference games, Oklahoma State is now in a four-way tie for second place in the Big 12 standings. Utah remains the only unbeaten team in conference play. While Houston holds a tiebreaker over Oklahoma State, the Cowboys have moved ahead of them in the standings.
Coach Eric Morris stated that the program is focused on growing and fixing issues rather than looking too far ahead. However, players like quarterback Drew Mestemaker noted that the team still controls its own destiny regarding the Big 12 Championship and the playoffs.
Oklahoma State has lost two games this season by a combined 17 points. In the games immediately following those losses, the Cowboys have won by a combined 41 points. The team's next scheduled game is against Iowa State.
Linebacker Ethan Wesloski noted that the team has eliminated much of its margin for error late in the year. The Cowboys must continue to execute to maintain their position in the race for the conference title game in Arlington.
