Alan Bowman, Defense Shine in Oklahoma State's Dominant Win Over Tulsa

The Cowboys' win against their in-state rivals was never in doubt.

Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman (7) warms up before an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State never wavered in a dominant Turnpike Classic win.

No. 13 OSU beat Tulsa 45-10 on Saturday at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa to cap its nonconference slate. In OSU’s first road game, Mike Gundy’s team dominated from kickoff to improve to 3-0.

The Cowboy defense held the Golden Hurricane to 352 yards, with Cam Smith’s third-quarter interception marking OSU’s lone takeaway. Bryan Nardo’s unit dominated the entire game, nearly leading to OSU’s first shutout since 2021 before a Tulsa field goal in the fourth ended that opportunity.

While OSU's secondary consistently broke up passes, Tulsa could not do the same against Alan Bowman. In the first half, Bowman set the tone against the Golden Hurricane, throwing for 274 yards and four touchdowns. He finished the afternoon with 396 yards, five touchdowns and an interception, as he avoided a sack for the third-straight game to begin the season.

He is inevitable 😤

Alan Bowman's FIFTH touchdown of the day is a 63-yard bomb to De'Zhaun Stribling as @CowboyFB continues to dominate.#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/YCfHsUGYAk

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 14, 2024

Along with Bowman’s impressive play, the Cowboys’ defense was dominant early, keeping Tulsa off the scoreboard throughout the first half.

To cap off the first half, true freshman tight end Josh Ford caught an 18-yard touchdown for his first career score. He was the fourth different player to catch a touchdown from Bowman before halftime.

De’Zhaun Stribling began the second quarter with his first touchdown of the season, as Bowman found him in the end zone to take a 14-0 lead. Stribling was a favorite target of Bowman’s, making seven catches for 174 yards and two scores. Later in the quarter, Talyn Shettron got involved, making a first down followed by a 78-yard touchdown along the right sideline to extend the Cowboys’ lead to 21.

78 YARDS TO THE HOUSE 😤

📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/yoBAXtEgBh

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) September 14, 2024

OSU got the ball first and had little drama as it scored the game’s first points. Brennan Presley caught a 1-yard touchdown pass after he and Gordon helped OSU march downfield.

While Gordon had a productive first drive, it was not indicative of the rest of his afternoon. The All-American struggled again, finishing with 41 yards on 17 carries.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.