Oklahoma State Can't Overcome Offensive Woes, Falls to Utah in Top 15 Battle
Oklahoma State could not overcome its offensive struggles in the Big 12 opener.
No. 14 OSU lost 22-19 to No. 12 Utah at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater on Saturday. In a battle of Big 12 favorites, OSU could not hang with the Utes in the conference opener.
After trailing by 19 in the fourth quarter, a couple of touchdown catches by Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens cut OSU’s deficit to 3, with successful two-point conversions on each. After Utah recovered an onside kick, it ran out the clock to seal its impressive road win.
After a massive day in the nonconference finale, OSU’s offense never found a rhythm against Utah. The Utes dominated time of possession and total yards, outgaining OSU 456-285.
While OSU running back Ollie Gordon had another rough outing, going for only 42 yards, Utah’s Micah Bernard had a big day for the Utes. Bernard finished with 25 carries for 182 yards.
Following a low-scoring first half, the top 15 squads failed to find a rhythm to begin the third quarter. After trading punts to begin the half, Utah’s Cole Becker missed a field goal that would have extended Utah’s lead to 10.
With Garret Rangel taking over for Alan Bowman, the Cowboys looked to give their offense a spark. However, after the offense stalled on his second drive, OSU punted at midfield on fourth and short. Bernard’s 62-yard run on the first play of Utah’s drive set up Cole Becker’s field goal to extend the Utes’ lead to 13-3.
After Isaac Wilson overcame a big collision and converted a fourth and 4 with a scramble, Brant Kuithe rushed into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown. That gave Utah a 10-3 lead in the second quarter as it looked to gain control before halftime.
Despite the defense making plays early, OSU’s offense struggled to capitalize on its opportunities. With multiple three-and-outs in the first half and scoring only three points before halftime, the Cowboys looked like a shell of their nonconference selves.
Still, the Cowboys' defense did everything it could to keep the game within reach, as Bryan Nardo’s unit forced three turnovers, including two interceptions from Trey Rucker.
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IVAN WHITE
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.