Cowboys Drop Season Finale 24-21 to Texas A&M
HOUSTON, Tx – Oklahoma State started the game hot as they took a quick 14-0 lead, but Texas A&M came roaring back as they scored three touchdowns and a field goal while holding the Pokes scoreless until a minute left in the fourth quarter.
With 1:04 left in the game, Dru Brown found Braydon Johnson from five-yards out to bring the game to within three, 24-21. Matt McClure went out to attempt the onside kick that Oklahoma State almost recovered, but A&M back Isaiah Spiller came up with the kick to seal the game.
With the loss, Oklahoma State drops to 8-5 on the season as the year comes to a close.
“We had a good game,” said head coach Mike Gundy. “Wish we'd have made a couple more plays in the fourth quarter. They started to wear us down a little bit up front on both sides of the ball in the latter part of the game, and we didn't play very well on special teams. But I can't say enough about our team, our senior leadership, guys like Dru (Brown). And I mentioned it to the team in the locker room, the middle part of the year, when we started struggling a little bit, we got unbelievable leadership from our seniors and Dru and the other guys on the team, rallied back, won some games, competed. Played a good football team in the Bowl, right? They're a good team. I said this early, and I'll say it again. They lost to No. 1, No. 1, No. 1, No. 4, and No. 12. So, they're definitely a top-20 team in my opinion. Our guys competed. Had a heck of a football game, had a great environment.”
The story of the game for Oklahoma State was running back Chuba Hubbard as he hit two huge milestones. With a 16-yard first down in the second quarter, Hubbard joined Barry Sanders as the second player in Oklahoma State history with 2,000 yards in a single season. He also posted his 12th-straight game with 100-plus yards.
Hubbard finished the game with 19 carries for 158 yards, with an average of 8.3 yards a carry. With the 158 yards, Hubbard finished the season with 2,094 yards.
“Yeah, Chuba (Hubbard) was awesome," said coach Gundy. "Had 160 or whatever, had 15, 20 yards, I don't know, 170, 175-yard night against a defense that's fared fairly well over the majority of the season, particularly against the run, and he's been good. Chu got tired during the season a little bit and had some time to rest, got fresh. We're unbelievably excited about him next year. I think there's a really good chance he's on our football team next year. I don't think any of us could say 100 percent. We'll be in a position to protect him a little bit next year. He won't have to carry the ball 30 times a game. Will be around 20 times a game if that all works out for us, because we've got some maturity behind him.”
Quarterback Dru Brown got the start for the Pokes, and played a majority of the game. Brown had a good day throwing the ball as he went 15-of-28 for 184 yards and two touchdowns. While he finished the game with -9 rushing yards, he also posted the Cowboys only rushing touchdown on the day.
“Well, Dru's (Brown) been awesome all year, and certainly since he's taken over from Spencer (Sanders), when Spencer went down,” said coach Gundy. “Dru's been prepared all year -- preparation, film study, attitude, he's been excellent, and he had great Bowl practice. Spencer could have played. He could do some things, but he wasn't the most prepared to play in this game. Dru was. Dru did all his homework, did all his work, got all his practices, and as I said, Dru played good. We didn't do a good job of protecting him and we got worn down a little bit, but Dru played a good football game.”
Receiver Braydon Johnson led the way for the Pokes as he set his career-high in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns as he finished with five receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
“Well, he's a guy that we might not have known much about if 2 doesn't go down," said coach Gundy, "He stepped up, made a lot of plays. He's another reason I'm unbelievably excited about next year. He's just starting to figure it out now. He's getting what we call confidence. With his speed and his ability and work ethic, if he continues to develop confidence, he'll be a really good football player.”
After winning the opening toss, Oklahoma State got off to a great start defensively as freshman Trace Ford forced a fumble that was recovered by Israel Antwine on the Texas A&M 25-yard line. Unfortunately, Texas A&M also got off to a great defensive start as they forced a 53-yard field goal on a 4th and 21 that was missed by Matt Ammendola.
After that stalled drive, Oklahoma State turned it around. After forcing an A&M punt that was downed on OSU’s three-yard line, Dru Brown proceeded to lead the Cowboys on the longest scoring drive in Texas Bowl history that was capped by a 42-yard touchdown catch by Braydon Johnson.
The Pokes forced another A&M punt that was capped by a nine-yard touchdown run by Dru Brown.
The Aggies were on a hot drive just a few minutes into the second quarter when running back Isaiah Spiller fumbled in the red zone and the ball was recovered by linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. That was Oklahoma State’s second fumble recovery of the first half.
The Pokes really struggle on special teams in the first half as Matt Ammendola missed two field goals, one from 53-yards and one from 46-yards, and Tom Hutton shanked a punt from the back of his own end zone that went just 17-yards. That punt led to A&M’s lone first half score.
Towards the end of the second quarter, both defenses started to step up. A&M tied the game up four and a half minutes in the third quarter, and that was the last time either team scored until the 10:45 mark of the fourth quarter when A&M quarterback Kellen Mond broke a 67-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown.
Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond led the way for the Aggies as he went 13-of-19 for 95 yards and one touchdown, while he carried the ball for 117 yards and one touchdown.
This brings an end to Oklahoma State’s 2019 season as they finish the year 8-5.
