Five Takeaways From Oklahoma State's Loss to Texas Tech

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State entered Saturday night with a national ranking, renewed Big 12 championship aspirations and one of the most explosive offenses in college football. By the final whistle, the Cowboys had received a harsh reminder of how quickly things can unravel against a quality opponent.

Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma State 52-27 at Boone Pickens Stadium, handing the Cowboys their fourth loss of the season and third in Big 12 play. Despite outgaining the Red Raiders 465-442, Oklahoma State struggled to sustain drives, protect quarterback Drew Mestemaker and prevent explosive plays.

Here are five takeaways from a disappointing night in Stillwater.

For an offense averaging nearly 44 points per game entering Saturday, Oklahoma State looked surprisingly ordinary for much of the night. The Cowboys were held scoreless in the first quarter, managing just three punts and an interception on their first four possessions.

A 20-point second quarter briefly brought Oklahoma State back into the game, cutting a 21-0 deficit to 21-17 before entering halftime down 28-20. But that momentum disappeared after the break.

The starting offense failed to score another point, with Oklahoma State's only second-half touchdown coming in the final minute when backup quarterback Broderick Vehrs helped engineer a scoring drive capped by William Mason's 10-yard touchdown run.

Mestemaker finished 27-of-42 for 277 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, ending his school-record streak of eight consecutive 300-yard passing performances. The quarterback also received attention to his right arm throughout the first half.

"Super tough kid. He'll be all right. He's battling through it," coach Eric Morris told ESPN at halftime.

The running game couldn't consistently provide relief, either. Caleb Hawkins finished with 91 yards on 18 carries, with nearly half that production coming on one 42-yard run. Oklahoma State's 27 points marked its lowest scoring output since Week 1. The late touchdown offered a small positive, but the Cowboys' starting offense was unable to sustain its second-quarter resurgence.

Oklahoma State's offensive line entered Saturday having allowed only eight sacks through nine games. Against Texas Tech, the unit surrendered three sacks, seven tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. It was arguably the line's most difficult performance since the season opener.

Anthony Holmes recorded two sacks in the first half, including an eight-yard loss on third down that forced Oklahoma State to settle for a field goal. The pressure continued after halftime, with LaDamion Guyton and Trey White adding sacks.

Mestemaker frequently had to move outside the pocket or release the football quickly, disrupting the timing that had made Oklahoma State's passing attack so effective. The Cowboys also struggled to generate consistent rushing lanes for Hawkins.

Texas Tech's defensive front was a major reason Oklahoma State could accumulate yardage without consistently finishing drives.

Few statistics better illustrated Oklahoma State's offensive struggles than its performance on critical downs. The Cowboys converted just three of their first 16 third-down opportunities, with the final total reflecting a similarly difficult night.

The fourth-down struggles were even more costly. Oklahoma State converted only one fourth-down attempt, repeatedly coming up short when it needed to extend possessions.

The biggest sequence came on the opening drive of the second half. Trailing 28-20, the Cowboys faced fourth-and-one near midfield. Morris elected to keep the offense on the field, but Ayo Adeyi was stopped behind the line of scrimmage.  On Texas Tech's very next play, Tommy Castellanos connected with Malcolm Simmons for a 45-yard touchdown.

Instead of potentially cutting into an eight-point deficit, Oklahoma State suddenly trailed 35-20. Another failed fourth-down scramble by Mestemaker ended a promising possession in Texas Tech territory.

The Cowboys moved the football throughout the night, but too many drives ended without points. Against a team capable of scoring as quickly as Texas Tech, those missed opportunities proved devastating.

Oklahoma State had experienced defensive struggles against Iowa State earlier this season, but Texas Tech presented an even more punishing challenge.

The Red Raiders repeatedly turned individual plays into touchdowns. Malcolm Simmons returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score, immediately putting Oklahoma State in a hole. Texas Tech's first offensive possession lasted only two plays, ending with J'Koby Williams' 34-yard touchdown run.

Then came Castellanos' 80-yard touchdown pass to Micah Hudson late in the second quarter, immediately after Oklahoma State had pulled within four points. The Red Raiders added touchdown passes of 45 yards to Simmons and 30 yards to Kenny Johnson after halftime.

Castellanos finished with 263 passing yards and four touchdowns, averaging more than 20 yards per completion. Oklahoma State's defense produced several stops and pressured Castellanos at times, but the inability to prevent explosive gains repeatedly erased that work.

The Cowboys also allowed Castellanos to escape pressure and extend drives with his legs, including conversions in difficult situations. Texas Tech finished with 52 points despite recording fewer total yards than Oklahoma State.

That combination exposed a major weakness: the Cowboys could make defensive stops, but they couldn't consistently prevent the game-changing plays.

Perhaps the most disappointing part of Saturday's loss was the timing. Oklahoma State had just returned to the College Football Playoff Top 25 after a remarkable turnaround under Morris.

At 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play entering the game, the Cowboys still had an opportunity to make noise in the conference championship race. Now, with three Big 12 losses, that path has become considerably more difficult.

But the larger perspective shouldn't disappear because of one ugly performance. This is still a program that went 1-11 last season.

Morris has already guided Oklahoma State to bowl eligibility and transformed an offense that averaged just 14.2 points per game in 2025 into one of the nation's most productive units.

The Cowboys have two regular-season games remaining, beginning with a road trip to Arizona State. An 8-4 finish remains possible. Considering where Oklahoma State stood just one year ago, that would represent a significant step forward.

Saturday exposed weaknesses that Morris and his staff must address, particularly along the offensive line and in preventing explosive plays. But it doesn't erase the progress Oklahoma State has made.

The Cowboys may have lost their momentum in the Big 12 championship race, but they still have an opportunity to finish one of college football's more impressive turnaround seasons on a positive note.