Malik Charles called Oklahoma State’s 39-31 upset of No. 6 Oregon “very personal” after experiencing last season’s 69-3 loss. Charles said the victory was for current and former Cowboys and admitted he got emotional afterward as “a weight was lifted off” the program.
For many of Oklahoma State's newcomers, Saturday's stunning win over Oregon represented the first signature moment of a new era in Stillwater.
For Malik Charles, it meant something more. Charles was part of the Oklahoma State team that suffered a 69-3 loss to Oregon last season. One year later, the defensive lineman helped the Cowboys flip the script, knocking off No. 6 Oregon 39-31 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
When asked Tuesday whether facing the Ducks again made the game personal, Charles didn't hesitate.
“This one was very personal, especially after you lose by 66 points to somebody,” Charles said. “Plus, you see all the things that are being said about you as a team.”
The victory wasn't simply about getting revenge for Charles. It was about everyone who experienced the struggles that came before it.
‘That Was a Win for Them’
Oklahoma State's roster underwent a massive overhaul during the offseason as Eric Morris took over the program, leaving only a small group of returning Cowboys who experienced last year's struggles firsthand.
Charles was one of them. He remembered what it felt like to walk off the field following the 66-point loss in Eugene. He also remembered the teammates who experienced it alongside him, including players who are no longer at Oklahoma State.
“Us beating them not only meant a lot for me, but all the guys who were on that team last year,” Charles said. “Even those guys who aren't playing here anymore.”
Charles specifically thought about his former teammates along the defensive line.
“All the D-linemen who were in that game last year and didn't win,” Charles said. “That was a win for them and the whole Cowboy fanbase.”
It was a dramatically different performance from Oklahoma State's defense this time around.
The Cowboys held Oregon to 281 total yards and made several critical stops as OSU protected a fourth-quarter lead. Charles contributed to that effort with a sack of Oregon quarterback Dante Moore during a first half in which the Ducks struggled to establish any offensive rhythm.
‘It Felt Like a Weight Was Lifted Off’
The opponent wasn't the only reason Saturday meant so much to Oklahoma State's returners. Winning inside Boone Pickens Stadium did, too.
The Cowboys entered the game on a 11-game overall losing streak and hadn't experienced a home victory in nearly two years.
“We haven't had a win here in a long time,” Charles said. “It just felt like a weight was lifted off.”
When the final seconds disappeared, Oklahoma State fans poured onto the field to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in recent program history. For Charles, the emotions finally came out.
“I got emotional after the game because it meant so much,” Charles said.
Defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity saw what the moment meant to Oklahoma State's returners.
“A lot of the returners are guys who have seen what OSU football is supposed to look like,” Cassity said. “A lot of them have been in championship situations and will continue to be. They were ecstatic. It's been a long two years for them.”
Cassity said those players have helped change the way Oklahoma State works, thinks and approaches the game.
That work didn't produce the result the Cowboys wanted in their season-opening 24-10 loss at Tulsa. But eight days later, it did against the No. 6 team in the country.
For most of Oklahoma State's roster, the victory over Oregon was a breakthrough. For Charles and the Cowboys who remember 69-3, it was also something they had waited an entire year to get. And when it finally happened, Charles couldn't hold back the emotion.
