Instant Recap: Oklahoma State Falls to Baylor to Extend Losing Streak to Five

Oklahoma State will suffer at least 48 days without winning a football game.

The Cowboys lost to Baylor 38-28 on Saturday in Waco. It was OSU’s fifth loss in a row, as the Cowboys, at 3-5, are still winless in Big 12 play and haven’t chalked a victory since Sept. 21 against Tulsa. The five-game losing streak matches the longest of Mike Gundy’s head coaching career, as OSU dropped five consecutive games during Gundy’s first season in charge in 2005 and again in 2014.

OSU’s fifth-straight loss was similar to the previous four as the team struggled defensively and with moving the ball on the ground offensively. The Cowboys gave up 565 total yards to the Bears, who averaged 387.1 a game entering Saturday. On offense, OSU rushed for only 74 yards, including negative-38 because of Alan Bowman sacks, while averaging 2.2 yards a carry. Baylor was giving up 159.7 rushing yards a game.

Baylor struggled just as mightily early, though, as the teams were knotted 17-17 at halftime. Much of the Bears’ problems stemmed from a pair of turnovers inside OSU territory, failing on fourth down on their opening drive and Sawyer Robertson throwing a pick inside the red zone on Baylor’s third possession. After that interception, though, Baylor scored touchdowns on its next two drives.

OSU started the game with a field goal after getting stymied deep in Baylor territory. The Cowboys then punted and fumbled their next two possessions before Brennan Presley turned a busted screen pass into a miraculous 33-yard touchdown to tie the game at 10. Ollie Gordon tied the score up again with a short run with 18 seconds left in the half.

Find. A. Way. 😤😤😤😤 https://t.co/85XVL0XI8d pic.twitter.com/OQklJmDsy4

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 26, 2024

Baylor regained the lead for the third time with a 33-yard TD pass from Robertson to Ashtyn Hawkins. The only other points in the third quarter was a 26-yard field goal from Logan Ward for OSU.

The Pokes didn’t lie down in the fourth quarter, though, even when Baylor jumped to a 31-20 lead midway through the frame. Gordon bullied through Baylor defenders for another short TD. He then threw a pass to Presley, who made another awe-striking play to convert the two-point try and put OSU within three with 4:51 left.

Presley and Gordon did enough to keep the Cowboys respectable but still weren’t enough. Presley was a catch shy of  a career high with 15 receptions for 183 yards.

But then the defense failed OSU again. The Bears were back in the end zone four plays later after a 55-yard TD run from Dawson Pendergrass, who finished with 142 rushing yards. The nail in the coffin was a Bowman interception with 1:30 left.

What if I told you Dawson Pendergrass scored on this play?#SCTop10 | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/opT34vhkXx

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 26, 2024

America’s Greatest Homecoming is up next for OSU when it hosts Arizona State at 6 p.m. Saturday and will try to use a Boone Pickens Stadium crowd to boost it to its first Big 12 win of the season.