Superlatives: Game MVPs, Top Plays and More from Oklahoma State’s Loss at TCU

The Cowboys went to Fort Worth needing a win in the worst way. Then they proceeded to turn it over twice in the first quarter (both leading directly to TCU touchdowns) and were down 24-zip at the half. There were a couple of wrinkles in the second half, but the overall narrative didn’t change.

OSU is not going to a bowl game, and OSU is not going to finish above .500. Both of those facts end an 18-year streak.

With the big picture being so gloomy, let’s narrow our focus and forget the forest for the trees. Here are some of the significant performances and plays from the Pokes’ latest loss.

Offensive MVP: Brennan Presley

Couldn’t be anyone else, even if he didn’t even lead his team in receiving yards.

The do-it-all playmaker made history in a couple of categories on the way to his 10 catches for 75 yards. He passed Rashaun Woods for the most receptions in OSU history and joined the likes of Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas and Terry Miller as the only Cowboys to reach 5,000 all-purpose yards in a career. He may have had a few more games, but the numbers speak for themselves. It’s really a shame that his last year will be void of meaningful football games.

Honorable Mentions: De’Zhaun Stribling, Ollie Gordon

Defensive MVP: Iman Oates

I have a hard time doling out kudos on this side of the ball after the Cowboys, once again, gave up over seven yards per play. But someone’s got to get it, and Oates made a big play and had a career game. Oates logged a career-high four tackles (all solo), two tackles for loss and his first career sack, good for a loss of eight and the only sack on TCU quarterback Josh Hoover.

Honorable Mentions: Kendal Daniels, Namdi Obiazor (TCU)

X-Factor: JP Richardson

In his first game against his former team, the versatile receiver tore the Cowboys up. He finished with 100 receiving yards, catching seven of eight targets. He had big play after big play, including a 34-yard catch to set up TCU at the OSU 6, leading directly to the score that put the Frogs up 24-zip at the end of the first half. And he also had two big catches called back due to penalties on TCU’s center.

Stat of the Game: 3:14

The Cowboys lost the turnover battle 3-0 and with the first two giveaways, they gift-wrap seven points each. Any promise shown early on the offensive side was turned inside out, and the Cowboys found themselves in a deep hole very early.

Play of the Game: Presley’s Record-Breaking Catches

He had two of them.

With 3:02 left in the third, Presley hauled in a pass from Alan Bowman to gain five on first-and-1o. Those five yards put him over the 5,000-yard career mark. Then, with12:52 left in the fourth, Presley reeled in an 18-yard reception at the sideline to surpass Rashaun Woods as the most passes caught of all OSU pass-catchers. He would grab three more on the night.