Instant Recap: Oklahoma State Loses 56-48 Shootout to Texas Tech

Now that was Big 12 football.

In a new era of the Big 12, maybe not much has really changed. It was a pair of O.G. members reminding us how fun this conference can be while combining for 104 points as Texas Tech outlasted Oklahoma State 56-48 on Saturday in Stillwater. The two offenses also combined for 1,051 total yards.

We were also reminded of how spectacular running back Ollie Gordon is as a football player. After participating in Senior Day festivities before the game, Gordon, a junior, put on his last show at Boone Pickens Stadium before presumably heading to the NFL after the season. And he already looked like a pro in possibly his last home college football game.

Gordon got into the end zone three times while rushing for 156 yards and averaging 10.5 yards on 15 carries. Gordon, who played quarterback at Euless Trinity High School in Texas, also completed a 27-yard pass to set up his second trip to the end zone.

OGII HOUSE CALL ☎️@Ollie_Gordon2 pic.twitter.com/gJfwsfS5hx

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) November 23, 2024

After OSU started the game down 14-0, it was Gordon who started the offensive explosion with a 68-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The Cowboys were forced to punt on their next possession, but the drive after that was when Gordon lined up in the backfield at QB before handing the ball to Trent Howland, who pitched it back to Gordon for a flea flicker. Gordon then scrambled right and connected with a diving Rashod Owens for 27-yard gain while throwing off his back foot and escaping pressure. Three plays later, Gordon was in the end zone after a one-yard run.

A flea flicker from Ollie to Rashod 🤯

Definitely not on our bingo card for today 😅 pic.twitter.com/wbduEwd0Kk

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) November 23, 2024

Tech then answered with a 25-yard TD reception from its star running back, Tajh Brooks, with only five seconds left to take a 21-14 lead into the locker room.

The second half then started with four straight drives between the two teams that concluded in the end zone. It was, of course, Gordon who started things with a two-yard TD run after accounting for 62 of OSU’s 75 yards in the opening possession. Tech then retook the lead with a 32-yard TD pass from Behren Morton to Jalin Conyers.

But on Senior Day, it was a freshman taking control next for the Pokes. Making his first career start, Maealiuaki Smith threw for 46 yards with two completions before keeping it himself and sprinting for a 13-yard score to tie the score 28-28, still only midway through the third quarter.

For your viewing pleasure https://t.co/gdiA7Fl3KV pic.twitter.com/kHhg9Lmoes

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) November 23, 2024

Tech answered again and OSU failed to respond after a missed field-goal attempt, but for the first time in the second half, the Cowboys’ defense stopped the Red Raiders on fourth down. Smith took advantage of what the defense gave him and hit De’Zhaun Stribling in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard TD to ultimately tie the game at 35 with 13:19 left.

Stribling was another junior who was honored pregame before catching seven passes for 133 yards and the TD in what looks to be his final game inside Boone Pickens Stadium.

Thread the needle!@maealiuaki ➡️ @Dezhaunthegreat pic.twitter.com/Hw43aYewVx

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) November 23, 2024

That fourth (but not last) tie of the game lasted less than three minutes before Brooks escaped for a 40-yard TD run. Brooks finished the night with 198 all-purpose yards and four scores. But not to be outdone too much by the veteran running backs, OSU freshman Rodney Fields matched the score again with a 19-yard run. Brooks then scored for the third time via the ground to give Tech another lead.

But after all OSU’s offense did to keep the Cowboys in the game, it was an offensive mistake that let Tech pull away late. A snap sailed over Smith’s head and kept rolling until the Red Raiders fell on for a score to extend the lead, 56-42 with 4:45 left.

The Cowboys still weren’t done swinging, though. Smith threw his second TD pass of the game, this time a 10-yarder to Owens before Tech blocked the PAT to keep the Red Raiders’ lead at eight with 2:35 left.

Ultimately, though, as has been the issue for eight games now, OSU’s defense couldn’t get a stop in time to keep from losing an eighth straight game and drop the Cowboys to 3-8 on the season. With a freshman at quarterback, the Cowboys had only 13 seconds left to try to tie it up, but Smith threw his only interception of the game the first play of the drive.

Still looking for their first (and now only) Big 12 win of 2024, the Cowboys will end their season with a trip to Colorado at 11 a.m. Friday.