10 Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s 17-14 Loss to UCF

BOX SCORE

Whenever the next Oklahoma State coach is hired, he needs to perform a full-blown exorcism of sorts to rid the program of the curse that is obviously lingering.

Oklahoma State fell to UCF 17-14 on Saturday after the Cowboys failed to score in the second half. OSU is 1-10 on the year and 0-8 in Big 12 play. Here are 10 thoughts on the game.

1. It Really Felt Like Today Might be the Day

I’ve had no expectation of OSU winning another football game this season since the Cowboys lost to Tulsa. But for a few moments during this one, that feeling (was it hope?) returned.

There were obviously still two quarters to play when the Cowboys went into the half up 14-0, but it just felt like this team that has been through so much deserved to find a way to win. Well, Orlando might be filled with magic, but it isn’t Hollywood. Just because it’s a good story doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

Of course it unraveled in the most excruciating way possible. UCF led this football game for a whole 57 seconds that just so happened to be the most important 57 seconds of the game.

So close, but yet so far. And alas, the Cowboys are 1-10.

2. Just Needed One of These Late Plays

To make it all the more painful, there were about four crossroad-type moments at the end of this game. Had one gone the Cowboys’ way, things might’ve been different.

For starters, UCF converted two fourth downs on its game-tying drive, including the 2-yard game-tying touchdown pass. A stop on either one of those downs, who knows?

Then after UCF tied the game, the Cowboys punted. Wes Pahl’s punt hit a Knight in the helmet, but in their hurry to get on the loose ball, the pigskin squirted out of bounds, meaning the Knights dodged a major bullet. Had OSU recovered, the Cowboys were in field-goal range with about 6.5 minutes to play.

But if those gut punches didn’t do it for you, maybe the fact that Jaden Nixon, a former Cowboy, fumbled in OSU territory on UCF’s go-ahead drive. But a UCF lineman fell on it.

Not only are the Cowboys not a good football team, but it seems like squinky is still working overtime.

3. The Offense Just Isn’t Good

After 11 games of data, that’s an obvious thing to type, but that’s really what it comes down to.

Although the Cowboys didn’t have the back-breaking turnovers that plagued them last weekend, OSU did go three-and-out on six of its 12 drives throughout the game. That constant deficit in the field-position battle is bound to show itself on the scoreboard at some point. That point just so happened to be the fourth quarter in Saturday’s game.

OSU had 228 yards of total offense, and Rodney Fields Jr. was responsible for 99 of those yards. OSU had 27 yards of total offense in the second half — 27.

The passing game was again anemic, with Zane Flores completing less that 50% of his attempts for the third time this season.

I don’t think the offensive struggles are any one person’s fault — especially at this point in the year where the Cowboys are on their second quarterback, mostly a second offensive line and a second play caller. But it doesn’t make watching that offense any less frustrating when 15 points would’ve been enough for an OSU win last week and 18 points would’ve been enough for one this week.

4. Clint Bowen Deserves a Ton of Credit

With that being said, after getting a well-deserved open week after taking over as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator midstream, Clint Bowen has allowed an average of 15.5 points and 340 yards of offense.

Offenses of OSU’s past could score 16 points over the span of about two minutes, but even that type of defensive effort isn’t enough for this particular offense.

Bowen’s Cowboys forced a pair of turnovers, as well. A Cam Smith interception set OSU’s offense up near midfield, but said offense gained no yards over the next three plays before punting.

Then LaDainian Fields nabbed his second INT of the season just before the half.

Bowen deserves a job somewhere with what he’s done with this defense that has suffered portal losses and injuries.

5. Dang Wheel Routes

It feels like wheel routes always work against OSU.

UCF tight end Dylan Wade took a wheel route 83 yards to the house coming out of halftime, which looked like a touchdown the Cowboys have given up five times this season.

I get why defending a wheel route would be tough — you want to defend the flats but after running up toward the line of scrimmage, they throw it over your head. But, man, they’ve been killing the Cowboys this year.

6. Parker Robertson Is Becoming a Folk Hero

After a career day last week, former walk-on safety Parker Robertson was again a Cowboy standout in this one.

He finished with a game-high eight tackles, three of which came behind the line of scrimmage. He also broke up a pass and forced a fumble.

His play of the game came in the second quarter when the savvy veteran anticipated a snap count and flew full speed into Nixon in the backfield. Nixon fumbled but of course fell on it.

parker robertson 😳 pic.twitter.com/3aUxsMx002

— Gif Tannen 🤠 (@gif_tannen) November 22, 2025

There aren’t a ton of reasons to celebrate this season, but the story of Parker Robertson is one of them.

7. Wendell Gregory Was Due for a Sack

Entering Saturday, Wendell Gregory ranked 24th nationally with 11 tackles for loss, but all three of his sacks came in the season opener.

Well, he got back on the board against UCF with a QB takedown in the third quarter. A few plays before that, Gregory got passed his blocker and forced a throwaway, as well.

Gregory is up to four sacks this season, which leads the Cowboys, but he’s better than that four-sack number. He came into the day ranking eighth in the Big 12 in pressures, per PFF, with 27. And he’s only a freshman.

8. Malik Charles Is a Warrior

In a season that doesn’t really matter all that much, Malik Charles is pushing through a torn labrum, according to the ESPN+ broadcast.

Charles was carted off the field last weekend in Stillwater, and a week later he was recording a sack in Orlando. He finished with three tackles and that sack.

Charles went off hurt again late in this game as, with a torn labrum, he laid out for a tackle. You could already tell he wasn’t feeling too hot when he hit the ground, but the ball carrier fumbled and Charles still made the effort to reach after the ball.

His effort deserves a hat tip.

9. OSU Almost Had a Permanent Helmet

The Cowboys debuted a new slick helmet for this game, and had they broken a 16-game Big 12 losing streak in it, I’m not sure they’d have been able to ever wear anything else.

OSU’s black-white-black look wasn’t a bad one. The helmet is cool, but an issue with two-color helmets (black and white) is that the jerseys include three colors (white, black and orange). So, there’s something to be worked out there, but it was a solid brain bucket nonetheless.

It also provided me a thought so I didn’t have to write any more about the actual game.

10. One More Left

One more left in a few different ways.

One more left until this dreadful OSU football season is over. And one more left until the future of OSU football becomes that much more clear.

Cowboy fans, you’re about a week away from knowing who your next head coach will be, but first we’ll watch this group give it one more shot next weekend against Iowa State.