Instant Recap: Oklahoma State Drops Big 12 Opener to Utah, 22-19

STILLWATER — In a game headlined by a pair of seven-year quarterbacks facing off, their backups emerged as the storylines of the day.

Oklahoma State lost to Utah 22-19 on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in the Utes’ first-ever true Big 12 game. But in a game of little action, the biggest storylines came on both team’s first drives of the first and second half.

After a week of speculation if Utah quarterback Cam Rising would play with a hand injury, it was freshman Isaac Wilson who trotted out there for the Utes. Rising also missed last week’s game after running into Gatorade coolers Week 2 against Baylor and exiting in the second quarter of that game. Deemed a game time decision, Rising went through pregame warmups with a glove on his right hand, even going with the first offense a few plays, but ultimately, Utah decided he wasn’t healthy enough to go.

In Rising’s place, Wilson, brother of Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, threw for 207 yards and a TD while completing 59% of his passes and throwing a pair of interceptions in his second career start. He also rushed for 41 yards. But, for the most part, it was anticipated that Wilson could play instead of Rising. But no one expected Garrett Rangel to replace Alan Bowman on Saturday.

The Cowboys went into the locker room down 10-3 after a half in which the offense couldn’t get anything going. The leader of the offense, Bowman, a seventh-year QB, had completed only 36% of his passes for 89 yards plus an INT. He had completed only two of his final 12 pass attempts in the first half. Then when OSU took the field to start the second half, Rangel, a redshirt sophomore, was at quarterback.

Rangel didn’t provide the spark OSU coach Mike Gundy was probably hoping for, though. The offense still stuttered as Rangel completed only 27% of his 11 pass attempts. Rangel’s time behind center lasted four drives before Bowman was sent back out. OSU, though, promptly went three-and-out while Bowman threw a pair of incomplete passes. The first play of the next drive, Bowman threw an interception trying to hit De’Zhaun Stribling deep. As Bowman stood in the end zone with his hands over his helmet in disbelief, the mass exodus of fans at BPS started with 6:31 left in the game.

Only one play later, Utah turned the interception into six points after Wilson connected with Brant Kuithe for a 45-yard touchdown, making the count 22-3. Although that seemed to be the dagger for OSU, Bowman went back out and led the Cowboys to the end zone, sending Bullet out of the tunnel for the first time all day. Bowman found Brennan Presley for a 28-yard score before OSU also converted a two-point conversion when the two connected again.

The Cowboys found pay dirt again their next drive when Rashod Owens caught a nine-yard pass from Bowman. Then it was Bowman and Presley again converting a two-point conversion to narrow the margin to three with 1:47 left.

Ultimately, OSU’s offense finished with 285 yards of total offense, 127 of which came the final two drives, in the ugliest performance from the Cowboys since a loss to South Alabama early last season. Next, after losing to the Big 12 preseason favorite, the Pokes will travel to Kansas State, which was voted second in the preseason poll.