Superlatives: Game MVPs, Top Play and More from OSU’s Win against Houston

Oklahoma State needed a 26-0 run to come back and beat Houston 43-30 on Saturday in H-Town. 

Here are superlatives from OSU’s last road game of the season, including top players and plays.

Offensive Player of the First Half: Brennan Presley

Presley had a great game in the first half.

Presley was one catch shy of OSU’s single-game record for most receptions in a game. He finished with 15 receptions for 189 yards. Nine of those catches and 103 yards came in the first half alone.

Alex Loyd had 16 receptions against Kansas in 1949. I bet that wasn’t one of the names you were expecting.

Offensive Player of the Second Half: Ollie Gordon

It’s hard to pick a player of the game when two guys from the same team will probably be sharing the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week Award for this week.

After rushing for only 25 yards last week in a loss to UCF, Ollie Gordon was back to looking like Ollie Gordon, at least in the second half. Gordon rushed for 164 yards on 25 carries, averaging 6.6 an attempt, and three touchdowns. All three touchdowns and 126 of those yards came in the second half.

Defensive Player of the Game: Trey Rucker

Obviously one play doesn’t win a game, but Rucker’s interception in the second quarter may have completely turned the Cowboys away from another disastrous week.

After stuffing Gordon in the end zone for a safety, Houston had all the momentum before Rucker intercepted Donovan Smith’s pass to give OSU the ball on Houston’s 22. The turnover preceded a 26-point run for the Cowboys.

Rucker also had 10 total tackles, behind only Nickolas Martin.

Nickolas Martin, The Tackling Machine

Nickolas Martin surpassed 100 tackles on the season during the game and also leads the Big 12 in the stat, so no surprise here that he, of course, recorded a lot of tackles against Houston.

Martin led OSU with 12 total tackles, 11 of which were solo. He also had three tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry. If not for Rucker’s game-changing interception and impressive performance, Martin would have gotten the honor above.

Play of the Game: Gordon’s Lead-Changing Touchdown

Gordon’s first touchdown of the day gave OSU its first lead of the game in the third quarter. The 6-yard run didn’t look all that impressive, but it may also be because Gordon makes everything look so easy when the ball is in his hands. He just powered through a host of Houston defenders and was turned around backward by the time he was in the end zone. Most running backs in that situation probably would have gained only four yards and been short of the goal line.

Ollie in the end zone for the lead! 🤠#GoPokes | @Ollie_Gordon2

📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/va0QstXuB2

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) November 18, 2023