By Jackson Posey | Sports Editor
Oklahoma State interim head coach Doug Meacham has plenty of experience with the “dead cat bounce.”
Struggling teams often get a boost after firing their coach, as Meacham experienced as TCU’s offensive coordinator in 2021, when interim coach Jerry Kill replaced Gary Patterson and immediately led the Horned Frogs to an upset win over Baylor.
Baylor knocked off Oklahoma State 45-27 Saturday, but Meacham’s offense kept the Bears uncomfortable. The teams combined for 1,060 yards of total offense as redshirt senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson shone, passing for 393 yards and scoring five touchdowns.
“We had to handle what we had to handle, and we did,” said junior tight end Matthew Klopfenstein, who caught a jump-pass touchdown in the second quarter. “It’s a confidence builder.”
The Cowboys stumbled out of the gate, bobbling the opening kickoff and allowing a touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Kole Wilson on a busted coverage up the right sideline. Then they roared to life.
Sam Jackson, a former TCU and California quarterback-turned-receiver, threw a double-pass touchdown to tight end Josh Ford, matching the Cowboys’ season passing touchdown total (one). Jackson threw several passes in the game, finishing 3-of-4 for 46 yards and a score.
The Cowboys forced a Baylor punt to retake possession with the game tied at seven. After losing its past three FBS games by a combined 125 points and firing the winningest coach in program history, Oklahoma State had a prime shot at a lead.
“This [game] was a little bit different, just with all the gadget plays and trick plays,” head coach Dave Aranda said. “I think in that first drive alone, there was two double passes, or whatever there was. And so, had an idea that that was coming, and we rep it … and of course it’s not gonna look that way, and so we’re gonna have to get better at those things.
The Cowboys never led in the first half, but a pendulum of scores kept the Bears sweating.
Oklahoma State and Baylor entered the weekend as the Big 12’s lowest-ranked defenses and secured that spot Saturday, as both teams missed tackles and dropped multiple potential interceptions. The second quarter alone saw 34 combined points, even as Baylor kicker Connor Hawkins shanked a 53-yard field goal and Cowboys quarterback Zane Flores’ 30-yard touchdown run was called back for holding.
“When all the kitchen sink is being thrown at you, to be able to keep playing and kind of take all of the [input] from coaches and teammates, and then kind of settle down and then play your best ball — still yet to come — I think that says a lot,” Aranda said.
Less than a minute into the third quarter, Robertson hit senior wide receiver Kobe Prentice on a go ball for a 73-yard touchdown to take a 35-20 lead.
Lightning nearly struck twice after a highlight-reel completion to freshman running back Caden Knighten, but the defense stripped him for the Bears’ fifth lost fumble of the season. Knighten, an Oklahoma native, turned his six touches into a team-high 120 yards.
Oklahoma State scored again on a goal-line run to cut the lead to 35-27. It took just three frames for the Cowboys’ offense to cross the 400-yard mark, the 11th team to do so against the Bears in their past 12 FBS games. (Entering Saturday’s game, OSU averaged 324.3 offensive yards per game.)
“It’s a very difficult place to play,” Aranda said of Boone Pickens Stadium. “When the crowd has energy, it’s a loud spot. Even with the circumstances of today and all of it, it was loud, you know, partly our doing. We assisted in all that.”
Baylor’s defense found its footing in the second half, blanking the Cowboys after the 5:22 mark in the third quarter. A string of flags on Oklahoma State — the team totaled eight penalties for 100 yards — put Robertson in position for his first rushing touchdown of the season, closing the gates at 45-27. The Cowboys scored more points against Baylor than their past three opponents combined.
The Bears will return to Waco next week to host Kansas State (2-3, 1-1 Big 12) at 11 a.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
