WATCH: Controversial call wipes out Oklahoma State touchdown catch
A controversial call early in the fourth quarter wiped out a potential touchdown catch for Oklahoma State in Bedlam. After it appeared that receiver Tay Martin had made a spectacular touchdown catch, he began to celebrate.
Only the officials ruled that Martin hadn’t caught it, causing former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant to protest the call on the sidelines.
Oklahoma State fans also didn’t take kindly to the call, immediately voicing their disapproval. Once the announcement came that the ruling on the field would stand, a couple of water bottles flew out of the stands.
In the replay, Martin appeared to control the ball most of the way, though it did fall out after he was already on the ground. Either way, Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders broke free on a 37-yard touchdown run a few plays later to calm the crowd and cut the OU lead to 33-31.
The touchdown would have been the third of the day for Martin, who already had one receiving and one rushing score. He currently leads the Cowboys with six catches for 77 yards.
The the controversial Oklahoma State non-catch wasn’t the only drama of the evening, however. Late in the game, a flag was thrown for unnecessary roughness on the Cowboys. However, the officials later picked it up, causing Sooners coach Lincoln Riley to get heated.
Oklahoma State took control of the game for good after recovering a muffed punt from the Sooners at the 5-yard line. The Cowboys scored three plays later on a touchdown run from Jaylen Warren to go up 37-33, the eventual final score.
The Cowboys defense, which came into the contest ranked third overall in total defense, was unrelenting in the second half. They held the Sooners offense scoreless, forcing five punts, one fumble and two turnovers on downs.
With the loss, someone besides Oklahoma is guaranteed to be crowned Big 12 champions for the first time in six seasons. The Cowboys will meet Baylor in Arlington for the Big 12 championship next Saturday.
A trip to the College Football Playoff is also on the line for Mike Gundy and company. They entered the final week of the regular season at No. 7, but should move up following an Ohio State loss to Michigan. If Oklahoma State ends the year as a one-loss conference champion, it has just as good a shot as anyone.