Oklahoma State upset by Tulsa at home for first time since 1951

For the first time since 1951, Tulsa took down Oklahoma State in Stillwater. The Golden Hurricane used a strong first-half performance Friday night to pull off the upset and get the victory at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Tulsa jumped out to an early 10-3 lead and extended to 16-3 by halftime after two field goals. The Golden Hurricane got another one in the third quarter to go up 19-3 and put Mike Gundy’s group on the ropes.

The Cowboys didn’t back down, though. Zane Flores found the end zone – Oklahoma State’s first touchdown since Week 1 – to make things interesting, although the two-point conversion failed. That meant it was a 19-9 Tulsa lead.

From there, neither team was able to get much going, though Oklahoma State made it a one-score game with 5:49 to go when Logan Ward drilled the 49-yard field goal. However, Tulsa tried to drain the clock from there, but was unable to get the final first down before Oklahoma State could get the ball back.

The Cowboys got it at the 11-yard line with 3:13 to play after the punt and got a big play out of the gate as they looked to avoid the upset. But facing a fourth down with 2:20 left, Flores’ pass fell incomplete, meaning Tulsa was able to take over – though the Hurricane got the clock down to 26 seconds when Seth Morgan’s field goal missed.

As a result, Oklahoma State took over at its own 32-yard line. A lengthy review upheld the call of a catch at the 43, and Rodney Field got it to the Tulsa 45-yard line with 11 seconds to go. The first Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete, but it left three seconds. Oklahoma State couldn’t get to the goal line, though, meaning Tulsa got the 19-12 win.

How it happened: Tulsa upsets Oklahoma State

Friday’s game is looming as a big one for Gundy as rumors swirl around his future amid a 1-1 start to the year – with the one loss coming in 69-3 fashion against Oregon. His buyout currently sits at $15 million if Oklahoma State was to move on from its all-time winningest coach.

Tulsa’s offense looked strong through two quarters, totaling 266 yards by halftime. Baylor Hayes looked strong at quarterback, completing 16 of 25 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. The Tulsa defense also went to work, recording four tackles for loss and sacking Flores once.

On the other side, the Cowboys totaled 117 yards of offense in the first half, including just 45 passing from Zane Flores. He got the start once again as Hauss Hejny works his way back from an injury suffered in the season opener against UT Martin.

Things started in the second half, though. Oklahoma State put up 286 yards of offense in the second half while Tulsa managed 158 out of the break. But it wasn’t enough for the Cowboys, who now fall to 1-2 on the season out of the bye week and with Big 12 play about to begin.

Hayes finished his night with 219 yards and a touchdown on 23 of 36 passing, and Dominic Richardson led the running game with 146 rushing yards. On the Oklahoma State side, Flores went 25 of 40 for 214 yards in the air while adding 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Rodney Fields led the Cowboys’ running game with 113 rushing yards.