Cowboys reach bowl eligibility after thrashing Wildcats in road win
Oklahoma State safety Quinton Hammonds (7) celebrates with cornerback LaDainian Fields (9) after making an interception against Kansas State Saturday November 7, 2026 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Oklahoma State wanted to prove week nine’s loss at Iowa State was a fluke, and made a huge statement on the road in a hostile environment.
The Cowboys looked incredible on offense against the Wildcats, and scored their most points since 2015 in the 66-28 win at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Coach Eric Morris’ squad also reached bowl eligibility with the victory.
Oklahoma State (6-3) basically dominated Kansas State from start to finish too. Morris thought his team set the tone with their intensity on both sides of the ball, and played complimentary football. After all, the offense executed at a high level, the defense flew to the ball, and created turnovers, and special teams were solid.
Morris knew the team had a good week of practice, and everyone felt like they had something to prove. It only added more fuel to the fire that the Wildcats had outscored the Cowboys 90-20 over their previous two visits to Manhattan.
The crowd of 50,000-plus fans didn’t know what was about to hit them, and they were quickly silenced after Oklahoma State’s fast start. Defensively the Cowboys were able to take out their frustration with great tackles. Defensive Coordinator Skyler Cassity had to plug up certain positions due to of injuries, and his unit dictated the flow of the game. Morris was amazed by the intensity of the defense throughout the afternoon, and the unit got redemption after it allowed 52 points by the Cyclones.
“Hats off to our staff, and I think they did a phenomenal job putting together a great game plan coming into it,” Morris said. “We didn’t go back to the drawing board, but they spent a ton of time figuring out how we can put our guys in the best positions, and thought that they did a phenomenal job with those guys.”
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker picked apart the Wildcats’ secondary, and was never under heavy pressure. Which is why he was able to light up Kansas State’s defense like a Christmas tree, and delivered a Heisman-worthy performance. Mestemaker completed 22 of his 28 passes for 313 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for a score, caught a five-yard touchdown and the offensive line didn’t allow a sack.
However, running back Caleb Hawkins stole the show with a stellar outing. He carried the ball 20 times for 175 yards, and three touchdowns. Not to mention Hawkins hauled in six passes for 71 yards and a score. It became obvious to Morris that the Wildcats couldn’t contain Mestemaker and Hawkins, plus the Cowboys’ played lights out on defense, and within a blink of an eye the score was 49-14 at halftime.
“I thought the turnovers, and us playing complementary football, and really being able to capitalize on some of those and get it by halftime was huge,” he said. “Obviously Caleb Hawkins and Drew Mestemaker had a nice day today, and were able to do some stuff offensively, but super proud of the defense.”
Coach Collin Klein couldn’t wave the white flag for his team, but there weren’t many fans in purple and white that stuck around for the second half. The Wildcats were able to trim down the lead with two touchdowns over the final 30 minutes, but still lost 38 points.
Once the smoke cleared, Oklahoma State led Kansas State in total offense, passing yards, rushing yards, yards per play, plays, first downs, third down conversions, time of possession and won the turnover battle. However, Morris wants to clean up on some of the mistakes, like Mestemaker’s interception, the lost fumble on offense, and letting his foot off the gas on defense.
Regardless of the matter, it’s hard to find fault in 565 yards of total offense, and just three penalties on the road in Big 12 play. Everyone stepped up for the Cowboys, and showed their value to the team.
Widout Miles Coleman caught six balls for a game-high, 95 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Justin Bowick also had a touchdown reception. Tight end Morgan McPhaul also got in on the action with a touchdown catch.
Oklahoma State’s defense allowed 327 yards, which included 4.5 per play. Linebacker Isaiah Chisom tallied a game-high, 11 tackles. Mo Horn, Ethan Wesloski, Evan Jackson and Taurean Davis posted five stops apiece. Cornerback LaDainian Fields was a ballhawk, and picked off two passes, to go along with three tackles. Safety Quinton Hammonds also generated an interception.
With the Cowboys back on track to win nine games for the first time since 2023, Morris believes his team has plenty of motivation to finish strong down the stretch. Oklahoma State hosts a top-15 Texas Tech team, which happens to be the reigning Big 12 Champs, and Morris intends on having his boys ready.
So it’s going to be important for the Cowboys to enjoy the blowout road victory over the Wildcats, but they’ll have to quickly put it in the rearview mirror with a pivotal Big 12 battle looming in Stillwater.
