Oklahoma State's new era started with a thud in Tulsa, where the Golden Hurricane rolled to a 24-10 win and made sure the rivalry stayed exactly where it's been.
Eric Morris took his first snap as Oklahoma State's head coach on Saturday and left H. A. Chapman Stadium with a loss. Drew Mestemaker, the transfer quarterback Morris brought over from North Texas after leading the FBS in passing yards a year ago, made his Cowboys debut in front of a hostile Tulsa crowd and finished 28-of-48 for 239 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. It was a rocky first outing for the two centerpieces Morris built his program around, and it started early: Oklahoma State lost starting left tackle Jacob Sexton to injury on the opening drive, and the protection issues never fully went away.
+Baylor Hayes efficient at 17-of-24 for 227 yards, a TD
+Alston ran for 2 touchdowns, a real complementary run game
+Defense held Oklahoma State to 3 points through three quarters
−Coming off a 4-8 season under a 2nd-year coach
−Lost its top rusher, top TE and top 2 WRs from last year
−Hayes still threw an interception, ball security a question
Tulsa had its own new-look pieces on display. Second-year coach Tre Lamb handed the offense to new coordinator Kevin Barbay, and quarterback Baylor Hayes rewarded the move by going 17-of-24 for 227 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Oran Singleton Jr. for a 20-yard score that pushed the lead to 17-3. Damari Alston did the rest on the ground, punching in 2 rushing touchdowns, including a 29-yard back-breaker. Oklahoma State came in as the clear favorite on paper, but Tulsa's staff clearly had a plan for what a first-game Cowboys offense would look like.
The game was still touch-and-go into the third quarter, with Tulsa clinging to a 10-3 halftime edge before the Golden Hurricane offense found its footing. Singleton's touchdown catch made it 17-3, and even after Mestemaker found the end zone for his first score as a Cowboy to cut the deficit to 17-10, Oklahoma State couldn't find another answer. Alston's second touchdown run put it away in the fourth quarter.
The fourth-down numbers tell the real story of Oklahoma State's day: 2-of-6 on the money downs, including a stop with just over 8 minutes left that ended the last real threat of a comeback. Combine that with the line trouble that started with Sexton's injury on the first series, and Morris' debut turned into a lesson in how thin the margins are early in a coaching transition.
Neither team walks away from this one with much to feel great about long term. Tulsa is still trying to escape a 4-8 season and a wave of turnover at receiver and running back, and Oklahoma State just watched its highly-touted quarterback throw 2 interceptions in his first start. But for one Saturday in Tulsa, the Golden Hurricane made sure the Cowboys' new era started 0-1.
