HOUSTON (AP) — Alan Bowman threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns, Ollie Gordon II rushed for 164 yards and three second-half touchdowns and No. 24 Oklahoma State kept its hopes of reaching the Big 12 Championship game alive with a 43-30 win over Houston Saturday.
Bowman completed 29 of 43 passes and threw touchdown passes of 23 and 21 yards. Brennan Presley caught a career-high 15 passes for 189 yards. His reception total was the second most in a game for an Oklahoma State player — Alex Lloyd caught 16 back in 1949.
Oklahoma State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) entered the day in a four-way tie for second place in the conference, one game behind Texas. The Cowboys bounced back from a stunning loss to UCF by outgaining the Cougars 501 yards to 393.
Donovan Smith was 17 of 29 for 235 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. He threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Jonah Wilson, caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Joseph Manjack IV and rushed for a 31-yard touchdown for the Cougars (4-7, 2-6). He also threw two interceptions, contributing to Houston's fourth loss in its last five games.
Houston led 23-9 following a safety with four minutes remaining in the second quarter before everything changed. The Cowboys scored 27 unanswered points, highlighted by two 6-yard touchdown runs by Gordon and capped by an Alex Hale 44-yard field goal with 9:45 left in the fourth quarter.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys started slow but took advantage of Houston’s mistakes, including an interception and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that continued an Oklahoma State drive. The mistakes resulted in 13 points for the Cowboys.
Houston: The Cougars are guaranteed their first losing season since going 3-5 in 2020 and won’t go to a bowl game for the first time since 2019. It will be Houston’s third losing season in coach Dana Holgorsen’s five years.
TURNING POINT
On the drive following the safety, Smith threw a pass directly to Trey Rucker, who returned the interception 29 yards to the Houston 22. Oklahoma State scored the final 10 points of the first half to cut Houston's lead to 23-19, and the first 17 points of the second half to take control.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Oklahoma State could rise a few spots following the win.
REMEMBERING 3 FORMER COUGARS
Houston wore a helmet decal with the initials of former Cougars D.J. Hayden, Zachary McMillian and Ralph Oragwu, who were killed in a car accident early on the morning of Nov. 11. A red ribbon was painted at midfield underneath the UH logo with the initials DH, ZM and RO also painted in it.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State: Hosts BYU on Saturday in the regular season finale.
Houston: Travels to UCF on Saturday.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
