Drew Mestemaker found the end zone three times in Oklahoma State’s win over Oregon. Photo courtesy Oklahoma State University Athletics.

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Drew Mestemaker looked completely flat in Tulsa last week. The entire Oklahoma State offense, for that matter, disappointed fans heavily just last Saturday. So how can those poor Pokes go and upset the preseason No. 2 team? The answer: Mestemaker and the anticipated offense flipped the script.

Words don’t sufficiently put together how flat Eric Morris’ Cowboys looked in Week 1. But the first game never defines a season. All that mattered for Morris was getting his team ready for the vaunted Oregon Ducks, who had just escaped Boise State the week prior. Oklahoma State had one thing in mind: getting ready for the 11 a.m. local time kickoff. Except the game wouldn’t actually start for another hour and a half due to a weather delay.

The delay seemed to hurt the Ducks rather than the Cowboys, and that makes sense. That hour and a half of missed game time was crucial to Oregon, especially with preparation and extensive travel for a morning kickoff. Instead, they got an energized Oklahoma State team and crowd at kickoff. It didn’t help that Mestemaker took it 75 yards on the draw on the first play. Aside from that near-house call, both quarterbacks started sluggish. Dante Moore was heavily affected by the Cowboys’ pass rush. The only reason Oregon was still in the game by halftime was two interceptions from Mestemaker, one being returned 96 yards to the end zone. Mestemaker tossed a beauty to receiver Wyatt Young before the end of the half.

The Cowboys opened the third by tacking on a field goal, and Moore responded with his best drive of the game, capping it off with a 36-yard touchdown throw to Dakorien Moore. Oklahoma State put another three on the board to take a 30-34 lead into the fourth quarter. Moore gave Oregon its first lead since the first quarter with a 36-yard score to Evan Stewart. The Cowboys strung together a 12-play drive that culminated with Mestemaker hurdling and flipping into the end zone. The Pokes defense stood up for the rest of the game, not allowing another score and forcing a fumble as kicker Sam Keltner added another field goal. Mestemaker faked the Ducks’ defense for a game-clinching first down. The clock hit triple zeros, and fans rushed the field for an early signature win in the Eric Morris era.

The Oklahoma State victory is so unprecedented. Never has a program with 12 straight losses and 21 straight Power Four losses upset a top-10 team. There was a feeling the Cowboys could compete in Stillwater with the Ducks in the preseason, but to outright win in these circumstances makes it one of the greatest upsets of all time. Running back Caleb Hawkins is turning into a superstar and a Doak Walker contender. The mood of this entire program and its trajectory have flipped in the matter of three hours of football. Eric Morris has brought life back into Stillwater. It could be magic, but magic is half of the college football formula.

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