The final week of non-conference action is here, and teams have one last chance to rack up some wins and correct their mistakes. For Oklahoma State, they needed a confidence booster after barely escaping Arkansas last weekend in double overtime.
Before the Cowboys kick off conference play against Utah next week, they have an in-state game against Tulsa. This rivalry, known as the Turnpike Classic, dates back to 1914. Get used to seeing this game because these two will be playing for the next eight straight years.
It’s been over 25 years since Tulsa beat Oklahoma State, as the Cowboys have won nine straight games against the Golden Hurricane. After today, you can make it ten straight as Oklahoma State put a beatdown on Tulsa.
Here are my three takeaways from Saturday’s game.
Alan Bowman Was Phenomenal
After a rough performance against Arkansas, Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman bounced back in a way nobody saw coming. Bowman came out slinging the ball all over the yard and could not stop throwing touchdown passes. In fact, in the first half alone, Alan Bowman went 18/22 for 274 yards and four touchdowns. It was the most first-half touchdowns in his career since his freshman season in 2018.
However, Bowman’s day was not done after halftime. He threw for over 100 yards in the third quarter and added another touchdown pass to bring his total to five on the day. Mike Gundy ended up deciding to pull him from the game in the fourth quarter due to the score, which was the right thing to do. I know there were plenty of questions about Alan Bowman last weekend, but he certainly answered a few against Tulsa.
The Defense Showed Up
Coming into the season, the one thing that I was worried about for this team was the defense. While they did return a bunch of starters on this side of the ball, they didn’t necessarily play well at times last season. They did have some lapses in the first two games, but I really thought they did an outstanding job against Tulsa. The Cowboys kept Tulsa out of the endzone for almost the entire game and didn’t give up a single point until late in the fourth quarter. Obviously, they will face their toughest test to date next week against Utah’s offense, but they look ready after today.
Oklahoma State is Ready
I know that people were concerned about Oklahoma State coming into the weekend and that was certainly fair after the Arkansas game. This game against Tulsa was a true trap game considering the fact that the Cowboys will have to face Utah and Kansas State after their Saturday’s game.
To their credit, Oklahoma State absolutely dominated today. At no point in this game was the score ever close as the Cowboys took control and never looked back. As you can see, they did not just offensively but defensively as well, which was impressive. I know that their toughest tests are ahead of them, but I honestly believe that this team will be ready, and they will show the rest of the country that they are a serious Big 12 title contender.
