Grading Every Oklahoma State Position Group After Week 3 vs. Murray State
In this story:
The Oklahoma State Cowboys blew out the Murray State Racers and pitched a shutout at home for the first time since 2012, winning 55-0.
As one might expect from a game like that the grades were pretty good. You can't just judge it on stats. You must also judge it on how the Cowboys executed. Head coach Eric Morris provided some valuable context after the game about what they were looking for going into the game and how the Cowboys played measured up to it.
Here is how each position group graded out after Saturday’s game.
Quarterback: A
The only reason it isn't an A+ is because of the Drew Mestemaker fumble. But the starter was extremely efficient against Murray State, going 20-of-22 for 324 yards and five touchdowns. Cowboys fans got their first look at Broderick Vehrs, who was perfect — 6-for-6 with 37 yards and a touchdown. It doesn't get much better than that in terms of production, regardless of the opponent.
Running Back: A
Pls enjoy every touchdown from yesterday. There were 8, btw 😁 pic.twitter.com/1bDsCrdWVF
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) September 20, 2026
Morris was able to use nearly his entire stable of running backs and got freshman KD Jones on the field for the first time. He scored his first collegiate touchdown. He also gained 54 yards. There was tremendous balance here. Both Ayo Adeyi and Tre Page III received seven carries and produced, while William Mason had 47 yards on five carries.
Caleb Hawkins was efficient, gaining 72 yards on 11 carries and got a well-deserved second half off.
Wide Receiver: A+
.@DrewMestemaker ➡️ @justinbowickjr ➡️ 6⃣@OGandE pic.twitter.com/R5LMo2mcUl
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) September 20, 2026
Justin Bowick had a career night with nine catches for 178 yards and two scores. Miles Coleman and Terrence Lewis stepped in capably for Chris Barnes, who is out with an injury. Coleman and Lewis scored their first touchdowns with the Cowboys. It was an extremely balanced night for the wide receiver group. Wyatt Young only had one reception, but it was a 13-yard touchdown catch. Only Bowick and Hawkins failed to catch a target. It was an incredibly good night for this position group.
Tight End: A
Carson Kolb caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown and this time he knew where the OSU hockey team was so we could celebrate with them. The Cowboys got Morgan McPhaul on the field for a catch and the blocking by the tight end group was exceptional. It's hard to argue with the result.
Offensive Line: A
The offense gained 662 total yards. Mestemaker was sacked one time. The ground game gained 315 yards. And the Cowboys did it without having to tap into guard Joseph Hanson, who was working back from an injury he suffered against Oregon. The Cowboys overwhelmed the Racers. But the offensive line was fundamentally sound the entire contest as they mixed in several players, including a pair of true freshmen, that should help them down the road down the road.
Defensive Line: A
Malik Charles picked off a tipped pass and nearly returned it for a score. The defensive line did a great job setting the edge all evening. The only debit is that the defensive line didn't register a sack, but the line did such a great job of setting the edge and containing Murray State’s offense that sacks really weren't that necessary.
Linebacker: A
For the first time this season, a linebacker wasn't Oklahoma State’s leading tackler. But Isaiah Chisom had a good night as he finished with four tackles and got as much playing time as starters Ethan Wesloski and Tate Romney, both of which had three tackles. Romney had a tackle for loss. The Cowboys ran several backup through the rotation in the second half which gave them a chance to see a lot of players on the field.
Secondary: A
Cornerback Mo Horn had a great game stopping Murray State’s screen game. All three of his tackles were for loss. He also broke up a pass. Safety Quentin Hammonds broke up two passes and cornerback LaDainian Fields broke up another pass. Murray State’s biggest offensive play was a 38-yard pass to Dimitri Howard in the first half. The Cowboys secondary made everything difficult.
Special Teams: A
Morris has been trying to get the return game going, and the Cowboys finally had an opportunity on the punt side with Miles Coleman, who had five returns for 116 yards, including a 55-yarder that helped set up a score. The Cowboys didn't return a kickoff. But this was a good night for the special teams, especially when you throw in Luke Webb's blocked field goal.
Coaching: A
There was no letdown after the Oregon win and the coaching staff made sure of it. It was clear early the players had their heads on straight and were executing. The defense set the tone from the start. The game plan wanted to contain Murray State’s screen game and it did so. Morris talks all the time about momentum. The game had the feeling of carried momentum from last week’s win over Oregon.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
Follow PostinsPostcard