Grading Every Oklahoma State Position Group After Week 1 vs. Tulsa
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Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris went out of his way to praise Tulsa and to criticize himself and his own team after their 24-7 loss to the Golden Hurricane on Saturday.
It was not the result he and his coaching staff were hoping for. After nine months of building a team, one that has 91 new players, more was expected — by him and by the fan base, one clamoring for wins after watching the Cowboys erode to a 1-11 team last year.
This coming week is going to be all about Oregon and all about Morris, his staff and how his players adjust to their first bout with adversity in 2026. For now, Oklahoma State on SI takes one last look back at Week 1 and grades out each position group. Only one graded out at better than a seat.
Quarterback: D
Drew Mestemaker completed less than 60% of his passes, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. There were some good moments. The touchdown pass to Justin Bowick was precise. But a quarterback can’t be directly responsible for three turnovers and get a good grade. It was an underwhelming debut.
Running Backs: B-
In hindsight, the Cowboys should have run the ball more with Caleb Hawkins, who rushed for 79 yards and put together some good runs. With better play calling and blocking, he could have reached 100 yards. Tre Page III is going to become a nice change-of-pace back. He and Ayo Adeyi didn’t do much with their chances.
Wide Receiver: C+
Wyatt Young should be a starter. He proved that on Saturday. Of the 29 passes caught, 22 were by wide receivers. Young was the only one that was seriously productive. The deep passing game didn’t emerge and that wasn’t the fault of the receivers. Justin Bowick caught the only touchdown, but OSU didn’t utilize his 6-5 frame.
Tight End: D
No tight end caught a pass in the game. It was the most non-existent position group in the contest. Perhaps Carson Kolb and the group will grade better on tape?
Offensive Line: D
Even throwing out the injury to Jacob Sexton, the line wasn’t good on Saturday. As the contest went on Tulsa adjusted to its zone blocking scheme and the Cowboys failed to adjust. The fact that the front five had a hard time protecting Mestemaker against a four-man pass rush, with only a light mix of blitzing, is not a good sign.
Defensive Line: C
This unit played better than expected, though it was worn down by the fourth quarter due to the heat and overuse. The unit did a solid job stopping the run, holding Tulsa to 4.1 yards per carry. The pass rush didn’t get a sack on Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes, who was more comfortable on the pocket than he should have been. That negated what could have been a better afternoon for the front four.
Linebacker: C-
It's not clear why Tate Romney got the start over Isaiah Chisom next to Ethan Wesloski. But both Romney and Wesloski finished with seven tackles, which led all defensive players. That said, neither made a significant impact on the game — no game-changing plays, no turnovers forced and you didn't hear their names called much during the contest.
Secondary: C
The unit grade gets a boost because LaDainian Fields created the only turnover of the game for Oklahoma State’s defense, a well-played interception on a deep ball in the third quarter. Hayes completed 71% of his passes but didn't go down field much. The back line of the defense did a good job of bending, but not breaking, except for Jimmy Calloway’s 47-yard reception in the second quarter.
Special Teams: C
Sam Keltner made his only field goal attempt and only extra point attempt. Lachie Pozzobon averaged 44 yards per punt. OSU only returned four kickoffs and punts combined and had 29 total yards. At least they didn’t hurt the team.
Coaching: D
Morris was quick to criticize his own play calling and it's worth noting that many of his calls on critical third and fourth downs seemed conservative. The Cowboys didn't have an answer on the offensive line after Sexton was hurt and the adjustments made failed to elicit the right result. The staff struggled all afternoon, based on the play on the field. Tulsa seemed a step ahead of everything the Cowboys were trying to do. On the upside, clock management really wasn’t an issue.
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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.
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