Grading Every Oklahoma State Position Group After Week 9 vs. Iowa State
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys had a chance to extend their legitimate stake to a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. It slipped away.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys played what would be described as a Big 12 classic on Saturday against the Iowa State Cyclones, in that neither team particularly had a stake in playing defense. Oklahoma State had a late lead but surrendered it on a game-winning field goal by the Cyclones as time expired, as Iowa State won the game, 51-49.
The Cowboys (5-3, 3-2 in Big 12) will have to wait another week to try and clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023. More importantly, with two conference losses, their realistic chance of clinching a Big 12 Championship game berth is done. Three teams are ahead of them with zero or one conference loss, and they are now tied with a chunk of teams with two league losses.
Here is how each position group grades out after Saturday’s game.
Quarterback: B+
Drew dart 🎯
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 31, 2026
📺: @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/9tagi3msf8
Drew Mestemaker threw an interception late in the game that made the climb to take the lead more difficult. It squandered a potential scoring chance. But otherwise, he was his usual self.
He threw for 323 yards, tossed five touchdown passes and completed 64% of his passes. Before the game, ESPN reported that a poll of 25 NFL scouts and player personnel directors had selected him as the first QB off the board for the 2027 NFL draft. He did nothing to hurt that status, especially after leading what would have been the game-winning drive had the Cowboys been able to hang on to their one-point lead in the final minute.
Running Back: A
75 YARDS. WHAT A RUN.
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 1, 2026
Caleb Hawkins takes it to the house for @CowboyFB pic.twitter.com/0GgFcm8n5I
Throw out the result. Caleb Hawkins was an absolute beast on Saturday. He rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He caught six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. He had 275 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. It was his best game of the season — and he’s already had some good ones.
Hawkins touched the football 31 times. The other running backs in the game touched it once. With a route to the Big 12 Championship game essentially blocked, it’s time to work other backs into the rotation so that Hawkins isn’t gassed going down the stretch.
Wide Receiver: A-
"And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike" 🎶
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) November 1, 2026
📺: @CFBONFOX | @justinbowickjr pic.twitter.com/A7C7fsIgeU
I had a hard time trying to work in where Wyatt Young's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty fell in the grade. The receivers had such a good game overall that it was hard to downgrade the group that much.
Justin Bowick had another sensational game, catching seven passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Young caught seven passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Terrence Lewis and Miles Coleman combined for six catches, which was just enough to keep the defense off balance. That penalty was critical though and came at the worst possible time.
Tight End: B
Without Carson Kolb, who was out with an injury, the Cowboys went to Oscar Hammond as the starting tight end. Hammond played for Morris at North Texas but was slowed this season by his own injury issues. Earlier in the week Morris called him his best pass catching tight end downfield and Hammond did catch a pass for seven yards. But the tight ends primarily blocked in this game and overall did a good job.
Offensive Line: A
I was surprised that the Cowboys went with Shaun Torgeson at left tackle. I felt certain Braydon Nelson would get the start based on last week’s snap splits. They needed both after right tackle Ashton Lepo left the game for a bit with an arm injury. He did return and Torgeson returned to left tackle. But Nelson only played 12 snaps.
The offense racked up 533 total yards. Mestemaker wasn't sacked. The team committed three penalties. Heck, the Cowboys even converted eight of their 12 third-down plays, one of their best percentages of the season. You must give it to the line — they did a consistently good job all night.
Defensive Line: D
The entire defense gave up 581 total yards, so no unit is getting a good grade out of this game. The defensive line didn't set a tone in this contest. Iowa State running back Aiden Flora ran all over the unit, gaining 221 yards. There were times the defensive line looked overmatched and there were other times the defensive line couldn't get any kind of push up front. There were five tackles for loss and Braydon Rigsby shared a sack. But the unit didn’t make much of an impact.
The Cowboys lost defensive end Jaleel Johnson midway through the game. He had his arm in a sling and was in street clothes. That would be a huge blow to a defense coming off its worst game of the season.
Linebacker: D+
Tate Romney led the Cowboys with nine tackles. He also had a tackle for a loss and a forced fumble. Isaiah Chisom had eight tackles, including six solo shots. Ethan Wesloski had six tackles with a half-sack and a half-tackle for loss. But if you're asking me if the unit had a significant impact on the Iowa State offense, the answer is no.
This is a group that usually effects winning on a weekly basis. They tend to make big plays and tend to show up in big moments. And they tend to do it consistently. There wasn't much of that against Iowa State. They put up numbers, but their impact wasn't felt. When you allow 51 points, there is no other conclusion to draw.
Secondary: D+
LaDainian Fields had his fourth interception in his last three games and that brings the grade of this group up just a bit. But the secondary only broke up four passes and Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor threw for more than 300 yards a week after he was benched against Arizona.
ISU wide receiver Jamal Polite caught six passes for 171 yards and a score. That was more than half of his production for the season. A secondary can't allow a wide receiver who has barely made any impact this season have that kind of game.
This was worse than their performance in the Houston game for several reasons. But, again, no defensive unit played well in this game — not even Iowa State’s.
Special Teams: D
Iowa State STEALS a possession with a surprise onside kick@CycloneFB pic.twitter.com/j0SNUhriez
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 1, 2026
Special teams have been steady most of the season but this game hurt. Punt returner Bobby Deal Jr. muffed a punt that turned into a turnover and led to an Iowa State score. The OSU coverage team gave up an onside kick in the first half. That’s where most of the grade is wrapped up. Those are nearly inexcusable errors.
Placekicker Sam Keltner’s streak came to an end, but he was going to miss a kick eventually. But, that missed field goal, among other things, was the difference in the game.
Coaching: C
Head coach Eric Morris’ handling of the offense brings the grade up while defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity’s handling of the defense brings the grade down. You could argue the defense should have drug the grade down further.
We're used to seeing Oklahoma State’s defense get off to a slow start but figure out how to defend and slow down teams in the second half. That didn't happen this time around. Whatever adjustments Cassity tried didn't work. The defense kept making the same mistakes.
The offense did everything it could. It scored on seven of 12 drives and the only significant mistakes that cost them something was Mestemaker’s interception. It led to an ISU field goal.
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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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