Oklahoma State Shut Out in Loss to No. 14 Texas Tech
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Oklahoma State suffered yet another rough loss in Big 12 play.
OSU lost 42-0 to No. 14 Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon in Lubbock to extend its losing streak to seven games. The shutout loss marked OSU’s first time being shut out since the 2024 season finale at Colorado, which OSU lost 52-0.
While OSU’s start to the game was far from ideal, it still wasn’t out of the game in the second quarter. Trailing by 21, the Cowboys got a big-time fourth-down stop, with Wendell Gregory breaking through the line of scrimmage for an emphatic stop in the backfield.
With a bit of momentum and some solid field position, it looked like the Cowboys might be able to crawl back into the game. Instead, Sesi Vailahi had the ball stripped by Texas Tech defensive star Jacob Rodriguez, who took the fumble all the way back for a 69-yard score to make it 28-0 and effectively end any hopes OSU had at keeping the matchup tight.
The Red Raiders continued to pile onto the score and had the upper hand throughout, regardless of who was on the field for them. Although OSU had some solid plays, it never made up any ground on the scoreboard.
The Cowboys’ hopes of an upset in Lubbock were incredibly slim to begin with, but those hopes were only decimated further on the first play of the game, with the Red Raiders returning the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. That awful start to the game got worse in a hurry for the Cowboys.
After OSU went three and out on its first offensive possession, Wes Pahl’s punt was blocked, setting up the Red Raiders in great field position. On Texas Tech’s first offensive play, Will Hammond found J’Koby Williams for a 26-yard touchdown, putting the Red Raiders up two scores just over two minutes into the contest.
While the raw numbers for the Red Raiders didn’t end up being quite as ridiculous as most anticipated coming into this game, there was never any doubt about the result, with Texas Tech dominating from the opening kickoff, literally.
With this blowout loss in Lubbock, the Cowboys are officially eliminated from bowl eligibility and have clinched a losing season for the second straight year. While OSU’s coaching search is in its early stages, finding the right guy will be critical for the Cowboys to get out of this situation.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.