OSU Season Outlook After Rough Loss To Arizona

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are in one of the worst situations possible. They’ve started the season 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play with little indication that their season will improve.

The Cowboys are coming off a 28-point loss to Arizona, in a showcase where little went right for the Cowboys. The OSU offense only accumulated 158 total yards and didn’t score a touchdown. What looked like a turning point against Baylor now looks like it went back to square one.

The Cowboy defense managed to have three takeaways against the Wildcats, but still allowed 479 yards of offense. Almost all of it came through the air as Arizona had 433 passing yards throughout the game and five total receiving touchdowns.

The Cowboys can’t change what has already happened, so they must look ahead and see what can be changed to give them a shot at moving in a positive direction.

What To Adjust

The Cowboys need Hauss Hejny back, and fast. Quarterback Zane Flores has had an uphill battle trying to help the Cowboys produce on the offensive side of the ball, and now he might be hurt as well.

Flores left the Arizona game after a sack in the third quarter, with what seemed to be a right shoulder injury. No comment was made about the severity of the injury, but it could be another issue the Cowboys have to face in the near future.

Hejny is expected to make his return Oct. 18 against Cincinnati, and hopefully, his return will give the offense a spark it needs.

OSU also has to find a way to combat opponents' passing games. The Pokes are currently ranked 134th in opponent passing yards per game, as opponents average 341 passing yards per game against them.

The defense has shown signs of life, as they had two interceptions against Arizona, but as a whole, they have to find a way to limit teams' ability to move the ball in the air against them.

The Goal

Oklahoma State’s number one goal right now is simple: win. The Cowboys have a 13-game FBS losing streak and have not won a Big 12 game since 2023.

According to ESPN, the Cowboys have the best chance to win next week against Houston. This is still a daunting task as the projected chance of winning is only 19.8% for the Cowboys.

Snapping the losing streak would show life in an OSU team that desperately needs change. It would also show hope that the Cowboys aren’t just waiting for a new coach next season, but that they care about the here and now.

All odds are stacked against them, but OSU has pulled out crazier feats before.