Brennan Presley, Ollie Gordon Lead Oklahoma State to Comeback Win Against Houston
Oklahoma State stormed back behind performances from a couple of stars to stay alive in the Big 12 title race.
OSU beat Houston 43-30 after trailing by as much as 14. Ollie Gordon’s touchdown with just more than two minutes left put the game out of reach, and a Cam Smith interception sealed it on the ensuing possession.
Brennan Presley was Alan Bowman’s favorite target against the Cougars. Presley already had nine catches for 103 yards at halftime on his way to 15 receptions and 189 yards.
With many of his passes going Presley’s way, Bowman finished with 348 yards and two touchdowns. While the passing game was big, Gordon also got back on track against Houston.
After OSU got the ball back midway through the third quarter, leading by three, Gordon went for 62 yards on the first play of the drive. Gordon was pushed out at the 1, and after a false start, he punched in a 6-yard score to extend OSU’s lead to 10.
Gordon powered through the line to get his first touchdown on the previous drive, giving OSU its first lead. Gordon finished with 25 carries for 164 yards and three touchdowns.
As he has many times this season, Nickolas Martin led OSU’s defense in Houston. Martin’s 12-tackle performance helped OSU hold Houston’s offense to one score in the final 40 minutes.
Near the end of the second quarter, Houston punted and set OSU’s offense up at its 3-yard line. Gordon was stuffed in the end zone for a safety on first down, but OSU’s defense responded.
Trey Rucker intercepted Donovan Smith on the ensuing drive and returned the ball to the Houston 22. Two plays later, Bowman found Leon Johnson III in the end zone for a touchdown to get within seven points.
Another OSU stop led to an Alex Hale field goal to pull within four at halftime.
Late in the first quarter, OSU caught a break as Gordon was stopped after a small gain on third-and-19, but an unsportsmanlike conduct against Houston gifted OSU a much-needed first down. From there, OSU marched downfield, and Jaden Bray’s catch in the end zone gave OSU its first touchdown in two weeks, but Hale’s extra point was blocked to leave the deficit at 14-9.
While OSU faced adversity early this week, as it did against UCF, it responded much better. OSU finishes its regular season in Stillwater against BYU in a game that could clinch OSU's spot in the Big 12 Championship.
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