Kickoff: 9:15 PM CT
Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium (Provo, Utah)
Television: ESPN
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network
Twitter: Follow @HeartlandPokes for live tweets during the game
The Oklahoma State Cowboys have now lost three consecutive games, and at this point, it’s hard to see a win in sight. After dropping 22-19 decision at home to Utah, the Cowboys were embarrassed 42-20 on the road against Kansas State, only to turn around and get blasted 38-14 by West Virginia in front of the home crowd in Stillwater. Now the Cowboys must travel to Provo, Utah, to take on the BYU Cougars.
The Cougars are ranked 13th in the country at 6-0, and they seem to be clicking in a way that Oklahoma State fans could only dream. Statistically speaking, the Cougar offense is on par with the Cowboys, but their defense is another story. BYU is second in the Big 12 in points allowed, giving up 16.3 points per game, while Oklahoma State has allowed 27.2 points per game, averaging 34 points allowed in the three losses.
BYU is an 8.5-point favorite, and it’s hard to see the Cowboys covering that spread, let alone winning the game. The offense has lacked creativity for weeks, the defense has been unable to stop anybody from doing anything, and unless head coach Mike Gundy comes into tonight’s game with a whopper of a game plan, it could be a pretty miserable weekend for Cowboy fans.
How the Cowboys Win
It would be impossible to put into one statement what all the Cowboys will have to do win this game, but here goes: do the reverse of everything that has happened the last three weeks. Seriously, though. Oklahoma State has been ineffective at running the ball, inefficient at throwing the ball, and impossibly bad at stopping opposing offenses from getting whatever they want. If the Cowboys are going to have any chance at a win, they’re going to have to get some creativity on offense, figure out how to get steps on defense, and they’re likely going to need a defensive/special teams touchdown or two.
How the Cougars Win
BYU has been pretty special defensively, and as long as they win the turnover battle, I don’t see them having any issue rolling over Oklahoma State.
Odds & Predictions
Staff Score Predictions
| Staff | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Caleb | 35-17 BYU |
| Craig | 34-24 BYU |
| Matt | 31-24 BYU |
| Zack | 33-13 BYU |
An Oklahoma State Win Would…
- Mark Mike Gundy’s 41st career win vs. an AP Top 25 opponent. No other active coach has more.
- Mark OSU’s sixth consecutive win against an AP Top 25 opponents when playing as an unranked team, extending the longest streak in program history. It would also improve OSU to 12-3 in its past 15 of those matchups.
- Make the Cowboys 3-3 in its past six road games against AP-ranked teams.
- Make the Cowboys 11-6 in its past 17 and 20-11 in its past 31 games vs. AP-ranked teams.
- Make the Cowboys 11-8 in its past 19 road games.
- Give the Cowboys wins in 13 of its past 19 and in 26 of its past 35 games following a loss.
- Make the Cowboys 4-3 or better for a 19th consecutive season.
- Give the Cowboys wins in 12 of its past 17 games.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record in October games to 51-22.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record in Big 12 games to 103-66 and move him to one game away from tying Bill Snyder for the second-most Big 12 wins in conference history.
- Improve OSU’s all-time record vs. BYU to 4-0.
- Improve Mike Gundy’s record against BYU to 2-0.
- Make the Cowboys 35-15 in the past 50 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game
- When unranked, Oklahoma State has won five straight games against AP Top 25 opponents.
- Brennan Presley has multiple catches in 36 straight games, the second longest active streak in the FBS.
- Trey Rucker has recorded at least 10 tackles in four of six games this season.
- Oklahoma State is 4-for-4 on two-point conversion attempts this season and the four successful two-point conversions are more than any other team in the FBS.
- Ollie Gordon II has rushed for more than 100 yards in 10 of the past 17 games.
- OSU, LSU and Georgia Tech are the only Power Conference teams who have allowed fewer than four
sacks in 2024. - OSU’s offensive line has not allowed a sack in 10 of its past 16 games.
- OSU is 13-1 in the past 14 games when winning or tying the turnover battle.
- OSU has held 35 of its past 46 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game.
- OSU has won 86 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003 – the longest active stretch of time in the FBS, the longest since at least 1980 and likely the longest in college football history. Including games when opponents have scored 20 points or fewer, the streak begins at the same date and includes 94 games.
- OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 44 of its past 64 games.
- OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50% third down conversion rate in 51 of its past 58 games.
- OSU is 40-17 in its past 57 games decided by fewer than 10 points.
- OSU is 51-8 in its past 59 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.
- Dating back to 2005, OSU is 49-4 when not committing a turnover.
- Dating back to 2008, OSU is 82-9 when winning the turnover battle.
- OSU has won five of its past seven overtime games.
- Over the past 55 games, OSU has held opponents to 276-for-862 (32.0%) on third down