COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Oklahoma State 39, Arkansas 31
ASSOCIATED PRESS
STILLWATER, Okla. - Ollie Gordon II’s 12-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion catch in the second overtime pushed No. 16 Oklahoma State past Arkansas 39-31 on Saturday.
Gordon, last season’s Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s best running back, was held to 49 yards on 17 carries.
His teammates picked up the slack. Alan Bowman passed for 326 yards and Brennan Presley had 91 yards receiving, caught a touchdown pass and ran for a score for the Cowboys (2-0).
Arkansas (1-1) outgained Oklahoma State 648 yards to 385. But the Razorbacks missed two of their three field goals and had three turnovers to one for Oklahoma State.
Taylen Green passed for 416 yards and ran for 61 for Arkansas. Ja’Quinden Jackson ran for a career-high 149 yards and three touchdowns and Andrew Armstrong had career bests of 10 catches and 164 yards for the Razorbacks.
Oklahoma State overcame a 21-7 halftime deficit. Presley caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Bowman, and the two-point conversion catch by De’Zhaun Stribling tied the game at 21 early in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma State got a fourth-down stop, then went to razzle-dazzle. Bowman’s pass off a reverse flea flicker went 63 yards to fullback Jake Schultz to put the Cowboys in the red zone. Presley’s 3-yard touchdown run put the Cowboys up 28-21 with 5:13 remaining.
Green bounced right back with a 43-yard touchdown pass to tight end Luke Hasz, and Arkansas tied the game with 4:01 remaining.
Oklahoma State’s Logan Ward hit a 38-yard field goal with 55 seconds remaining to put Oklahoma State up 31-28. Arkansas, with no time outs, drove 48 yards in eight plays, and Kyle Ramsey’s 44-yard field goal as time expired forced overtime.
Ward and Ramsey both missed field goals in the first overtime — Ramsey from 46 yards, then Ward from 41. Oklahoma State scored first in the second overtime, then the Cowboys stopped the Razorbacks on a fourth-and-short to end the game.
THE TAKEAWAY
Arkansas: The Razorbacks gave away a game they had firmly in control. They committed several critical penalties late in the game.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys proved they could win if Gordon doesn’t post big numbers. Their halftime adjustments, especially on offense, were critical.
Oklahoma State athletics press release
September 7, 2024