Oklahoma State’s football team struggled on offense and could not make enough stops on defense as South Alabama beat OSU 33-to-7 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater on Saturday.
The loss ended a 19-game regular season non-conference winning streak for OSU, and a 13-game home non-conference win streak.
The last time OSU lost a non-conference regular season game was 2016 vs. Central Michigan.
The seven points is the fewest in a home non-conference game for OSU since a 28-6 loss to Southern Mississippi in 2000.
It’s the largest margin of defeat for OSU in a home non-conference game since losing to Arizona State 30-3 in 1991, and the largest margin of defeat in a regular season non-conference game at any venue since a 31-0 loss at Tennessee in 1993.
OSU was held to just 208 total yards and the Jaguars had the ball about 10 more minutes than the Cowboys.
The three OSU quarterbacks combined to throw for just 114 yards, going 16-for-35.
Alan Bowman started at quarterback, followed by Gunnar Gundy and Garret Rangel.
OSU got the ball to start the game, but had the drive bogged down and a dropped pass by Jaden Bray forced the Cowboys to punt.
South Alabama then steadily marched into Cowboy territory and got a 39-yard field goal by Diego Guajardo to take a 3-0 lead with 6:18 to play in the first quarter.
OSU only gained four yards in three plays on the ensuing possession and had to punt.
The Jaguars then went 70 yards in eight plays, with Carter Bradley passing to Caullin Lacy for a 39-yard touchdown to put USA up 10-0 with 1:01 left in the first quarter.
OSU had just 33 total yards in the first quarter.
On the first play of the second quarter, Alan Bowman was intercepted by Marquise Robinson, who returned it 24 yards to the Cowboys’ 17-yard line.
On the next play, La’Damian Webb bounced outside to the left and scored on a 17-yard touchdown run.
The extra point failed after a bad snap and the Jaguars led 16-0 with 14:44 to play in the first half.
OSU was forced to punt again, and after a South Alabama punt, the Cowboys brought in Gunnar Gundy at quarterback.
Gundy’s first possession ended in a punt after three downs following a third down sack.
On Gundy’s second possession, he ran for 15 yards and a first down but OSU had to punt again.
South Alabama took just three plays to score, as Bradley went deep to a wide open Caullin Lacy for a 57-yard touchdown and it was 23-0 Jaguars with 1:03 to play in the first half.
OSU’s ensuing possession lost seven yards in three plays and they were forced to punt.
The Cowboys had 70 total yards on offense in the first half, while the Jaguars had 232.
Neither team could get much going on offense in the third quarter.
South Alabama punted twice and OSU had to punt on their first possession, then with their second possession kept the ball moving into the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys went 84 yards in 17 plays, with Jaden Nixon scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the South Alabama lead to 23-7 with 12:14 to play.
OSU forced a South Alabama punt after three downs.
On the punt, Brennan Presley muffed it and Travis Drosos recovered at the OSU 24-yard line.
That led to a 42-yard field goal by Guajardo and South Alabama led 26-7 with 9:04 to play.
The Cowboys once again couldn’t move the ball, losing two yards and punting.
South Alabama then got the clincher two plays later, as La’Damian Webb scored on a 65-yard touchdown run to make it 33-7 Jaguars with 7:04 to play.
The Cowboys had been 2-0 all-time against the Jaguars, with wins in 2017 and 2018.
The Cowboys fall to 2-1 on the season.
OSU will visit Iowa State next Saturday at 3:00 pm in the Big 12 opener.
