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Oklahoma State football outlasts Arkansas in 2OT for wild Week 2 win

Vaseline September 7, 2024

STILLWATER — Ollie Gordon II got the Cardiac Cowboys’ hearts racing.

Gordon’s otherwise quiet day ended with a touchdown run followed by a reception for a two-point conversion that was the deciding score in 17th-ranked Oklahoma State’s 39-31 double-overtime win over Arkansas on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

After Gordon’s 12-yard touchdown run in the second overtime, Arkansas threatened to score a touchdown and tie the game, but OSU linebacker Kendal Daniels jumped into the running gap for the game-winning tackle on fourth down.

Arkansas controlled most of the first half and led 21-7 at halftime. In terms of yards, the team had a 351-77 advantage.

But OSU came back to life with a sharp offense, defensive plays and some unexpected stars.

Here are five key points from the game:

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Ollie Gordon II in control, but passing game heats up

Gordon had one of the worst rushing performances of his career with 49 yards on 17 carries.

Quarterback Alan Bowman also struggled in the first half, completing only nine of his first 18 passes and having one interception.

OSU’s offense failed to score a single point in the first half, but led the rally with 32 points after halftime.

Bowman found his rhythm early in the third quarter, completing 27 of 48 passes for 326 yards, a touchdown and two crucial two-point conversions.

Oklahoma State won five games last season after trailing in the second half, and that streak has continued into 2024. And three times in the last six games, the Pokes have come back from deficits of at least 14 points.

More: Why Renewing the Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas Series Is Good for College Football | Mussatto

Unsung heroes play a big role for Cowboys

Though he was the long-snapper for punts as a true freshman last season, Shea Freibaum’s fumble recovery in the fourth quarter likely sent Cowboy fans scrambling to get the selection on their game day programs.

The sophomore from Scottsdale, Arizona, fell on a failed punt by Arkansas’ Isaiah Sategna at the Hogs’ 25-yard line. OSU scored its first offensive touchdown of the game two plays later and tied the game with a two-point conversion with 9:37 to play.

After forcing a turnover on downs, the OSU offense drove 86 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, getting two big receptions from barely used players.

First came a 63-yard pass to super-senior fullback Jake Schultz. Bowman handed the ball to Gordon II, who passed it to Brennan Presley on a reverse, who tossed it back to Bowman for a flea-flicker.

Schultz had slipped out of the backfield and was completely free. He caught the pass and stormed into the red zone.

Moments later, true freshman Josh Ford caught a pass and was initially ruled to have scored a touchdown. However, video review ruled he had stepped out at the 3. Presley scored on the next play

WATCH: Oklahoma State Football’s Kale Smith Returns Interception for TD vs. Arkansas

Penalties put an end to the offensive

Oklahoma State’s offense showed the first consistent signs of life on its first drive of the third quarter, and momentum appeared to be building.

However, an illegal block call on Schultz wiped a Presley touchdown off the board. Then a false start penalty on Jake Springfield moved the offense back another 5 yards.

After two incomplete passes, the Cowboys were forced to make a field goal, with Logan Ward scoring from 45 yards out.

The Cowboys defense regained the Orange momentum with a fumble recovery on the next possession, but another penalty on the ensuing drive again shut down the offense.

Receiver Rashod Owens was penalized for offensive pass interference when he illegally blocked the defender covering Presley — the intended recipient of the pass.

This forced OSU to take a third-and-long, which ultimately led to a 35-yard field goal for Ward.

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OSU’s Kale Smith throws first interception and touchdown of his career

For a team in need of an energy boost, cornerback Kale Smith was the right choice.

The junior cornerback ran for a floating pass from Arkansas’ Taylen Green and went untouched for an interception and return of 73 yards.

It was the first interception the Midwest City player made in his career, and he became a regular part of the cornerback rotation last season.

The Cowboys have had two interceptions this season, both by cornerbacks, after Korie Black intercepted a pass last week.

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Collin Oliver leaves the field with a foot injury

OSU’s defense made its best play of the first half and lost one of its key players.

Edge rusher Collin Oliver, who applied pressure to the quarterback on the pass that was intercepted by Smith and returned for a touchdown, reportedly suffered a foot injury.

No information is available on the severity of Oliver’s injury, although he returned to the sidelines on crutches and wore a running boot on his right foot.

Obi Ezeigbo, the super-senior transfer from Division II Gannon University, replaced Oliver in the Cowboys’ four-man defense.

The Cowboys were again without reserve middle linebacker Justin Wright, who has not played this season.

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