Oklahoma State Routs Kansas State 66-28 as Drew Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins Run Wild in Manhattan

Oklahoma State beat Kansas State 66-28 on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. The Cowboys scored 28 points in the first quarter and led 49-14 at halftime, which settled the Big 12 game early.

The win moves Oklahoma State to 6-3 (4-2 Big 12) and makes the Cowboys bowl eligible. Kansas State drops to 4-5 (1-5).

A first half that broke the game open

According to Sports Illustrated’s Oklahoma State coverage, the Cowboys had never scored more than 14 points in a first quarter this season before Saturday. Against K-State they doubled that, then added 21 more in the second quarter. SI reported that OSU scored on seven of its 10 first-half possessions and piled up 383 yards before the break.

Per OSU’s stats office, as cited by SI, the 49 first-half points were the most the Cowboys had scored in a half of a conference game since Nov. 12, 2011, at Texas Tech. It was also the first time this season Oklahoma State led a Big 12 game at halftime.

The official box score shows the Cowboys outscored the Wildcats 28-7 and 21-7 in the first two quarters, then 14-7 and 3-7 the rest of the way.

Mestemaker does a bit of everything

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns, according to the Oklahoma State game center and the Wichita Eagle. He also ran for a touchdown and caught one, the Eagle reported. The AP put him at 22-of-28 passing.

One of his scoring throws was a 32-yard touchdown to Justin Bowick. Mestemaker’s one real mistake was an interception that K-State’s Logan Bartley returned for a touchdown, which the Eagle called the Wildcats’ best play of the day.

Hawkins piles up the yards

Running back Caleb Hawkins ran for 175 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 71 yards and another score, per SI, and was rested after three quarters. SI reported that he passed 1,000 rushing yards for the season, the second 1,000-yard season of his career.

Over his last four games, SI counted 557 rushing yards and 349 receiving yards for Hawkins, with eight total touchdowns.

Oklahoma State’s defense bounces back

After a loss the week before, the Cowboys’ defense held Kansas State to 183 first-half yards. SI said 75 of those came on one blown coverage, a long touchdown from Blake Barnett to Derrick Salley Jr. Oklahoma State forced two first-half turnovers and stopped K-State on fourth down twice.

Cornerback LaDainian Fields intercepted Barnett on a pass meant for his cousin, Rodney Fields Jr., who transferred from Oklahoma State to Kansas State. SI reported it was LaDainian Fields’ sixth interception of the season, which leads the FBS. The outlet said he added another pick on a tipped pass in the third quarter. Rodney Fields Jr. finished with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown.

A tough day for Kansas State

The Wichita Eagle called it a “humbling” home loss for coach Collin Klein. It was K-State’s third straight loss and its fifth in six games. The Eagle reported that Oklahoma State gained about 560 yards on 64 plays (OSU’s box score lists 565). That was the most points any team had scored on Kansas State since Texas put up 69 in 2020.

Barnett made his first college start with starter Avery Johnson injured. He went 7-of-17 for 106 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions before Dillon Duff took over in the second half. Duff went 10-of-17 for 94 yards with a touchdown and an interception, the Eagle reported. Salley caught three passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

The Eagle also questioned Klein’s aggressive first-half calls. K-State went for it on fourth down three times and tried a surprise onside kick, and the failed attempts gave Oklahoma State short fields.

What’s next

Kansas State needs two more wins to become bowl eligible, and plays at TCU next. Oklahoma State, in its first season under coach Eric Morris, has clinched its first bowl berth since 2023.

FAQ