STILLWATER, Oklahoma – Ollie Gordon II’s 12-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion catch in the second overtime helped No. 16 Oklahoma State to a 39-31 victory over Arkansas on Saturday.
Gordon, who won the Doak Walker Award last season as the country’s best running back, managed just 49 yards on 17 attempts.
His teammates helped him. Alan Bowman threw 326 yards and Brennan Presley received 91 yards, caught a touchdown pass and ran for a touchdown.
“These are the games we talk about forever,” Bowman said. “I don’t want to be in those situations a lot. I think we started really slow. But to be able to bounce back and bounce back and have confidence in that – that’s obviously a great win.”
Arkansas (1-1) had a better run than Oklahoma State (648 to 385 yards). However, the Razorbacks missed two of their three field goals and had three turnovers to one for Oklahoma State (2-0).
“It’s a loss,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “It’s not a loss for the SEC. It’s one that we learn from and put behind us and come back. I think we have a really good football team. We just can’t win games if we lose the football.”
Taylen Green threw for 416 yards and ran for 61 yards for Arkansas. Ja’Quinden Jackson ran for a career-high 149 yards and three touchdowns, and Andrew Armstrong set career-highs with 10 catches and 164 yards for the Razorbacks.
Oklahoma State overcame a 21-7 halftime deficit.
“At halftime, our coaches were fantastic, the adjustments we made,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “The players took the information really well, didn’t panic, didn’t point fingers, but got back on the field, implemented it and played much better.”
Presley caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Bowman, and De’Zhaun Stribling’s two-point conversion catch tied the game at 21-21 early in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma State made a fourth down stop and then went for it. Bowman’s pass after a reverse flea flicker went 63 yards to fullback Jake Schultz and put the Cowboys in the red zone. Presley’s 3-yard touchdown run put the Cowboys ahead 28-21 with 5:13 left.
Green immediately struck back, completing a 43-yard touchdown pass to tight end Luke Hasz, and Arkansas tied the game with 4:01 left.
Oklahoma State’s Logan Ward made a 38-yard field goal with 55 seconds left to give Oklahoma State a 31-28 lead. Arkansas, which had no timeouts, 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 Warsey from 41. Oklahoma State scored first in the second overtime, then the Cowboys stopped the Razorbacks on a fourth-and-short attempt to end the game.
“I think we won the game because we were in better shape,” Gundy said. “The last part of the third quarter, the fourth quarter and overtime — when you get tired, the first thing that goes through your mind is, mentally, you’re not playing well. You’re making mistakes. That didn’t happen.”
THE RESULT
Arkansas: Mistakes helped the Razorbacks give up a game they had a tight grip on. Gordon’s game-winning touchdown run came after a personal foul against Arkansas. The Razorbacks committed two pass interference penalties on Presley on the drive that gave Oklahoma State a 3-point lead late in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys have proven they can win when Gordon isn’t putting up big numbers. He managed just 69 yards and one touchdown from scrimmage after rushing and receiving for 146 yards and three touchdowns against South Dakota State.
A tough number
It was a tough day for Ramsey, who had big shoes to fill.
Ramsey replaced Cameron Little, who now kicks for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ramsey missed field goals from 41 and 46 yards.
Pittman said Ramsey will likely compete with Matthew Shipley for the job in the future.
“I think so,” Pittman said. “I mean, it’s always a competition, but I think so. I mean, I hate it, you know, I hate it for him. You know, I know we missed a couple, but he made one, too. That got us to overtime. And if we had played a little better, maybe that wouldn’t have happened, you know?”
OLIVER OUT
Gundy said Oklahoma State linebacker Collin Oliver will be out indefinitely after suffering a right leg injury.
Oliver, who was named an All-Big 12 selection in the preseason, was injured on a pressure that led to Kale Smith’s 73-yard interception return for a touchdown.
“I think he’s done for the year,” Gundy said. “I’m not sure. I haven’t had any updates except from the game when they said he wasn’t coming back, and they thought maybe he had a fracture or a tear or something, but I’m not sure.”
Next
Arkansas: hosts UAB on Saturday.
Oklahoma State: Visits Tulsa on Saturday.
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