Colorado aims to end losing skid at Oklahoma State
By: Shane Holcombe & Jake Chau
After four straight losses, the Colorado Buffaloes need to start turning moral victories into wins.
The Buffaloes (2-4, 0-3 Big 12) will look to carry momentum from their second-half comeback in last week's loss to the Utah Utes into Saturday's road matchup against the Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-2, 2-1).
“When we score, we can beat anybody in the country,” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders at Tuesday's media availability said. “We just got to score the football.”
While the Buffs improved on that front against the Utes, the offense needs to find another gear if it wants to end its losing skid against a high-powered Oklahoma State team.
Meet the opponent
First-year head coach Eric Morris has revitalized the Cowboys’ program, already quadrupling their win total from 2025. Morris was named to the 2026 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watchlist on Wednesday.
Morris, hired from the North Texas Mean Green, brought many of his players to Stillwater in a 91-player reshuffle, most notably quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
Mestemaker has thrown for 1,940 passing yards, averaging 323 a game, both Big 12 highs. He threw for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns last week in a 35-32 loss to the No. 14 Houston Cougars. But his highlight moment in orange came in September, when he led a 39-31 upset over the then-No. 6 Oregon Ducks.
“Probably A-plus,” Morris said on Tuesday when asked to grade the quarterback’s throwing ability on the run.
But Mestemaker isn't the only reason Oklahoma State is in the upper echelon of the conference standings. Running back Caleb Hawkins leads a rushing attack averaging 5.1 yards per carry, the 30th-best mark in the country. Hawkins can also catch out of the backfield, as shown by his 125 receiving yards and a touchdown against Houston.
The Cowboys do have glaring defensive flaws, though, and have given up 29 points per game in conference play. Houston totaled 505 yards of offense last week against the Pokes, which should encourage a Colorado team that has struggled to move the chains.
How Colorado wins
Shane: Score first-half touchdowns.
Oddly enough, Oklahoma State has struggled like the Buffaloes to put points on the board in the first half, scoring only three last week. If Colorado can set the tone and score on its first drive, something it has done only twice this season, it can feel more confident going toe-to-toe with a team fresh off the top-25 cutline.
The Buffaloes’ offensive splits in the four-game losing streak are stark. They averaged 2.5 points and 163 yards in the first half, versus 10 points and 210 yards in the second. If Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson can take care of the football, which, albeit, is a big if, this offense can compete in another shootout.
The difference will be in how many red-zone opportunities the Buffs can turn into touchdowns, as they've scored touchdowns on just 8 of 17 trips.
Jake: Force three-and-outs.
Oklahoma State is the best team in the nation at getting first downs. They have 132 total first downs, good enough for 32nd in the nation, but they do it incredibly consistently. Nearly 94% of their drives feature at least one first down, the best mark in the nation. The Buffs have to lean into what they’re good at: creating havoc- that is the percentage of snaps where the defense creates a sack, TFL or turnover. The Buffs create havoc on 13.8% of defensive snaps,
good for the 15th-best mark in the nation. It’s powered mostly by their 8.8 TFLs per game.
Creating havoc will be key in limiting first downs and drive momentum. Mestemaker has also been good because his offensive line has protected him well. The Cowboys have allowed the 12th-fewest sacks in the nation and the sixth-fewest TFLs.
“[We need to] make [the quarterback] uncomfortable because when he has pressure in his face, he's not really good,” Dylan Manuel said during the Buffs’ weekly media availability. “He gets out of character, so…not letting him just sit back there and just dial us up.”
How Colorado loses
Jake: Allow Oklahoma State’s offense to get going.
The Cowboys average over 500 yards per game, the sixth-best mark in the nation and the best mark in the conference.
Utah was in the top 10 nationally in yards per game, also averaging over 500. The Buffs holding them below that mark was key to staying in the game the way they did. They also held the Utes to under 30 points for the first time in 11 games, nearly a whole year.
With an offense still struggling to find its feet, Colorado won’t keep up if the game turns into a shootout.
Shane: This is like beating a dead horse, but if the Buffs shoot themselves in the foot with another embarrassing penalty-filled display, they will lose again. Colorado had eight penalties against Utah in the first half alone, including four on offense.
A big reason why Coach Prime’s team has lost four in a row is that each time they have a good moment, you can bet your bottom dollar a yellow handkerchief will be thrown to halt any excitement.
X factor
Shane: Wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. was brought in to be a difference-maker, and he's finally showing what he can do, catching eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the last two games. The Cowboys will prioritize stopping the No. 1 option out wide, Joseph Williams, so Moore can get over 100 receiving yards against a Power Four opponent for the first time this season.
Jake: How Colorado responds to adversity.
The Buffs have faced plenty of challenges this year and haven’t quite gotten over many. They did in Week 1 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, scoring the go-ahead touchdown, but haven’t found the same success since. They had chances against the Texas Tech Red Raiders and last week against Utah, but made costly late mistakes.
Some of those mistakes have come from Wilson, who has shown he’s turnover-prone. The Buffs shouldn’t try to stop the turnovers, as Wilson has thrown 16 interceptions in 13 games played, and four interceptions this season. Instead, they should focus on how they’ll respond when Wilson throws the ball to the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State will score and will have spurts where they seem unstoppable. Keeping the Buffs from bending and breaking will keep them in this game.
Bold prediction
Jake: Outside of their gimme game against the Weber State Wildcats, Colorado has only led once going into the locker room at halftime. After a strong second half against Utah, the Buffs can build on that momentum and take a two-score lead into halftime.
Shane: Colorado has fewer penalty yards than the Cowboys. As crazy as it seems, the Buffs can be more disciplined than a team on another sideline; Oklahoma State has averaged six penalties for 52 yards a game, including 9 for 71 last week. The Cowboys have also had more penalty yardage than their opponents in every conference game, so this might be the best opportunity all season for the Buffaloes to show some discipline.
Final score prediction
Shane: I’ve talked myself into picking Colorado 28-21. Wilson only turns the ball over once and throws for three touchdown passes, including a game-winning slant route to Williams. I saw some resemblance of an offensive identity last week, but the Buffaloes can't put up a doughnut in the first half again if they want to win this one.
Jake: Colorado’s played better opponents closer, but both of those games were at home. In Stillwater, Okla., the Buffs continue to show life but struggle on the road. They lose 24-17.
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