On a windy day in Stillwater, an injured Spencer Sanders proved to be the more effective quarterback
By Shehan Jeyarajah
• 1 min read
No. 11 Oklahoma State outlasted No. 20 Texas 41-34 as Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders proved to be a more effective signal-caller than Texas' Quinn Ewers on a blustery day in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Following a slow start due to a lingering shoulder injury, Sanders threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes that rallied his team for its seventh win over Texas in the past 10 years.
Sanders threw 57 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns to will Oklahoma State back into the game after falling into a two-score deficit. During the eventual game-winning drive with fewer than five minutes remaining, Sanders completed 3 of 4 passes for 64 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Green. Running back Jaden Nixon added 64 yards, while Dominic Richardson posted three touchdowns.
Ewers, meanwhile, struggled in his first road start since playing for Southlake Carroll High School in 2020. Ewers completed just 19 of 49 passes for 319 yards with two touchdowns. However, he threw three interceptions, including a game-clincher in the final minute.
Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 140 yards and added 41 yards receiving with two total touchdowns, while Roschon Johnson added a 52-yard rushing score of his own. However, Texas' offense fell apart in the second half as the Longhorns finished the day with five punts on nine drives. Another drive ended on a turnover on downs and two more ended with interceptions. The only second-half scoring drive for Texas came after a punt return gifted the Horns the ball on the Oklahoma State 20-yard line.
With the win, Oklahoma State throws itself right back into the Big 12 Championship Game race after a double-overtime loss a week ago to No. 8 TCU. The Cowboys have just one loss in Big 12 play, joining the Horned Frogs and Kansas State, both of which are in action Saturday night, as programs with one or fewer conference losses. Texas has a tough road back after losing a second Big 12 game and dropping a tiebreaker against Oklahoma State. The Longhorns have not been to Arlington since 2018 or won the Big 12 since 2009.
Premature hype for Ewers
Some were quick to put Ewers onto the short list of the nation's best quarterbacks following a monstrous effort in a shutout win over Oklahoma two weeks ago. A tight game against Iowa State quieted some of the noise, but Ewers' first road start officially has the hype train off the rails.
Ewers was brutal against the Cowboys, completing just 39% of his passes for 319 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. After completing four attempts in a row in the first quarter, Ewers did not complete consecutive passes for the rest of the game. He was especially bad on third downs, missing six straight such attempts in the second half with a sack.
For all the hype, Ewers has still played very little football at the collegiate level. There's plenty to be excited about with Ewers long term, but any hope that Ewers could simply slot in and repair a broken Texas program is premature.
Sark is the opposite of clutch
There hasn't been a worse coach in the clutch in college football over the past two seasons than Steve Sarkisian. In 10 losses over the past two seasons, Sark's Longhorns have held a lead in seven, including all three losses in 2022.
Every Texas shortcoming was on full display across the fourth quarter in Stillwater. Oklahoma State put together five fourth-quarter drives, two of which ended in touchdowns with the Cowboys ultimately going on a 14-0 run with 143 yards on 24 plays during that span. Texas, conversely, put together a punt, two interceptions and a missed field goal in the fourth quarter.
Regardless of opponent, quarterback play or any other factor, Sarkisian's squads keep falling short when it matters. The 14 penalties committed by the Longhorns -- to zero (0) from the Cowboys -- were a perfect representation of this program's inability to get over the hump. The program needs to look inward and figure out why.
Pokes' superstar skill players
The Cowboys have been hampered mightily by injuries during the 2022 season, but there were plenty of players who stood up and made their impact known. Running backs Jaden Nixon and Ollie Gordon strung important runs together as the Cowboys tried to compensate for a banged up Dominic Richardson.
On the outside, Stephon Johnson Jr. was a revelation with six catches for 90 yards while stepping in for Braydon Johnson. Add sophom*ores Bryson Green (5 catches, 133 yards, TD) and John Paul Richardson (7 catches, 63 yards) to the list and the future looks bright for Oklahoma State at the skill spots. As Oklahoma State goes further into the Big 12 title race, this depth will pay off in a big way.
