The second half of Oklahoma State’s season begins with the Cowboys’ first ever trip to Provo.
OSU welcomed BYU to the Big 12 with a come-from-behind Cowboy win on Senior Day in Stillwater. Now the Cougars will do their best to get payback on their home field. Despite a disappointing finish, BYU was much better at home in 2023, going 4-2, including its only two Big 12 wins. Let’s dive into the Cowboys’ and Cougars’ second matchup as conference foes.
Also, be sure to check out the rest of our Summer Schedule Series: Noncon | Utah | K-State | West Virginia
Week 8: BYU | Oct. 18 | Provo, Utah
After an off week, the Cowboys will get the ESPN primetime treatment when they head to Utah for their Friday night matchup with the Cougars.
Series History: 3-0
Before last year’s meeting, OSU and BYU had met only twice, in quick succession, nearly 50 years ago. The Cowboys beat the Cougars 16-6 in the defense-first 1974 Fiesta Bowl before Terry Miller ran all over them in the 1976 Tangerine Bowl, resulting in a 49-21 OSU win.
Last Meeting: OSU 40, BYU 34
OSU welcomed Brigham Young to the Big 12 by allowing the Cougars to score 24 straight on Senior Night and put their own chances at a Big 12 title on the line just snatch it away in double overtime. Ollie Gordon dug the Cowboys out in dramatic fashion, scoring all five of OSU’s touchdowns in the second half and overtime, including back-to-back TDs to win it and punch the Pokes’ ticket to Arlington.
BYU in 2023: As exciting a night as last Nov. 25 was for the Cowboys and their fans, it was a merciful, if not fitting, end to a disappointing season for BYU. The Cougars ended their first year in the Big 12 on a five-game skid and by missing a bowl for the first time since 2017. A big reason for that slump was the injury to senior quarterback Kedon Slovis, who missed the last four games.
BYU in 2024: The Cougars handed their offense over to former junior college QB Jake Retzlaff over the final four games but, again, no wins. He will be in competition with former Baylor and USF quarterback Gerry Bohanon and Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead. If the Cougars can find their answer at QB, they’ll be in position to improve upon last year’s 5-7 finish.
Of Note: Third-down issues.
One glaring issue for BYU last season was its ineptitude on third downs, on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys weren’t stellar by any means, but the Cougars took a nosedive in 2024.
BYU finished dead last in third-down offense, converting just 28.5% of their attempts (131st of 133 FBS teams) while ranking second to last in the league in third-down defense (45.1%). That third-down rate on offensive was down from three consecutive years over 45%, and BYU’s lowest mark over the last 15 years otherwise was 36% in 2017.
Can BYU Rebound?
While the lazy take might be that the Cougars fell apart with the increase in competition, they have never been a team to shy away from scheduling power conference competition. The QB injury was a big one. If BYU can figure out its quarterback situation and find a starting running back, the offense could return to the form that would allow the Cougars to compete for the middle of the league in 2024.
Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog.