Drew Mestemaker backs up promise in Oklahoma State football upset win vs Oregon
· Yahoo Sports
STILLWATER — Drew Mestemaker’s teammates thought he was starting a cool celebration. In reality, he just couldn’t breathe.
Doubled over in the corner of the end zone with his Oklahoma State football teammates swarming him, the sophomore quarterback raised his right index finger, pleading with his teammates to give him space.
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"I just got the wind knocked out of me so bad,” Mestemaker said. “I got up and wanted to celebrate and couldn't breathe and I didn't want the guys to come jump on me. So, I was like, 'Just give me a second.' I was honestly good once I got my breath back."
Mestemaker’s 10-yard touchdown rush with 10:21 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Cowboys a lead they wouldn’t surrender in a 39-31 win against No. 6 Oregon.
The win snapped a 12-game losing streak dating back to a 69-3 loss at Oregon last season.
When Mestemaker leaped for the goal line, his right foot left the earth at the 3-yard line. He landed sprawled sideways 2 yards deep into the orange turf — 15 feet from where his flight began.
“That was a little surreal,” running back Caleb Hawkins said. “I didn’t know he could jump that high, to be honest. I’ve seen him do some counter-movement jumps but I haven’t seen that high out of him.”
Oregon defensive back Carl Williams IV loaded up to strike the airborne Mestemaker, using his legs like pistons to launch into the quarterback. Mestemaker toppled over. The force of the impact left Williams lying face-down rigid in the end zone, apparently unconscious. The impact on the ground knocked the wind out of Mestemaker.
“I was like, 'I'm going to just go for it,'” Mestemaker said. “I saw him going low like right when I jumped, and I was like, 'Oh, this is perfect.' I felt like I was in the air for a year, and then I hit the ground so hard. But, it's all good because I was in the end zone."
With 317 passing yards, 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns that led to 39 points, Mestemaker showed what this new OSU offense, transplanted partially from North Texas, is all about. It’s the most points OSU has scored since Nov. 23, 2024 in a 56-48 loss to Texas Tech. And it came at a time when OSU needed a reminder of what its offense is capable of. OSU lost 24-10 against Tulsa last week and coach Eric Morris called it the worst offensive performance he's ever been a part of.
The Cowboys created six plays of at least 25 yards. Mestemaker outplayed Oregon’s Dante Moore, a projected top-five NFL Draft pick this spring. The “Big Three” North Texas transfers of Mestemaker, Hawkins and receiver Wyatt Young accounted for all four touchdowns. The trio combined for 340 scrimmage yards. The one flaw in Mestemaker's final stat line are two interceptions. OSU receiver Wyatt Young discounted them as “lucky tips.”
Both interceptions came on balls batted at the line of scrimmage. Oregon linebacker Devon Jackson took the air out of the crowd as he returned the first interception 96 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to give Oregon a 7-3 lead. In the second quarter, linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei returned a batted ball to the 1-yard line, where the Ducks would score another touchdown.
On the sideline, Mestemaker kept a calm demeanor. OSU coach Eric Morris didn’t even address the misfortunes with his quarterback.
“Those are things that are really hard,” Morris said. “I mean, he made the right read. The balls were on the right spot. You know, one of them to (Justin) Bowick. It's going to be a huge play for us, and it turns the other way. That's football.”
A common thread in last year’s OSU team was letting a critical mistake snowball. Mestemaker didn’t let the momentum swings throw him off. He didn't let the 10-point effort last week at Tulsa snowball, either. After that game, Mestemaker promised: "That's not us."
He backed those words up Saturday.
“That’s what I was telling the guys the whole game," Mestemaker said. "I was like, ‘This is who y'all are and this is how we play football here at Oklahoma State.’”
Ben Hutchens covers OSU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ben? He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ben_hutchens_. Sign up for OSU Sports Minute newsletter to access more coverage of the Cowboys and Cowgirls. Support Ben's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Drew Mestemaker backs up promise in Oklahoma State football upset win vs Oregon