3 Cowboy Takeaways: Offense Shows Out As OSU Defeats No. 23 Kansas, 39-32

Oklahoma State had an offensive revival of sorts on Saturday afternoon against the No. 23 Kansas Jayhawks, as they went on to win 39-32.

The Cowboys jumped out to a 14-0 lead within the first eight minutes of the game as quarterback Alan Bowman threw two touchdown passes to running back Ollie Gordon and receiver Brennan Presley, respectively.

The rest of the first half was hotly contested, as three long touchdown passes from Kansas quarterback Jason Bean put the Jayhawks in the lead going into halftime, with the score being 25-24 in favor of the Jayhawks.

The third quarter saw another long touchdown pass from Jason Bean, along with a 26-yard field goal from the Cowboys' Alex Hale. Bean's 42-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Skinner would end up being Kansas' final points of the game.

Going into the final quarter of the game down five points, the Cowboys marched down the field in the final 5:00 and scored via a Brennan Presley 6-yard run, accompanied by two more Alex Hale field goals.

Along with that, the Oklahoma State defense stayed strong and held off the Jayhawks on two late offensive drives to complete the upset, as they claimed victory with a final score of 39-32.

First Takeaway: Passing Game Is More Than Capable

Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman put together a very strong and much needed game through the air against Kansas.

The fans and critics have been on his back all season, and understandably so, as Bowman was having a disappointing season throwing the football prior to kickoff on Saturday.

Bowman put out his best statistical passing performance of the season, as he went 28/41 for 336 yards and two touchdowns to spearhead an impressive offensive performance.

He registered a strong 68.3 completion percentage, which was his most efficient mark since September 9 against Arizona State, where he only had 16 passing attempts.

On top of his efficiency, Bowman recorded an excellent passer rating of 153.2, which is only 5 points lower than a perfect rating of 158.3.

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Although his recent performances garnered several questions about the Cowboys' quarterback play this season, Bowman's play on Saturday proved to fans that the team's passing game can be lethal when properly utilized.

Second Takeaway: Gordon, Presley, Hale Are Vital Offensive Weapons

Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon had another outstanding performance on Saturday, as he torched the Jayhawks defense on the ground and through the air.

Gordon ran for 168 yards and a touchdown on 29 rushing attempts, as well as recording six receptions on eight targets for 116 yards and another touchdown.

Gordon continues to prove to everyone that he is not only one of the best running backs in the Big 12 currently, but also, at the very least, a top 20 running back in college football wholesale.

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He was not the only Cowboy who had an impressive offensive display against Kansas, however, as wide receiver Brennan Presley also left his mark on the Jayhawks secondary.

Presley has been one of the Cowboys' most talented skill-position players since he arrived as a freshman from Bixby High School in 2020, and had been severely underused this season until Saturday's game due to the struggles of the team's passing game.

The senior receiver displayed what he is capable of when he is given the appropriate amount of volume. On top of running for a six-yard touchdown late in the contest, Presley recorded eight receptions for 79 yards and another touchdown, as he proved himself to be a reliable option for Alan Bowman.

Capping off the list of stellar offensive performances for the Cowboys on Saturday was senior kicker Alex Hale, who came up clutch by providing crucial points when the team needed it the most, as a few offensive drives stalled out just short of the end zone.

Hale missed only one of his five kicks on the day, which is a fair amount of work for a kicker in any given game.

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Two of Hale's four successful field goal attempts came in the fourth quarter, as he made a 21-yard field goal with 11:32 on the clock to bring the Pokes within two points, as well as a 42-yarder to extend the Cowboys' lead to seven points with fifteen seconds left in the game.

Although there are always many different factors that lead teams to wins in college football, these three players have proven why they are so crucial to the Cowboys' offense in the last two games.

Third Takeaway: Defense Is Reliable When It Matters Most

Although Kansas quarterback Jason Bean threw for over 400 yards and five touchdowns on Saturday, the Cowboys defense stepped up when they needed to, as they intercepted Bean on two separate occasions.

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The Jayhawks have also had one of the best rushing attacks in all of college football, as their backfield duo of Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. has been a nightmare for opposing defenses all season.

However, the Cowboys defense remained stubborn, as they held Devin Neal to only 66 yards on 13 attempts, and shut down the Jayhawks' rushing attack as a whole by holding them to 90 total rushing yards on the day.

Naturally, this led the Kansas offense to throw the ball more, and this strategy was effective during the first half of the game.

Bean ended up throwing two interceptions on consecutive drives in the third quarter, which would dramatically alter the course of the game.

As the defense stepped up and held the Jayhawks at bay when the offense began to hit their stride, they showed that with the right amount of offensive output, they are reliable enough to come through and seal victories for the Cowboys.

NEXT UP: Oklahoma State goes on the road to play West Virginia at 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, October 21. The game is set to be televised on ESPN.

Big 12 Standings:

1. #5 Oklahoma
2. Iowa State
3. Oklahoma State
4. #9 Texas
5. Kansas State
6. West Virginia
7. Kansas
8. TCU
9. Texas Tech
10. BYU
11. Houston
12. Baylor
13. UCF
14. Cincinnati