Cowboys Take Charge in Second Half to Beat Tulsa

Oklahoma State’s football team took control in the second half and rallied from a one point deficit at halftime to beat Tulsa 40-21 at Chapman Stadium in Tulsa on Saturday.

OSU running back Chuba Hubbard rushed for a career high 256 yards and scored three touchdowns, while Tylan Wallace caught 5 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, which gave the Cowboys some cushion late in the third quarter.

The Cowboys scored on the first snap of the game, with Hubbard going essentially untouched 75 yards for a touchdown to give OSU a 7-0 lead just 10 seconds into the game.

After forcing Tulsa to punt after three downs, the Cowboys marched to a score on their next possession.

Once again it was Hubbard, darting to the right sideline for a 30-yard touchdown run to cap a 6-play, 59-yard drive to make it 14-0 Cowboys with 11:23 to play in the first quarter.

Following another three-and-out by the OSU defense, the Cowboys got a 37-yard field goal from Matt  Ammendola to make it 17-0 with 6 minutes left in the first quarter.

TU’s offense finally got moving on their next possession, with Zach Smith passing to a wide open Keylon Stokes for a 39-yard touchdown to cap a 6-play, 75-yard drive and it was 17-7 OSU with 4:23 to play in the first quarter.

OSU’s offense then had their first misstep, as Sanders was intercepted on a bobbling catch by Reggie Robinson at the OSU 42-yard line.

The Cowboys avoided paying for it though, as the OSU defense forced a Tulsa punt after three downs.

After an exchange of punts, OSU got a 36-yard field goal from Ammendola to make it 20-7 Cowboys with 11:50 to play in the second quarter.

Tulsa responded with a 7-play, 75-yard drive, with Smith passing to Sam Crawford for a gain of 44 yards to the OSU 3-yard line.

Shamari Brooks scored on a run on the next play, cutting the OSU lead to 20-14 with 9:57 to play in the first half.

Tulsa got the ball back after a punt and used a power running game to take the lead, going 84 yards in 16 plays, with Brooks scoring on a 1-yard run to give the Golden Hurricane a 21-20 lead with 2:29 to play in the second quarter.

The score stayed that way until later in the third quarter when OSU drove 52 yards in 7 plays, with Sanders scoring on a 27-yard touchdown run down the right sideline to put the Cowboys back on top 27-21 with 4:35 to play in the third quarter.

OSU’s defense forced their third straight second half punt, then the Cowboy offense struck on the next play.

Sanders threw deep to Tylan Wallace for a 90-yard touchdown.

The hold on the extra point attempt was bad and the Cowboys led 33-21 with 1:29 to play in the third quarter.

OSU turned it over early in the fourth quarter when Manny Bunch recovered a fumble by Sanders.

The Cowboys defense responded, though, as Kolby Harvell-Peel sacked Smith on 4th and 5 from the OSU 6-yard line.

Later in the fourth, OSU put the game away, with Hubbard scoring on a 33-yard touchdown run on 4th and 1, putting the Cowboys up 40-21 with 2:34 to play.

Oklahoma State has won seven in a row over Tulsa and three in a row in Tulsa.

This was OSU’s first game at Tulsa since 2011.

The Cowboys improved to 3-0 on the season, and will open Big 12 play at Texas next  Saturday at 6:30 pm.