OU:
There was never a moment of uncertainty on Kansas State's sideline when fifth-ranked Oklahoma raced to an early lead, or when the wounded Sooners began to mount a frantic fourth-quarter comeback.
There might have been just a bit when they recovered an onside kick.
"It was a little anxious," Wildcats defensive end Wyatt Hubert said.
Anxiousness that soon gave way to elation.
Officials reviewed the recovery with 1:45 left in the game and determined the ball hit an Oklahoma player a yard early, giving it to the Wildcats. They ran out the rest of the clock to finish off a 48-41 victory that dealt the Sooners' national title hopes a major blow.
"Oklahoma isn't a team that is used to facing adversity very well," said Hubert, who along with the rest of the Kansas State defense did just enough to hold Heisman Trophy contender Jalen Hurts in check.
"If you can put their backs against the wall," he said, "things are going to go more smoothly."
Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) tried to make the case that its player was blocked into the ball on the onside kick. But by the time the Sooners headed for the bus, the scoreboards inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium still read the same.
"We had a similar situation at Baylor my first year. They engaged our player and it definitely hit him before the 10-yard," Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said, "but I was under the impression if they engage our player into it that there's no illegal touching. It was a 50-50 call that didn't go our way."
It was the first home win for the Wildcats (5-2, 2-2) over Oklahoma since 1996, and just their fourth win ever over a top-five team. It also snapped the Sooners' nation-leading 22-game road win streak — a span of five years and 22 days since their loss at TCU.
Skylar Thompson had 213 yards passing while running for four touchdowns, and James Gilbert added 105 yards rushing and a score.
"I don't have any idea on the lines and spreads, thank God," said Wildcats coach Chris Klieman, whose team was a 21-½-point underdog. "I mean, yeah, it was a statement win for our guys. I told the seniors, 'How many more opportunities are you going to have to play in front of your home crowd?'"
It was the third consecutive week a top-10 team lost to an unranked foe, with Oklahoma joining Georgia and Wisconsin.
"We've got to be more appreciative, cherish every moment and attack every moment with the right intent," Hurts said. "We've got to learn from this and appreciate this lesson."
Hurts threw for 395 yards and a touchdown while running for 95 yards and three more. But despite his big game, the Sooners couldn't overcome a multitude of mistakes: two turnovers, costly penalties and the ejection of one of their defensive leaders.
Last week, it was the Sooner Schooner that crashed.
This week, it may have been Oklahoma's chances of reaching the College Football Playoff.
It didn't look that way early, though. The Sooners breezed downfield for a field goal, forced a quick punt, then scored again in a matter of minutes to take a 10-0 lead. And after Kansas State scored, Hurts answered with another touchdown to give the Sooners a 17-7 lead.
That's when the unraveling began.
In the first half alone, Oklahoma twice fumbled the ball or dropped a snap. Penalties on third-and-long on each of the Wildcats' first two scoring drives gave them first downs. The most egregious error came on a wide receiver pass in the final minute, when Nick Basquine's throw bounced off Charleston Rambo and into the hands of A.J. Parker to set up the Wildcats' third touchdown of the first half.
"That was a huge play," Parker said.
That deficit swelled during the third quarter.
Kansas State marched for a field goal to open the half. Then, after a pooch kick, Eric Gallon forced a fumble on the return — and sustained a severe knee injury requiring a cart to take him from the field — that the Wildcats recovered to set up another touchdown run.
When they forced a three-and-out and scored again, they had built a 41-23 lead.
Oklahoma tried to rally in the fourth quarter, getting a 70-yard score from CeeDee Lamb, rolling downfield for Hurts' third TD run and a 2-point conversion, then getting a field goal from Gabe Brkic to draw within one possession with 1:45 to go.
Then came the onside kick, the review — and the celebration in Aggieville.
"The guys just continued to believe throughout the game," Klieman said. "I saw a sideline full of guys who really felt they had a chance to win this football game."
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TU:
Brady White threw for two touchdowns and Memphis held on late to edge Tulsa 42-41 on Saturday night.
White had 277 yards passing for the Tigers (7-1, 3-1 American Athletic Conference). Kenneth Gainwell ran for 149 yards and three touchdowns including a 62-yard score late in the third quarter.
Memphis led 28-17 at halftime but Tulsa rallied in the second half, scoring three touchdowns and a field goal to take a 41-35 lead late in the fourth quarter. Gainwell's third touchdown run put the Tigers back on top, 42-41, with 4:26 left. Tulsa used that time to drive 63 yards to the Memphis 12, but Jacob Rainey missed a 29-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
Rainey had previously made good on field goals from 32 and 26 yards and missed from 40 yards.
Zach Smith threw for 309 yards and a score for the Golden Hurricane (2-6, 0-4), who have lost four straight. Cory Taylor II ran for three touchdowns.
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OSU:
Iowa State surged back into the Top 25 by making big plays on offense and limiting them on defense.
Oklahoma State stole the Cyclones' recipe, took care of the ball and escaped Ames with a potential season-changing upset. Freshman Spencer Sanders threw for 249 yards and two TDs, and Oklahoma State beat 23rd-ranked Iowa State 34-27 on Saturday to snap the Cyclones' three-game winning streak.
Chuba Hubbard had 116 yards rushing for the Cowboys (5-3, 2-3 Big 12), who used four big plays to snap their own two-game skid. The Pokes also forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter after entering play ranked 123rd nationally in turnover margin.
"This is a great life lesson for the boys from the standpoint of, just keep playing," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said.
Malcolm Rodriguez gave Oklahoma State a 34-27 lead with 6:47 to go on an interception he returned 26 yards for the eventual game-winning touchdown.
Iowa State (5-3, 3-2) then stuffed Hubbard on a 4th-and-1 near midfield with just under 3 minutes left. But quarterback Brock Purdy threw another ill-advised pass that was picked off shortly thereafter — then another interception in the final seconds that sealed the Cyclones' fate.
Iowa State was also just 5 of 16 on third downs, and Purdy gave it away three times in the fourth after throwing just four interceptions all season entering the day.
"We really didn't play Iowa State football," Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. "The big plays obviously, the turnovers, the third downs. I think it's really hard to beat anybody, especially a good team, that way. I put that on us (as coaches)."
Oklahoma State jumped ahead 21-13 at halftime behind a 71-yard catch and run touchdown from Tylan Wallace, a 50-yard touchdown pass from Sanders to Braydon Johnson and a 65-yard scoring run from Hubbard.
Iowa State's defense stiffened in the second half, and touchdown runs of 9 and 4 yards by freshman Breece Hall pulled the Cyclones even at 27-all with 9:06 left.
Purdy, whose brilliant play has been a major reason why Iowa State has been so strong since he took over last season, fell to 9-3 against Big 12 opponents. He finished 39 of 62 passing for 382 yards.
"Interestingly, they beat themselves with a quarterback that's really, really good," Gundy said.
Tylan Wallace had eight catches for 131 yards for Oklahoma State, which racked up 34 points despite not reaching Iowa State's red zone.
Hall had 76 yards on 18 carries after posting back-to-back 100-yard games.