Conner Weigman threw for 343 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Houston Cougars past the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys 35-32 at TDECU Stadium on Saturday. The win pushed Houston, ranked No. 20, to 6-1 on the season; Oklahoma State dropped to 4-2.
Houston scored on five straight possessions in the second and third quarters to build a 28-17 lead. The Cowboys’ Drew Mestemaker threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns, including a 66-yard strike to Caleb Hawkins that cut the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma State never caught up.
Key Moments In The Houston Cougars Oklahoma State 35-32 Finish
Oklahoma State struck first on Sam Keltner’s 23-yard field goal with 8:39 left in the first quarter. Houston answered before halftime arrived in two parts, a 2-yard touchdown pass from Weigman to Patrick Overmyer late in the first quarter and a 7-yard score to Amare Thomas with 2:22 left in the second, giving the Cougars a 14-3 lead at the break.
The third quarter turned into a shootout. Oklahoma State’s Ayo Adeyi scored on a 13-yard run to open the half, but Weigman found Trent Walker and then Thomas again, the latter a 21-yard connection, to push Houston’s lead to 28-17 entering the fourth. Mestemaker kept Oklahoma State within range with a touchdown pass to Wyatt Young before that stretch ended.
In the fourth quarter, Mestemaker’s 66-yard touchdown to Hawkins and a converted two-point pass to Justin Bowick trimmed Houston’s lead to 25-28. Weigman responded immediately, hitting Koby Young for a 48-yard score with 9:48 remaining to make it 25-35. Oklahoma State got one more touchdown, an 8-yard pass from Mestemaker to Bowick with 4:54 left, but the Cowboys could not complete the comeback.
Top Performers From The Houston Win
Weigman completed 24 of 33 passes for 343 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. Thomas caught seven passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, while Walker added seven catches for 104 yards and a score. Makhi Hughes led Houston’s ground game with 77 yards on 18 carries.
For Oklahoma State, Mestemaker finished 22 of 34 for 365 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Hawkins was the Cowboys’ top weapon with seven catches for 125 yards and a touchdown to go with 68 rushing yards on 17 carries. Linebacker Ethan Wesloski led all defenders with nine tackles, and LaDainian Fields intercepted a Weigman pass for Oklahoma State.
What It Means
Houston controlled the clock, holding the ball for 35:12 compared to Oklahoma State’s 24:48, and converted three of three fourth-down attempts to keep possessions alive. The Cougars also won the turnover battle 2-1, with Khalil Laufau recovering a fumble and Will James hauling in an interception.
Oklahoma State out-gained Houston slightly in total yards, 499 to 505 is close enough to call it even, but the Cowboys’ 3-of-8 mark on third down limited their ability to sustain drives against a Houston defense that forced two takeaways. Oklahoma State, ranked 18th before kickoff, fell to 4-2.
What’s Next
Houston moves to 6-1. Oklahoma State falls to 4-2.
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