For the second time this season, the Oklahoma State Cowboys will be looking to follow up a loss with a victory.
This time, the Cowboys (4-2, 2-1) are coming off their first Big 12 loss, a 35-32 defeat to Houston. Oklahoma State is preparing for its homecoming game at they will host the Colorado Buffaloes (2-4, 0-3) on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Colorado enters the game on a four-game losing streak, but earlier this week Cowboys head coach Eric Morris called the Buffaloes the “best two-win team in the country.” We'll see how the buffaloes measure up to the Cowboys on Saturday.
Here's all you need to know before Saturday’s game.
How to Follow Along
Matchup: Oklahoma State (4-2, 2-1 in Big 12) vs. Colorado (2-4, 0-3)
When: Saturday, Oct. 24
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Okla.
Time: 6 p.m. CDT
Watch: FS1 (Carlo Jimenez and Robert Smith)
Listen: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Deion Imade)
Internet/App Radio: The Varsity Network
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM 83 and on the SiriusXM app
All-Time Series
Series History: Colorado leads, 27-20-1
In Stillwater: Colorado leads, 12-11-1
In Boulder: Colorado leads, 14-8
At Neutral: Tied, 1-1
First Meeting (1920): Colorado 40, OSU 7
Last Meeting (2024): Colorado 52, OSU 0
Last OSU Win (2016): OSU 38, Colorado 8
Last Colorado Win (2024): Colorado 52, OSU 0
Morris vs. Colorado: 0-0
Sanders vs. OSU: 1-0
Colorado Scout
Head Coach
Deion Sanders | Fourth season at Colorado and 7th year as head coach
Record: 18-25 at Houston and 44-31 overall.
Colorado Players to Watch
Issac Wilson | QB | Jr. | 6-0, 210 | The former Utah quarterback has stabilized the passing game for Colorado after some early struggles. He’s thrown for 699 yards and four touchdowns but also has five interceptions. He shouldn’t be looking over his shoulder this week in terms of his job.
JaQuail Smith | So. | Jr. | 5-9, 170 | Colorado is going to use two different backs as they search for a combination that works. Smith is the leading rusher with 259 yards but hasn’t scored a touchdown. Expect to see Micah Welch as well.
Joseph Williams | WR | Jr. | 6-2, 200 | Williams has been the leading receiver all season, though DeAndre Moore Jr. has been a solid complement. Williams leads the team with 37 catches, 508 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll make the big plays for the Buffs.
Santana Hopper | DL | Sr. | 6-2, 265 | Just one of several pieces of one of the best defensive lines in the Big 12, Hopper transferred in from Tulane and has been valuable up front. He has 20 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season. He has 20 or more tackles for the fourth straight season.
Gideon Lampron | LB | Sr. | 6-0, 200 | The linebacker is the team’s second leading tackler — and his middle name appears to be ESPN. After a huge season at Bowling Green in 2025, in which he had 119 tackles, he’s picked up right where he left off and has 51 tackles with Colorado. He also has 1.5 sacks. The defensive line paves the way for this guy to make plays.
Outlook
Sanders entered the season having turned over both his offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. He also had to completely remake his defense in the transfer portal. Even though the Buffaloes’ defensive numbers are average, this unit plays above average football, especially along the defensive line.
Morris was complimentary of the pass rush and the run-stopping ability earlier this week. The defense is part of the reason the Buffaloes have lost two of their three Big 12 games by less than two touchdowns.
The offense is the bigger issue. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s “Go Go” offense has been stop and go parts of this season. Quarterback Julian Lewis showed an inability to run the offense at its full potential which is why Isaac Wilson is now the starter. Wilson has helped Colorado move the football better, but he's turnover prone. That's something the Cowboys could use to their advantage on Saturday.
Oklahoma State Scout
Head Coach
Eric Morris | First Season at Oklahoma State and eighth season as head coach
Record: 4-2 at Oklahoma State and 50-36 overall.
Oklahoma State Players to Watch
Drew Mestemaker | QB | r-So. | 6-3, 215 | Mestemaker has thrown for 300 or more yards in each of his last five games and, aside from the interceptions — he has six — it’s been a stellar season for the third-year collegiate. He enters homecoming with 1.940 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s coming off rushing for 34 yards against Houston.
Caleb Hawkins | RB | So. | 6-0, 219 | Hawkins is one of the steadiest running backs in college football. He had nearly 200 yards in total offense last week in Houston as he caught seven passes for 125 yards and a score. But he’s a rusher first, as he’s gained 592 yards on the ground with two touchdowns.
Wyatt Young | WR | Jr. | 6-0, 199 | Young has broken a big play in practically every game this season, with his 52-yarder against Houston being the latest. He’s quick, versatile and has 32 receptions for 561 yards and five touchdowns. When times get tough, he’s the receiver Mestemaker is looking for.
Justin Bowick | WR | r-Sr. | 6-5, 209 | For a receiver that had no previous experience with Mestemaker and this offense before this season, he fits like a glove. He’s caught 29 passes for 469 yards and six touchdowns. He’s carving out a place for himself in the NFL each week.
Ethan Wesloski | LB | r-Sr. | 6-1, 234 | No, he didn’t have 17 tackles for the third straight game against Houston. But he remains the team’s leading tackler with 62 and now has 1.5 sacks. The Cowboys are using him in blitz packages more and he brings life to this defense every week.
LaDainian Fields | DE | r-Sr. | 6-1, 176 | Fields didn’t start against Houston, but he played more snaps than any other cornerback on the team and he picked off his second pass of the season. It’s not clear why he didn’t start, but that shouldn’t be an issue going forward. He’s the team’s best all-around cornerback and should be in the starting lineup the rest of the season.
Outlook
Morris said the Cowboys took a different approach to telling their players the truth this week as opposed to their Week 1 loss against Tulsa. Everything broke down against the Golden Hurricane and Morris felt the need to reset. After the Houston loss, he focused on certain plays to let his players know just how close they were to getting it right. But there were breakdowns, and he talked about the idea of there being “10 players on the field” on some plays.
The Cowboys lost safety Mose Phillips III for the season this week and Evan Jackson is the expected starter at that position. The Cowboys need to show that their secondary can bounce back from a performance in which it allowed five touchdown passes. It's not all on that unit. The Cowboys need better pass rush and Morris talked about that as well. Oklahoma State blitzed to more last week than it has all season and it didn’t mean much against Houston.
Offensively, Morris likes where the Cowboys are at but their struggles in the red zone and in short yardage continue and he joked earlier this week that he's taking suggestions. But so long as quarterback Drew Mestemkaer is operating the offense at a high level, Oklahoma State has a chance to win every game. The next three games against Colorado, Iowa State and Kansas State are critical to staying in the race to get to the Big 12 Championship Game.
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