A week ago, the Eric Morris era in Stillwater was DOA.
Now, the Big 12 is on notice.
In one of the biggest early-season swings in the history of college sports — let alone college football — the Oklahoma State Cowboys defeated the Oregon Ducks 39-31 on Sept. 12 to topple a top-10 team, just a week after losing to Tulsa.
The fans, who endured a rain delay that was about an hour and a half long, seized the opportunity, storming the field when the clock hit triple zeroes after Drew Mestemaker kneeled it out.
Let the celebrations start for Oklahoma State One of the biggest shocks in recent memory After losing 69-3 to them last year, they take down #6 Oregon!
pic.twitter.com/ea8zGgTaNZ
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthewCFB) September 12, 2026
While field storming has become a bit passe in recent years, Stillwater had plenty of reasons to ripple after the win. The Cowboys hadn't won a game in 380 days, and hadn't won an FBS game since 2024. Mike Gundy's firing last season raised questions about who would supplant one of college football's eminent personalities, and the hiring of Morris sparked hope for myriad reasons, not least of which was the package deal of his quarterback at North Texas last season, Drew Mestemaker.
That hype was derailed by a 24-10 loss to Tulsa, the Cowboys' second-straight loss to the Golden Hurricane — and rock bottom. But what were once thought to be rocks turned out to be ashes, from which Morris and the Cowboys arose in Week 2.
Now comes the hard part: Even with that loss to Tulsa on the ledger, the expectations will arise, particularly when Big 12 play starts Sept. 26. But for now, it's a party in Stillwater. They just need to get the fans off the field.
Will Oklahoma State be fined for field storming?
The Big 12 has been fairly inconsistent in its punishment of field storming in recent years. Arizona State was issued a $50,000 fine last year and publicly reprimanded after beating Texas Tech last season. Colorado was also fined $50,000 for storming the field after beating Iowa State, but that fine was later rescinded.
While the standard fine is $50,000, there seems to be a case-by-case nature to the conference's application of the rule, specifically around whether teams follow safety procedures before storming the field.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma State storms field after stunning Oregon for Eric Morris' first win
