It wasn't an easy day for the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, as they battled back from a 17-7 deficit to the Boise State Broncos to take the lead, only for the Broncos to respond and twice tie the game in the second half. But in the end, the Ducks mustered up a 34-27 victory, preserving a 1-0 record heading into next week.
Oregon's Week 2 opponent, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, didn't have an easy go of it either in Week 1 — but the difference is that while they fell behind early, they never found a way to come back, losing 24-10 to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on the road. Not only are the Golden Hurricane a Group of Six team in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), but they reside in Oklahoma and are considered the "little brother" to the Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners.
Little brother no more, as Tulsa has now beaten Oklahoma State in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1950's.
It was a stunning result, as Oklahoma State was favored by two touchdowns coming in and had received top-25 buzz after hiring North Texas head coach Eric Morris, who brought along quarterback Drew Mestemaker (the nation's leading passer in 2025), running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young from the Mean Green — plus 63 other transfers, overhauling a roster that won just a single game last season.
With the trio of Mestemaker, Hawkins and Young that powered college football's top scoring offense at North Texas in 2025, their Week 2 matchup against Oregon in Stillwater was cooking up to be a highly-anticipated game between two explosive offenses. But the Cowboys were anything but explosive against the Golden Hurricane, producing just 10 points and four turnovers, with Mestemaker accounting for three (two interceptions, one lost fumble) himself.
Morris said it best in his postgame press conference: "We got a lot of problems to fix, obviously. We got (Oregon) coming to town next week and boy I tell you if they watch that film they’ll be licking their chops."
Last season's matchup in Eugene was a bloodbath, with the Ducks destroying the Cowboys 69-3. While the 2026 meeting takes place in Stillwater, and Oklahoma State does have a considerably more talented roster this year, it's looking like Oregon will be favored big once again.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oklahoma State falls to Tulsa, will face Oregon next
