Oklahoma State opened with fireworks and a trick-play touchdown, but the Cowboys couldn’t sustain the early momentum in a 3917 loss to Houston on Saturday.

The game started with a bang when wideout Shamar Rigby caught a lateral from quarterback Sam Jackson V and launched a deep strike to Rodney Fields, who was wide open in the secondary for a 63-yard touchdown. It was a perfectly executed double pass that stunned the Cougars and gave OSU the early lead.

But after that, Houston’s offense caught fire behind quarterback Conner Weigman, who threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another. The Cougars put together back-to-back scoring drives in the second quarter to take control at halftime, 24-10.

Despite being shorthanded at quarterback, the Cowboys kept fighting. Converted receiver Sam Jackson V showed grit under pressure, completing seven of 16 passes for 84 yards while stepping in for injured starters Zane Flores and Hauss Hejny.

In the fourth quarter, Noah Walters entered the game and immediately sparked life into the offense. He engineered a 75yard drive that ended with a laser to Gavin Freeman for a 33-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit late.

The Cowboys’ defense had strong moments, forcing several key third-down stops, but Houston’s balanced attack proved too much down the stretch. Dean Connors added both a rushing and receiving touchdown, while kicker Ethan Sanchez booted four field goals to seal the win for the Cougars (5-1, 2-1 Big 12).

For Oklahoma State (1-5, 0-3), the flashes of creativity on offense and resilience in the fourth quarter showed promise as interim coach Doug Meacham continued to rally a young, injury-depleted roster. The Cowboys will look to bounce back next week and turn those big plays into four quarters of consistent football.