Homecoming weekend in Stillwater didn’t go as planned for the Cowboys as Oklahoma State fell to No. 24 Cincinnati, 49-17.

After a slow start, Rodney Fields Jr. gave OSU fans something to cheer about with a 20-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 28-17. The Cowboys looked poised for a comeback, but Cincinnati slammed the door in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on turnovers to pull away.

The Bearcats exploded for 21 unanswered points in the final frame, fueled by two costly OSU mistakes. A 100yard pick-six by the Bearcats came just as the Cowboys were driving to make it a twoscore game, sealing the defeat.

Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby led the charge with 270 passing yards and four total touchdowns, guiding a Bearcat offense that piled up over 425 yards.

Despite the score, OSU showed flashes of promise under new play-caller Kevin Johns. The Cowboys racked up over 375 total yards, including 225 on the ground. Fields Jr. was the workhorse, rushing for 163 yards and a touchdown on the night, while Sam Jackson V threw for 145 yards but was bitten by the costly interception returned for a score.

Red-zone turnovers and a failed fourth-down attempt deep in Cincinnati territory ultimately proved too much to overcome. With the loss, Oklahoma State falls to 1-6 on the season and has now dropped 13 straight Big 12 games dating back to last year.

The Cowboys will look to regroup next week when they hit the road to face Texas Tech, hoping to reignite some of that Cowboy pride.