3 takeaways from BYU’s season-ending loss to Oklahoma State

BYU watched its bowl hopes slip away in a 40-34 double-overtime loss to No. 20 Oklahoma State on Saturday.

The Cougars led 24-6 at halftime but were stagnant in the second half and overpowered by the Cowboys down the stretch in losing one final time this season.

Here are three takeaways from BYU’s fifth straight loss, one that dropped the Cougars to 5-7 on the season:

The Cowboys, and Ollie Gordon, took over

After Oklahoma State went the first half without finding the end zone, the Cowboys scored five touchdowns — all courtesy of star running back Ollie Gordon II — in the second half and overtime.

Gordon’s third score — a 15-yarder — put the Cowboys ahead in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Once the game got to overtime, Gordon added two more touchdowns, including the game-winning 2-yarder in the second OT.

Gordon, who entered the contest leading the nation in rushing yards per game, ended up running for 166 yards on 34 carries.

He ran for 77 yards in the first half and had 89 over the final two quarters and overtime, as BYU’s defense wore down after a solid first half.

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BYU’s second-half offensive woes wipe out a strong second quarter

BYU led by three scores at halftime after outscoring Oklahoma State 17-0 in the second quarter. The Cougars’ offense accounted for 10 of those points, while the defense also scored (more on that in a minute).

BYU marched 89 yards in six plays on a late second-half touchdown drive to go ahead 21-6 on the offense’s most impressive moment of the night — Jake Retzlaff completed passes of 25 and 50 yards on the possession, which ended with an 11-yard Keelan Marion touchdown run on a jet sweep.

The Cougars later scored a field goal after a successful fake punt — a 36-yard pass to Tyler Batty — put BYU in prime position to add to its lead with a 42-yard Will Ferrin field goal.

For all of the positive momentum BYU built in the first half offensively — BYU had 202 yards of total offense to 169 for OSU in the first two quarters — the Cougars went in reverse in the second half.

BYU picked up just two first downs in the second half and totaled 56 yards on offense on six straight drives — all punts — before a drive in the final minute of regulation ended with a 48-yard Ferrin field goal that forced overtime.

By the time BYU was able to score on a Retzlaff 6-yard touchdown run in the first overtime, though, the Cougars were already backpedaling with OSU taking momentum squarely onto their side.

The game ended with BYU’s second turnover of the night — an Isaac Rex fumble on the game’s final play. Trey Rucker stripped the ball away as Rex fought for a first down.

In his fourth straight start, Retzlaff completed just 14 of 30 passes for 161 yards and lost a fumble on BYU’s second offensive play, as the Cougars went three-and-out on six of their 14 possessions.

BYU’s defense simply wore down

Give credit to Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman — he overcame a rough first half to complete 31 of 47 passes for 321 yards.

Eddie Heckard intercepted Bowman twice, and the first was a 13-yard pick-six in the second quarter that gave BYU a 14-6 lead.

Heckard’s second interception ended a promising drive in BYU territory in the third quarter.

There were other positive moments for the Cougar defense, like holding Oklahoma State to two first-half field goals and Batty’s third-quarter sack that led to a punt after the Cowboys had reached the BYU 30-yard line.

Far too often, though, the Cougars couldn’t make plays at critical moments in the second half, like a fourth-and-2 conversion for Oklahoma State near midfield that led to Gordon’s go-ahead touchdown in the final minute.

The Cowboys ran 88 plays to BYU’s 69, and eventually, Oklahoma State took control.

The Cougars were also called for pass interferences three times in the end zone, and each time it led to a short Gordon touchdown.

By game’s end, the Cowboys had put up 509 yards of total offense and earned their way into the Big 12 championship with the win.

What’s next?

Season over.

BYU once stood at 5-2 before heading into the most difficult portion of their schedule. After an early October bye, though, the Cougars never won again, as they lost five straight to end the season.

For just the second time in 19 years, BYU won’t be playing in a bowl.