Iowa State used a monster day from wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson to shock No. 8 Oklahoma State 24-21 on Saturday and hand the Cowboys their first loss of the season. Down three points with three minutes remaining, Oklahoma State had one last chance to drive and either tie or win the game. However, Iowa State stood up by stopping OSU receiver Brennan Presley on fourth-and-2 to clinch the game.
Hutchinson managed to get behind Oklahoma State’s outstanding defense all day and cause issues, catching 12 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. On one occasion, a long touchdown of his was called back by a controversial excessive celebration penalty, but he scored a touchdown anyway a few plays later.
Running backs Jaylen Warren of Oklahoma State and Breece Hall of Iowa State came into this game among the leading rushers in America, but each were held to 76 yards or fewer as both elite defenses had success stopping the run. Iowa State defensive lineman Will McDonald had another tremendous game with 2 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
After entering the season at No. 7, Iowa State fell against No. 11 Iowa and No. 20 Baylor early, seeing them tumble from the polls. However, many efficiency metrics still showed Iowa State as being among the best teams in the country, especially after doubling Iowa’s yardage. Iowa State came into the matchup against the No. 8 Pokes as a seven-point favorite, the first unranked touchdown favorite against a top-10 opponent since 1998.
Oklahoma State played with fire in nonconference play — beating Missouri State, Tulsa and Boise State by a combined 13 points. The Cowboys turned things around in conference play, though, with wins over Kansas State, Baylor and Texas, all of which were ranked at the time. The 6-0 start was enough to launch OSU up to No. 8 in the rankings.
The Iowa State win throws the race for the Big 12 title game into chaos. Baylor, Oklahoma State and Iowa State all now have one loss in conference. Each one also has a win over one of the others – ISU over OSU, OSU over Baylor, Baylor over ISU. Oklahoma has yet to play any of these three teams, so a trip to the title game is well within reach for any of the four contenders.
