For the second consecutive game, Oregon wound up in a dogfight with an unranked opponent, but the sixth-ranked Ducks had no fourth-quarter escape act this time.
The result was the biggest upset yet in the 2026 college football season.
Oklahoma State had all the late-game heroics in a stunning 39-31 victory in Stillwater, Oklahoma, its first win in more than a year. The Cowboys went winless in the Big 12 last year during a 1-11 season.
Oklahoma State, which was a 24.5-point underdog after losing 24-10 to Tulsa in Week 1, had lost 12 consecutive games and became the first team in FBS history to snap a losing streak of at least 10 games by beating a top-10 team.
SCENES IN STILLWATER pic.twitter.com/qpDWrA6Rmj
— Oklahoma State Athletics (@OSUAthletics) September 12, 2026
“Everybody counted them out,” Cowboys first-year coach Eric Morris said, his voice breaking as fans stormed the field at Boone Pickens Stadium. “Told them how bad they were. I’m proud of those kids. This is so cool to be told they’re not good enough, and then they come out and fight for it. So happy for our fans and everybody involved.”
Oregon was undone by mistakes in the fourth quarter, the last being a fumble by running back Dierre Hill Jr.
The Ducks were also unable to convert on a fourth and 8 from their 33 with 7 minutes to play while trailing 36-31. Oklahoma State kicked a field goal.
WHAT A MOMENT IN STILLWATER! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/etA6Tgfznt
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 12, 2026
Oregon (281 yards) was nearly doubled in total offense by Oklahoma State (554 yards), which had twice as many first downs (25 to Oregon’s 12).
“It wasn’t close in a lot of ways,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We got our ass kicked in a lot of areas. Credit to Coach Morris and his staff.”
The loss might have marked the end of Oregon quarterback Dante Moore’s Heisman Trophy candidacy. With the ESPN broadcast reporting 20 scouts from 13 NFL teams were on hand to watch the potential first pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, Moore completed only 5 of 15 passes for 45 yards in the first half.
He bounced back with two touchdowns in the second half but was outplayed by Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who threw for two TDs and 317 yards.
“He’s a dog,” Morris said. “That kid never wavered, believes in himself. Made some big-time throws. There’ll be some talk now that he might be the No. 1 quarterback in this year’s class. Phenomenal performance.”
Just be Drew.
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) September 12, 2026
📺: ESPNEWS | @DrewMestemaker pic.twitter.com/hen68zV71R
Mestemaker put Oklahoma State ahead for good on a 10-yard TD scramble that had shades of Fernando Mendoza’s airborne score in last year’s national championship win for Indiana.
“I was like I’m letting it fly,” Mestemaker said. “I just leaped and felt like I was in the air for a year, and I landed really hard, but I don’t care. as long as I got in the end zone.
“Everyone on this team has been counted out their whole career; that’s what makes this team special. I believe in these guys. They’re built for these moments.”
Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Young (10) scores a touchdown as Oregon’s Davon Benjamin (5) defends first half of the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Oregon Ducks at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 12, 2026.
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Last week, Oregon fell behind to 25-point underdog Boise State before rallying for a 34-27 win over the Broncos.
That dropped Oregon from second to sixth in the rankings, and the plummet will continue next week.
Last year Oregon beat Oklahoma State 69-3, its biggest win over a Power Four team.
The Ducks previously were 35-0 against unranked teams under coach Dan Lanning, and they had a 12-game road win streak snapped that had been the longest in the country.
The game was delayed by 90 minutes because of lightning and thunderstorms around Stillwater, Oklahoma.
