EUGENE, OR — When the 2024 season ended with the worst loss in the 20-year head coaching career of Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, it seemed like the program could only go up from there.
But a fateful trip to Oregon proved otherwise.
The fifth-ranked Ducks handed OSU the program’s worst loss in more than a century, 69-3 on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
Here are five takeaways from the lopsided decision:
Oregon’s fast start overwhelms Pokes
The Ducks needed two offensive plays to score their first touchdown, but they weren’t happy with that, so on the next drive, they scored in half as many.
After three snaps, the Ducks led 13-0, on their way to scoring on six of their first seven possessions to give OSU its largest halftime deficit (41-3) of the Gundy era.
Of Oregon’s six scoring drives in the first half, only one took more than five plays, though all covered at least 63 yards.
By halftime, the Ducks had outgained OSU by 350 yards (473-123).
Oregon surpassed the 600-yard mark in the third quarter and pulled its starters midway through the period.
Pick-sixes pile up late
OSU quarterback Zane Flores hadn’t been perfect, but through the first half and most of the third quarter, he had avoided throwing the ball to the men in green.
That swung hard the other direction in a brief period late in the third.
Flores was intercepted on consecutive pass attempts, the first by Jerry Mixon and the second by Peyton Woodyard. Mixon returned his 26 yards for a touchdown and Woodyard took his 28 yards for a score.
Flores finished his first college start 7 of 19 for 67 yards.
OSU’s worst loss in over a century
That OSU field goal came up big.
Without it, historians would have been digging deeper into OSU’s past scores.
But thanks to the Logan Ward 23-yarder in the second quarter, OSU avoided what might’ve been its worst loss in program history.
Instead, this was OSU’s worst loss since 1907.
That November, OU defeated the Pokes 67-0.
OSU left tackle Markell Samuel absent
Not only did Flores’ first college start come on the road in one of the game’s most daunting environments as a four-touchdown underdog, it also came without his starting left tackle.
Markell Samuel, a super-senior transfer from Appalachian State, was seen on the sideline, walking with crutches.
Defensive end DeSean Brown is reportedly out for the year with a knee injury suffered against UT Martin last week. Neither tight end Oscar Hammond nor cornerback Jaylin Davies made the trip. Both missed last week’s game as well.
Offensive lineman Kasen Carpenter made the trip but did not play.
Time for a reboot
The saying that there’s never a bad time for an open week seemed like it might get tested by Oklahoma State with their first bye coming in Week 3.
But the Cowboys certainly seem to need a week off now.
OSU heads into an open week before closing out non-conference play against Tulsa with a Friday night game, Sept. 19 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
If there was ever a team in need of a reboot, it was this Cowboy squad after Saturday’s debacle.
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSU football suffers worst loss in more than century vs. Oregon Ducks
