Oklahoma State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: OSU-UCF
October 10, 2026 | Cowboy Football
Postgame Quote Sheet:
Oklahoma State 42, UCF 28
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
Stillwater, Okla. | Boone Pickens Stadium
Eric Morris, OSU head coach…
Opening Statement:
"I thought we needed to challenge those guys at halftime… I thought we weren't very good on the perimeter at setting edges of our defense early… They hurt us with a lot of perimeter runs and quick passes, the quarterback did a nice job getting the ball into space and making us tackle… A weird flow for just the entire game, they controlled the clock for a bunch of the game… In the second half, you could tell they wanted to keep our offense off the field…They huddled, they slowed the game down which is not their M.O… I thought we did a nice job of stopping the inside run… We knew these backs were very good, but I thought that's where the momentum shifted… It was back-and-forth the entire game and it was a really head's-up play by Evan (Jackson), he was Johnny-on-the-spot, and we teach that… Kudos to the referee staff for letting that play out on the touchdown."
… On linebackers Tate Romney and Ethan Wesloski:
"Such a blessing to have those two guys side-by-side… They're both extremely old and have played a ton of football… They're really smart and I think they feed off one another… They communicate at a high level and they're responsible for getting everyone lined up… Those guys have been phenomenal for us all year and I thought (Isaiah) Chisom also had some nice plays late in the game and so those three guys have done a nice job for us."
… On receiver Justin Bowick:
"He's a big target… I think the trust that he's built with Drew (Mestemaker) and especially with everything over the middle and those crossers and that one-handed catch was phenomenal, I'm excited to see the playback of that… A combination of his size, his speed and how much better he's gotten at big, strong hands… I watch him every day at practice and if he's not in a special teams drill, he's always over working on the JUGS machine trying to strengthen his hands and so he's done a nice job."
… On momentum keeping their momentum going through last week's bye:
"I'll take wins over losses any way, any form… I don't care how many rushing yards, how many passing yards, what our totals look like… That's for everyone else to talk about… This team is growing and learning how to win in different ways which I'm super proud of… There's going to be so much to clean up, but we've got to reset really fast and get ready to go on the road and hopefully be a top-25 matchup at Houston at night."
… On quarterback Drew Mestemaker avoiding turnovers:
"I thought his ball placement and his eyes were phenomenal today and even in the RPO game, I let him check the majority of RPOs and I thought he had a great two weeks of preparation and that was emphasized in the quarterback room by Coach Brophy… He didn't put the ball in harm's way the entire game and so it's a testament to him, he made some unbelievable throws and was able to keep us ahead of the chains and I thought he managed the game really well."
Scott Frost, UCF head coach….
… On Oklahoma State and quarterback Drew Mestemaker:
"They're a good team. I'll be surprised if [Mestemaker] is in college next year. Some of the plays and throws that he made, when you see that happen, you know what kind of guy they got. I thought it was two pretty evenly-matched teams. I think they executed and made a few more plays than we did. We can't have a catastrophic play like that, particularly on the road against a good team. If you take that one away, I don't know what the game looks like."
… On the play from quarterback Keyone Jenkins:
"Keyone is getting more and more comfortable, which makes us more comfortable with the game going faster… In the second quarter he hit on some passes and put them in the right place and we got pass interference. He was still 23-of-29. We didn't bring him in here to be the starter. He's done an unbelievable job in the situation he was put into. We're really glad we have him and he's a good player."
… On UCFs run game against OSU's defense:
"They kind of played a little differently than we thought. We thought we'd be able to pop our running backs around the corner. We did a few times and other times they got wide and made Jenkins keep the ball. He's an efficient runner. He's quick and he can make you miss. He can get you five or six yards really easily. I thought he did a good job. I think we were better on the third downs today."
… On OSU and head coach Eric Morris:
"I would say hats off to Oklahoma State. [Eric Morris] has done a good job coming in. I've never been here before. It's a cool environment and the people are really nice. He's done a good job."
Drew Mestemaker, OSU redshirt sophomore quarterback…
… On what it means to elevate the program:
"Yeah, it's awesome. I'm glad to be a part of it. This place is a real deal. I feel like we're a force to be reckoned with, honestly, and I'm glad we're making Oklahoma State what it usually is."
… On Caleb Hawkins' response after fumbling on the opening drive:
"Caleb's not a huge rah rah guy, and he is not really going to say much. Coach Morris is a coach to get it back in playmaker's hands after you make a mistake. I knew Caleb would be locked in from there on in the game, and he was. He was making guys miss and falling forward like he always does."
Morgan McPhaul, OSU redshirt senior tight end…
… On OSU's the tight end group:
"Yeah, we're all pretty different. Carson [Kolb] is the guy, but we all bring different things to the table. I am a shorter, heavier guy and [Kolb] is a taller, longer guy. So we've got different roles, and [Coach] Svoboda asks us to do kind of the same thing sometimes, but I think it's pretty cool that we're all coming together to do this."
… On Evan Jackson's scoop and score:
"I thought it was incomplete, to be honest, but I was excited for him. He stepped up today. He's somebody that hadn't played a whole lot this year and he's a dude and he's gonna play a lot this year. So awesome for him and I'm excited for him."
Evan Jackson, OSU senior safety…
… On his fumble return touchdown in the fourth quarter:
"Kind of at a loss for words. I scooped it, the crowd was kind of silent for a little bit and then as I'm running, you just hear a big pop from the crowd."
Luke Webb, OSU redshirt sophomore defensive tackle…
… On the fourth down stop with 8:55 to play:
"It kind of looked like it was going to be passed, but something just told me he was going to run it up the middle and I was like, all right, here we go, and I just went forward. I yanked myself back through and just barely got him on the leg."
… On keeping UCF ball carriers from getting to the edge:
"We just have to run to the ball, as the defensive line. There's a couple plays that, I mean, I made tackles on the outside; you've just got to get there."
Tackett Curtis, UCF senior linebacker…
… On whether the team ran out of gas in the second half:
"I don't know if I'd say we ran out of gas, I just don't think we were executing as good as we needed to (in order) to come out with a win."
… on the importance of the upcoming bye week:
"I think it will help us a lot, just because we have a lot of players banged up right now. Having a whole week for those guys to heal up and be ready helps us a lot."
… on halftime adjustments:
"We knew that we were going to have to make a play if we wanted to finish the game out and win it, especially on the road… You have to execute and then maybe get another turnover, make a big play in order to win a game."
… On facing OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker and the OSU offene:
"He is a good player, and he was definitely a tough challenge for us, and he played really well today."
… On frustration with the loss:
"Yeah, we definitely wanted to come out with a win today, but we know we need to get better,"
Keyone Jenkins, UCF senior quarterback…
… On the halftime message:
"We just knew that we were going to have to come out and make plays if we wanted to finish the game out and win it, especially on the road. You have got to execute, and we knew we were going to have to make up another turnover or make a big play (in order) to win."
… On getting some key pieces back after the bye week:
"I'm really excited about it because I think we've got some players that can make a big impact. They're out right now and having those guys on the field helps us out a lot."
…Hitting the halfway point of the season and his expectations for the second half:
"I think that if we go into this bye week and use it to improve as much as we can to our advantage, then I think we will be having a bright future."
Oklahoma State 42, UCF 28
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
Stillwater, Okla. | Boone Pickens Stadium
Eric Morris, OSU head coach…
Opening Statement:
"I thought we needed to challenge those guys at halftime… I thought we weren't very good on the perimeter at setting edges of our defense early… They hurt us with a lot of perimeter runs and quick passes, the quarterback did a nice job getting the ball into space and making us tackle… A weird flow for just the entire game, they controlled the clock for a bunch of the game… In the second half, you could tell they wanted to keep our offense off the field…They huddled, they slowed the game down which is not their M.O… I thought we did a nice job of stopping the inside run… We knew these backs were very good, but I thought that's where the momentum shifted… It was back-and-forth the entire game and it was a really head's-up play by Evan (Jackson), he was Johnny-on-the-spot, and we teach that… Kudos to the referee staff for letting that play out on the touchdown."
… On linebackers Tate Romney and Ethan Wesloski:
"Such a blessing to have those two guys side-by-side… They're both extremely old and have played a ton of football… They're really smart and I think they feed off one another… They communicate at a high level and they're responsible for getting everyone lined up… Those guys have been phenomenal for us all year and I thought (Isaiah) Chisom also had some nice plays late in the game and so those three guys have done a nice job for us."
… On receiver Justin Bowick:
"He's a big target… I think the trust that he's built with Drew (Mestemaker) and especially with everything over the middle and those crossers and that one-handed catch was phenomenal, I'm excited to see the playback of that… A combination of his size, his speed and how much better he's gotten at big, strong hands… I watch him every day at practice and if he's not in a special teams drill, he's always over working on the JUGS machine trying to strengthen his hands and so he's done a nice job."
… On momentum keeping their momentum going through last week's bye:
"I'll take wins over losses any way, any form… I don't care how many rushing yards, how many passing yards, what our totals look like… That's for everyone else to talk about… This team is growing and learning how to win in different ways which I'm super proud of… There's going to be so much to clean up, but we've got to reset really fast and get ready to go on the road and hopefully be a top-25 matchup at Houston at night."
… On quarterback Drew Mestemaker avoiding turnovers:
"I thought his ball placement and his eyes were phenomenal today and even in the RPO game, I let him check the majority of RPOs and I thought he had a great two weeks of preparation and that was emphasized in the quarterback room by Coach Brophy… He didn't put the ball in harm's way the entire game and so it's a testament to him, he made some unbelievable throws and was able to keep us ahead of the chains and I thought he managed the game really well."
Scott Frost, UCF head coach….
… On Oklahoma State and quarterback Drew Mestemaker:
"They're a good team. I'll be surprised if [Mestemaker] is in college next year. Some of the plays and throws that he made, when you see that happen, you know what kind of guy they got. I thought it was two pretty evenly-matched teams. I think they executed and made a few more plays than we did. We can't have a catastrophic play like that, particularly on the road against a good team. If you take that one away, I don't know what the game looks like."
… On the play from quarterback Keyone Jenkins:
"Keyone is getting more and more comfortable, which makes us more comfortable with the game going faster… In the second quarter he hit on some passes and put them in the right place and we got pass interference. He was still 23-of-29. We didn't bring him in here to be the starter. He's done an unbelievable job in the situation he was put into. We're really glad we have him and he's a good player."
… On UCFs run game against OSU's defense:
"They kind of played a little differently than we thought. We thought we'd be able to pop our running backs around the corner. We did a few times and other times they got wide and made Jenkins keep the ball. He's an efficient runner. He's quick and he can make you miss. He can get you five or six yards really easily. I thought he did a good job. I think we were better on the third downs today."
… On OSU and head coach Eric Morris:
"I would say hats off to Oklahoma State. [Eric Morris] has done a good job coming in. I've never been here before. It's a cool environment and the people are really nice. He's done a good job."
Drew Mestemaker, OSU redshirt sophomore quarterback…
… On what it means to elevate the program:
"Yeah, it's awesome. I'm glad to be a part of it. This place is a real deal. I feel like we're a force to be reckoned with, honestly, and I'm glad we're making Oklahoma State what it usually is."
… On Caleb Hawkins' response after fumbling on the opening drive:
"Caleb's not a huge rah rah guy, and he is not really going to say much. Coach Morris is a coach to get it back in playmaker's hands after you make a mistake. I knew Caleb would be locked in from there on in the game, and he was. He was making guys miss and falling forward like he always does."
Morgan McPhaul, OSU redshirt senior tight end…
… On OSU's the tight end group:
"Yeah, we're all pretty different. Carson [Kolb] is the guy, but we all bring different things to the table. I am a shorter, heavier guy and [Kolb] is a taller, longer guy. So we've got different roles, and [Coach] Svoboda asks us to do kind of the same thing sometimes, but I think it's pretty cool that we're all coming together to do this."
… On Evan Jackson's scoop and score:
"I thought it was incomplete, to be honest, but I was excited for him. He stepped up today. He's somebody that hadn't played a whole lot this year and he's a dude and he's gonna play a lot this year. So awesome for him and I'm excited for him."
Evan Jackson, OSU senior safety…
… On his fumble return touchdown in the fourth quarter:
"Kind of at a loss for words. I scooped it, the crowd was kind of silent for a little bit and then as I'm running, you just hear a big pop from the crowd."
Luke Webb, OSU redshirt sophomore defensive tackle…
… On the fourth down stop with 8:55 to play:
"It kind of looked like it was going to be passed, but something just told me he was going to run it up the middle and I was like, all right, here we go, and I just went forward. I yanked myself back through and just barely got him on the leg."
… On keeping UCF ball carriers from getting to the edge:
"We just have to run to the ball, as the defensive line. There's a couple plays that, I mean, I made tackles on the outside; you've just got to get there."
Tackett Curtis, UCF senior linebacker…
… On whether the team ran out of gas in the second half:
"I don't know if I'd say we ran out of gas, I just don't think we were executing as good as we needed to (in order) to come out with a win."
… on the importance of the upcoming bye week:
"I think it will help us a lot, just because we have a lot of players banged up right now. Having a whole week for those guys to heal up and be ready helps us a lot."
… on halftime adjustments:
"We knew that we were going to have to make a play if we wanted to finish the game out and win it, especially on the road… You have to execute and then maybe get another turnover, make a big play in order to win a game."
… On facing OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker and the OSU offene:
"He is a good player, and he was definitely a tough challenge for us, and he played really well today."
… On frustration with the loss:
"Yeah, we definitely wanted to come out with a win today, but we know we need to get better,"
Keyone Jenkins, UCF senior quarterback…
… On the halftime message:
"We just knew that we were going to have to come out and make plays if we wanted to finish the game out and win it, especially on the road. You have got to execute, and we knew we were going to have to make up another turnover or make a big play (in order) to win."
… On getting some key pieces back after the bye week:
"I'm really excited about it because I think we've got some players that can make a big impact. They're out right now and having those guys on the field helps us out a lot."
…Hitting the halfway point of the season and his expectations for the second half:
"I think that if we go into this bye week and use it to improve as much as we can to our advantage, then I think we will be having a bright future."
Players Mentioned
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DT
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