OSU hosts No. 6 Oregon in Big Ten’s first trip to Stillwater

Saturday, September 12

Stillwater, OK

11 a.m. CT

Oklahoma State University

Oregon

Tickets From $125 - $745

Photo by: OSU Athletics

OSU hosts No. 6 Oregon in Big Ten’s first trip to Stillwater

September 08, 2026 | Cowboy Football

Complete notes available here

The Basics
The Oklahoma State football team (0-1 overall; 0-0 Big 12) hosts No. 6 Oregon (1-0 overall; 0-0 Big Ten) in the Cowboys' 2026 home opener at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, September 12, at Boone Pickens Stadium. It marks the highest-ranked non-conference opponent to visit Stillwater since 1978 and the first time a sitting member of the Big Ten has played at OSU.

Single-Game Tickets Sold Out - Limited Number of Season Tickets Still Available
Single-game tickets for Saturday's home opener sold out August 27, but fans can still secure their ticket through a limited number of season ticket packages or by purchasing through SeatGeek, the official secondary partner of OSU Athletics. Single-game inventory for OSU's Homecoming matchup with Colorado is also sold out, and the single-game inventory for OSU's other four home games is moving quickly. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets soon to secure their spot at Boone Pickens Stadium this season. Tickets are available at www.okstate.com/tickets or by contacting the ticket office at 877-ALL-4-OSU.

On the Air
The game will be televised live on ESPN with Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Taylor McGregor on the call. It will also be carried live on the Cowboy Radio Network, with Dave Hunziker handling play-by-play, John Holcomb providing analysis and Deion Imade reporting from the sideline. Fans outside of the Cowboy Radio Network can listen to the OSU broadcast for free through The Varsity Network app.

A Historic First: The Big Ten Comes to Stillwater
Now in its 127th season of college football, Oklahoma State has hosted 115 different opponents in its history. Until this weekend, not one opponent has been a member of the Big Ten during its trip to Stillwater. OSU has hosted several programs who have since moved to the Big Ten, including Nebraska (20 times from 1961-2010), Washington (1980) and UCLA (2002), but Oregon - also making its first trip to Stillwater - is the first sitting member to play at OSU.

The Highest-Ranked Non-Conference AP Opponent in Stillwater Since 1978
OSU has hosted 53 AP Top-10 opponents in its history, but the vast majority of those (46) have been against conference opponents. Saturday's matchup with Oregon marks the highest AP-ranked non-conference opponent to visit Stillwater since a matchup with No. 2 Arkansas on September 23, 1978. The last time any top-six team visited was when OSU defeated No. 6 Texas in 2018 and the last time any top-10 team visited was when OSU defeated No. 10 Oklahoma in 2023. This week's matchup also marks the highest AP-ranked team OSU has played, regardless of location, since defeating No. 5 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2022.

30 Straight Home Opener Wins - The Longest Active Streak in the Nation
Oklahoma State has won 30 consecutive home openers to rank as the longest active streak in the nation and the longest such streak in school and Big 12 history. The only longer streaks since 1979 are Ohio State's 35 straight from 1979-2013 and Florida's 34 straight from 1990-2023. Oklahoma State's streak includes wins over Georgia, Washington State, Houston, Mississippi State and more.

Longest Active Home Opener Winning Streaks

Rk	Team	Streak	First Win	Last Win
1.	Oklahoma State	30	8/31/1996	8/28/2025
2.	Alabama	25	8/31/2002	9/5/2026
	Cincinnati	25	9/2/2002	9/5/2026
4.	Oregon	22	9/10/2005	9/5/2026
	Air Force	22	9/10/2005	9/5/2026
6.	Oklahoma	21	9/2/2006	9/4/2026
7.	Miami (FL)	19	9/1/2007	8/31/2025

More on Home Openers
This season marks the first time since 2019 that Oklahoma State did not play its season opener at home. OSU's overall record in home openers is 91-29-5. Its active record streak of 30 consecutive wins is part of run where the Cowboys have won 50 of their past 56 home openers. Coach Eric Morris is 6-1 in home openers as a head coach, with his only loss coming against Cal during his first season at North Texas in 2023.

Boone Pickens Stadium's Recent History with AP Top-10 Opponents
Since 2010, Oklahoma State has hosted 11 teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll and has gone 7-4 in those matchups. Here's the list:

Date	Opponent	Result	Score	OSU Rank	Oppt. Rank
11/23/2013	BAYLOR	W	49-17	11	3
11/7/2015	TCU	W	49-29	12	5
11/21/2015	BAYLOR	L	35-45	4	10
11/28/2015	OKLAHOMA	L	23-58	9	5
10/29/2016	WEST VIRGINIA (HC)	W	37-20	RV	10
11/4/2017	OKLAHOMA	L	52-62	11	8
10/27/2018	TEXAS (HC)	W	38-35	NR	6
11/17/2018	WEST VIRGINIA	W	45-41	NR	7
11/30/2019	OKLAHOMA	L	16-34	21	7
11/27/2021	OKLAHOMA	W	37-33	7	10
11/4/2023	OKLAHOMA	W	27-24	RV	10

The Series
Saturday's game marks the third game between Oklahoma State and Oregon, with Oregon winning the 2008 Holiday Bowl and last year's meeting in Eugene. It also marks OSU's 15th game since 2000 against a team that is now in the Big Ten, with the Cowboys going 7-7 in those games. It marks Oregon's first trip to Stillwater and the first time that a sitting member of the Big Ten has played at OSU. Eric Morris has never faced Oregon or a Big Ten team as a head coach, and Oregon coach Dan Lanning is 1-0 in his career against Oklahoma State.

In the Rankings
The Oklahoma State football team is not ranked in the AP Top 25 or US LBM Coaches Poll, but it did receive votes in the preseason polls, reaching the equivalent of Nos. 34 and 37, respectively. With the exception of last year, the Cowboys have been ranked at some point in every season since 2008. Through the 2025 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 15 of the past 18 seasons and has reached the top 10 in 11 of those 18 years. Although the first College Football Playoff rankings won't be released until November, it's worth noting that OSU has been part of the CFP rankings in eight of the past 11 seasons entering 2026. The Cowboys have also been included in 43 of the all-time CFP Rankings, which ranks among the most appearances in the country. Oregon is ranked No. 6 in both polls.

Oklahoma State from a Distance
After not winning a conference game in 2024 or 2025, Oklahoma State essentially pushed the reset button for the 2026 season.

OSU brought in head coach Eric Morris from North Texas to take the reins of the Cowboy program, and he then brought in more than 40 new staff members and 91 new players to build a fresh foundation for the future. The 91 newcomers are strongly believed to be the most on one team in the history of major college football, surpassing Colorado's 87 in 2023. They came with experience, too, as the Cowboys added more than 45,000 Division I snaps of experience to bring their team total to nearly 55,000.

There are 21 players on OSU's roster who played for Morris at UNT, 18 of whom who were with the Mean Green last season. Of the 65 different players listed on the opening day depth chart, 14 were on last year's roster at UNT and two more were there two seasons ago.

The most recognizable names from that group are quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young. All three received national preseason recognition and were named among the top 100 players of the 2025 season by ESPN and in the top 100 transfer portal players for 2026 by CBS Sports.

There is plenty more to this team than UNT transfers, though. There are 24 returners from last year's Oklahoma State roster and 70 other newcomers who were added. The returning group is headlined by defensive end Jaleel Johnson, a fifth-year senior from Oklahoma City with a prototype NFL frame who has spent his entire college career at Oklahoma State. He's joined by safety Cameron Epps and defensive linemen DeSean Brown and Landon Dean as fifth-year, career Cowboys who appear on the two-deep. Defensive lineman Iman Oates, cornerback LaDainian Fields, defensive end Malik Charles and linebacker Trip White are also returners who could contribute in 2026.

Other newcomers who have garnered attention include linebackers Ethan Wesloski, Tate Romney and Isaiah Chisom, defensive linemen Braylon Rigsby, Jerry Lawson, James Williams and Saadiq Clements, defensive backs Quinton Hammonds, Evan Jackson and Christian Bodnar, running back Tre Page III, wide receivers Chris Barnes, Justin Bowick and Miles Coleman and offensive linemen Jacob Sexton and Tyler Mercer. Sexton was OSU's starting left tackle and was sidelined with an injury in the season opener at Tulsa.

The Eric Morris Era Begins
Eric Morris is in his inaugural season as Oklahoma State's head coach in 2026. He was named the 25th head coach in program history on November 25, 2025. An elite offensive mind and talent developer, Morris had been the head coach at North Texas since 2023. His hire marked the first time since 1969 that Oklahoma State hired a sitting head coach and the first time in school history OSU hired a sitting head coach from a school that is in the FBS. In three seasons at UNT, Morris built the Mean Green from a 5-7 record in his first season to a team that won 12 games in year three and reached a conference championship game with a College Football Playoff berth on the line. Those three seasons produced three of the top four seasons for total offense per game in North Texas history.

91 Newcomers Mark the Most in College Football History
The 2026 Oklahoma State roster features 91 newcomers, which is strongly believed to be the most on one team in the history of major college football, breaking the mark of 87 set by Colorado in 2023. Newcomers make up 79% of the 115-man roster. The team includes 66 new transfers, 24 returning players, 13 returning letterwinners, five players who had at least four OSU starts last season and 18 total players who had played in a game for Oklahoma State prior to 2026. The transfers arrived with a combined total of 45,088 total snaps of Division I experience.

A Top-10 Transfer Portal Class
Of those 91 newcomers, 66 are new transfers (57% of the team). That group makes up a transfer portal class that ranks No. 7 in the nation according to both The Athletic and 247Sports.

An Oklahoma State Win Would ...
• Mark its first win over an AP top-six team since defeating No. 5 Notre Dame on January 1, 2022.
• Mark its first win over an AP top-10 team since defeating No. 10 Oklahoma on November 4, 2023.
• Give it 31 consecutive wins in home openers, increasing the longest active streak in college football and the third-longest streak overall since at least 1979. The only longer streaks since 1979 are Ohio State's 35 straight from 1979-2013 and Florida's 34 straight from 1990-2023.
• Improve it to 8-4 at home against AP top-10 teams since 2010.
• Improve it to 24-19 in its past 43 matchups against AP top-25 opponents, dating to 2016.
• Make it 92-29-5 in home openers.
• Give it wins in 51 of its past 57 home openers.
• Improve Eric Morris to 1-1 as Oklahoma State's head coach.
• Improve Eric Morris to 7-1 in home openers, including three in a row.
• Improve Eric Morris to 47-35 in his head coaching career.
• Improve Eric Morris to 14-13 in non-conference games.
• Improve Eric Morris to 1-0 against Oregon.
• Improve its all-time record against Oregon to 1-2 and its record against Oregon in Stillwater to 1-0.
• Mark its 135th win since the beginning of the 2010 season, ranking among the top 15 in the FBS.
• Make it 30-8 in its past 38 non-conference games and 52-14 in its past 66 non-conference games.
• End the longest losing streak in program history at 12 games.

Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game
• OSU has won a program-record 30 consecutive home openers, which is the longest active streak in the FBS and the third-longest streak overall since at least 1979.
• Dating back to 2008, OSU is 83-14 when winning the turnover battle.
• Dating back to 2005, OSU is 50-7 when not committing a turnover.
• OSU has won 87 of its past 90 games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003. Including games when opponents have scored 20 points or fewer, OSU has won 95 of its past 99.
• OSU is 40-23 in its past 63 games decided by fewer than 10 points.
• OSU is 52-10 in its past 62 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.
• OSU has won five of its past seven overtime games.
• Drew Mestemaker has passed for at least 200 yards in 16-straight games - the longest active streak in the FBS. He's passed for at least 250 yards in five of his past six games.
• Mestemaker has thrown at least one touchdown in 15 of his past 16 games.
• Caleb Hawkins has scored multiple touchdowns in six of his past eight games. He's scored at least three touchdowns in five of his past seven.
• Hawkins has rushed for at least 100 yards in four of his past seven games.
• Wyatt Young has had more than 100 receiving yards in five of his past nine games.
• Israel Polk has at least one catch in each of his past 24 games played.
• Miles Coleman has at least one catch in each of his past 20 games played.
• Wyatt Young has at least one catch in each of his past 16 games played.
• Caleb Hawkins has at least one catch in each of his past 14 games played.
• Chris Barnes has at least one catch in each of his past 13 games played.
• Ethan Wesloski has made at least one tackle in 40 consecutive games, including every game he's played since the beginning of the 2023 season. He's had at least four tackles in 12 straight games.
• Jack Puckett has made at least one tackle in 34 of the 35 games of his career and at least three tackles in 30 games. He played at the Div. II level until 2026.
• Isaiah Chisom has made at least two tackles in 27 straight games.
• Quinton Hammonds has made at least two tackles in 12 straight games.
• Jaleel Johnson has made at least two tackles in 10 straight games
• Christian Bodnar has made at least three tackles in seven straight games.
• LaDainian Fields has started seven straight games for OSU, the longest streak of any player on the roster.