Oklahoma State University Athletics
Football Upset by Tulsa
April 14, 2003 | Cowboy Football
The Golden Hurricane, 2-0 for the first time since 1991, had a 35-0 lead in the third quarter. Tulsa frustrated Oklahoma State (1-1) in the first half with quick-hitting passes, then ran the ball effectively to seal the victory.
Fitzgerald had 221 yards passing at halftime and wound up 23-of-36 for 259 yards. Wes Caswell had eight catches for 94 yards, while Damon Savage caught seven balls for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Tulsa's Reggie Williams, who had 11 yards at halftime, finished with 142 on 19 carries and scored once.
Oklahoma State seemed out of sync from the start. The Cowboys' first drive ended with a fumble. They also had five first-half penalties, including one that led to Tulsa's third touchdown.
Tulsa took a 7-0 lead midway though the first quarter on a 10-yard pass to tight end Jeremiah Brister. Caswell set up the score with a 37-yard reception one play earlier.
Oklahoma State recovered a Fitzgerald fumble at the OSU 41-yard line early in the second quarter, but went nowhere in three plays and had to punt. Tulsa then drove 72 yards in 10 plays, with Fitzgerald scoring on a 7-yard run - his third straight big gain around the left side.
The Hurricane missed a 37-yard field goal with just over a minute remaining before halftime, but Oklahoma State was whistled for having too many men on the field. The penalty left Tulsa with fourth and inches at the 10-yard line, and the Hurricane converted to keep the drive alive.
Three plays later, Fitzgerald found Savage on a 14-yard fade route for a 21-0 lead.
Tulsa recovered a fumble by Tony Lindsay early in the third quarter and quickly scored on a 13-yard run by Williams. Later, Fitzgerald threw a 2-yard scoring pass to John Mosley for a 35-0 lead.
The Cowboy touchdowns came on a 2-yard run by Nathan Simmons late in the third quarter, a 20-yard pass from Chris Chaloupka to Marcellus Rivers four minutes into the final period and on a 1-yard run by Brian Aikins with nine seconds left.
While Oklahoma State was a 10-point favorite, the victory should have come as no surprise to Tulsa fans - the Hurricane has won six of the past eight games against OSU in Tulsa.
