Oklahoma State University Athletics
The Sunday Wrap - Bedlam
December 07, 2014 | Cowboy Football
Photo Gallery | Final Stats
NORMAN, Okla. - A 92-yard punt return by Tyreek Hill with 45 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter tied the game and set the stage for Oklahoma State to pull off a 38-35 overtime win at No. 18 Oklahoma.
The Cowboys trailed, 35-21, with five minutes left in the game, but pulled off the second-largest fourth quarter comeback in school history thanks to a 43-yard touchdown pass from true freshman Mason Rudolph to Brandon Sheperd, followed by a pair of defensive three-and-outs and then Hill's spectacular punt return score that deadlocked the score through the end of regulation.
Once in overtime, the Cowboys won the toss and elected to play defense first. OSU's defense forced the Sooners backwards and gave them no option other than to attempt a 44-yard field goal, which was missed wide left by OU kicker Michael Hunnicutt. Five rushes by Desmond Roland then positioned the Cowboy offense at the OU three yard line, and Ben Grogan ended the contest by nailing the game-winning 21-yard field goal to send his OSU teammates storming onto the field in celebration amid a stunned-silent 85,312 Sooner fans in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
While Hill's punt return was unquestionably the signature moment of the game, Roland and Sheperd were both key performers throughout the contest to give the Cowboys a chance in the fourth quarter. Roland scored two rushing touchdowns and Sheperd set career-bests with seven catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
The OSU defense started slowly by allowing the Sooners to score touchdowns on four of their five drives in the first half, but adjusted well in the locker room at halftime and forced Oklahoma to fumble on its opening drive of the second half, followed by limiting OU to a grand total of just 88 yards on its final seven possessions of the game.
Standouts vs. Oklahoma
Offense
Mason Rudolph
Quarterback | 6-4 | 217 | Freshman | Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern
Mason Rudolph etched his name into Bedlam history by quarterbacking Oklahoma State to a 38-35 overtime win over No. 18 Oklahoma in Norman as a true freshman. Rudolph completed 19-of-35 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns in only the second game of his college career. He was a key figure in OSU pulling off the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in school history in the win, as he connected with Brandon Sheperd on a 43-yard touchdown pass with 4:51 remaining and the Cowboys down by 14 to make it a one-score game and give OSU a chance to pull off the heroics that it eventually did. Rudolph's 273 passing yards were the fifth-most ever for an Oklahoma State true freshman.
Defense
Larry Stephens
Safety | 5-10 | 185 | Senior | Houston, Texas/North Shore
Larry Stephens led all players with 14 tackles and recovered a fumble that signaled the turning point of the game in Oklahoma State's 38-35 win over No. 18 Oklahoma in Norman. Stephens, a senior who missed most of the last two seasons due to injury, made only the sixth start of his career in the contest, but was a central figure for an Oklahoma State defense that forced the Sooners to go three-and-out on each of OU's most important offensive possessions of the fourth quarter.
Special Teams
Tyreek Hill
Punt Returner | 5-10 | 185 | Junior | Pearson, GA/Coffee/Garden City CC
Tyreek Hill returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown with 45 seconds remaining to tie the game and set the stage for Oklahoma State's 38-35 overtime win over No. 18 Oklahoma in Norman. Hill's return was the second-longest in school history and was his third non-offensive touchdown of the year, as he had a game-winning 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Kansas and a 97-yard kickoff return against Iowa State earlier in the season. Hill is one of only five players in the nation to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown this year and is one of only two players in the country with more than one kickoff return for a score plus a punt return score.
