Oct 18, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Darius Lassiter (5) celebrates a touchdown with teammates in the last minute of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Ranking Every Oklahoma State Game in 2024 - No. 3: BYU

Originally posted on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 7:00 PM ET

Oklahoma State’s 2024 season was a disaster, but there was still some hope before everything came crashing down.

Going into the 2024 campaign, the Cowboys were viewed as one of the top teams in the Big 12. Expected to compete for a conference championship and even a spot in the College Football Playoff, 2024 was supposed to be a magical year to add to Mike Gundy’s impressive resume.

Instead, OSU went 3-9 and failed to win any conference games. However, there was still a point where OSU was hoping for a turnaround.

After falling to 3-3 with a disappointing loss at West Virginia, the Cowboys had a bye week before a Friday night showdown at then-undefeated BYU. With Garret Rangel named the starting quarterback for OSU’s seventh game, there was some excitement in Stillwater again after the crushing start to Big 12 play.

The game against the Cougars started out quite promising for the Cowboys. While BYU found the end zone just over three minutes into the game, Ollie Gordon’s 50-yard scamper for a score on the ensuing drive gave OSU some life and some hope early in a game it desperately needed.

With Rangel under center, the Cowboys were finding some life again. Using Rangel’s dual-threat abilities, OSU’s offense seemingly had a new gear.

A small disaster before a big disaster

Late in the first half, Rangel showed off his rushing ability again, going for a 54-yard run to set up OSU in the red zone. However, Rangel suffered a broken collarbone on the play, ending his season in his first start.

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Still, Rangel’s big run was enough for Gordon to finish off the drive a few plays later, scoring a touchdown that handed the Cowboys a 21-14 lead at halftime. With a legitimate chance at upsetting the Big 12’s top team, OSU was back to relying on Alan Bowman, and he did enough to give the Cowboys a chance to win.

In the fourth quarter, Bowman finished off two touchdown drives for the Pokes, finding Brennan Presley for a couple of scores. The second drive lasted 17 plays and took over eight minutes to give OSU a 35-31 edge with 1:13 left.

On the brink of a potential season-altering win, the OSU defense did what it did best in 2024. In just over a minute, BYU drove downfield with Jake Retzlaff finding Darius Lassiter, who broke a few OSU tackles, for a 35-yard touchdown with only 10 seconds left.

That play defined the Cowboys’ season and was a finish that OSU simply never recovered from.