In a game where No. 24 Oklahoma State and Iowa State combined for 100 points and 1,114 yards of offense, it was a last-minute penalty that helped flip the outcome from an Oklahoma State comeback to an Iowa State upset.
The Cyclones won 51-49 over the Cowboys in Ames, Iowa, on a walk-off 34-yard field goal by Iowa State kicker Kyle Konrardy. The kick capped a five-play drive that started with solid field position thanks to an unsportsmanlike penalty on Oklahoma State wide receiver Wyatt Young following a touchdown on the previous possession.
“To put the nail in the coffin at the end on Halloween night, we have the most selfish penalty ever after we score a touchdown and go up and put our defense in a bad position right there,” Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris said after the game. “That falls on me, that falls on me as the head coach and that’s something, I’ll get that fixed.”
With Oklahoma State (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) trailing 48-42 with under a minute left, Young took a jet sweep 7 yards into the end zone, then appeared to say something to Iowa State fans sitting in the stands near the sideline. Young also exchanged words with an official who was pulling him back from the sideline and was flagged as he jogged away.
Here’s Wyatt Young’s touchdown and celebration that led to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. pic.twitter.com/takzOHHjoJ
— Jake Brend (@JakeBrendTV) November 1, 2026
“They said he went to the stands, maybe, is the only thing,” Morris said of the penalty. “That’s usually what they flag. I’ll have to go back and really watch it.”
Young followed Morris to Oklahoma State after playing under him for two years at North Texas. He’s the Cowboys’ leading receiver this season and finished the game with seven catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns.
“At that point in the game, a kid with that much experience who played so well, he knows he needs to celebrate with his teammates,” Morris said. “He didn’t celebrate with his teammates, and that’s our rule and there will be punishments because of it.”
After the Pokes hit an extra point for a 49-48 lead with 53 seconds remaining, the 15-yard penalty was enforced on the kickoff, moving Oklahoma State back to its 20-yard line. Iowa State (4-4, 2-3) returned the kickoff to its 37-yard line, then quickly hit a 33-yard pass on the first play of the drive to get into field goal range. Three straight runs set up Konrardy for the game-winning attempt.
IOWA STATE TAKES DOWN NO. 24 OKLAHOMA STATE WITH A WALK-OFF FIELD GOAL! @CycloneFB pic.twitter.com/8wFGqDvCbq
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 1, 2026
“We left too much time, and you combine that with the penalty and putting them in great field position,” said Morris. “Then we give up an explosive pass on the very first play.”
It spoiled what would have been a stunning comeback for the Pokes, who were down 45-35 early in the fourth quarter. It also spoils what was looking like a potential path to the Big 12 Championship Game, with a Nov. 14 home game against Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1) looming as a defining matchup down the stretch. Instead, Oklahoma State has lost two of its last three games by a combined five points.
“It’s just hard because (Young) plays his best when he’s walking that line, and obviously we can’t have that happen and he knows it,” said quarterback Drew Mestamaker, who played with Young at North Texas and threw for 323 yards and five touchdowns Saturday. “He’s beating himself up the most out of anyone. I just have to be there for him. It sucks. We have to learn from it and move on.”
The two teams, sporting a very Halloween-appropriate uniform combination, combined for 13 touchdowns. Iowa State’s 581 total yards, the program’s most in a single game since September 2019, gave the Cyclones their first ranked win under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers.
“I’m so proud of these guys, they deserve it,” Rogers said after the game, as fans rushed the field and sang “Sweet Caroline” in unison. “This is awesome. I’m grateful for this place.”
