Brennan Presley nearly ties Oklahoma State football record vs. Houston & more key stats

HOUSTON — The Cowboys are back in the win column.

After suffering a blowout loss to UCF last week, No. 23-ranked OSU earned a 43-30 road win over Houston on Saturday. The Cowboys (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) were led by senior wide receiver Brennan Presley, who caught 15 passes for 189 receiving yards in the winning effort.

Here's a look at the win through the numbers:

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Cougars pounce on the Cowboys in the first quarter

2: OSU failed to score on its first possession for the second straight game. The Cowboys had scored on the first possession in each of their previous five contests.

2021: Redshirt senior quarterback Alan Bowman threw an interception that got returned by Houston's Isaiah Hamilton for a 57-yard touchdown with 7:43 left in the first quarter. It marked the first pick six against OSU since Tulsa's Justin Wright recorded a 55-yarder on Sept. 11, 2021.

26: Ollie Gordon ran the ball four times for 26 yards in the first quarter. The sophomore running back only recorded 12 carries for 25 yards in OSU's loss to UCF last week.

98: Houston quarterback Donovan Smith went 3 of 5 through the air for 98 yards in the first quarter. While at Texas Tech, Smith only threw for 83 yards all game in a 23-0 loss to OSU on Sept. 20, 2021.

14: Houston held a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter. It tied for the most points allowed by OSU in the first quarter of a game all season, and the previous instance came last week against UCF.

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OSU makes a late push in the second quarter

2019: Following a 23-yard touchdown catch by Jaden Bray, OSU got a PAT attempt blocked with 12:59 left in the second quarter. It marked the first time the team got a PAT attempt blocked since a game against Baylor on Oct. 20, 2019.

2015: Gordon took a handoff at his own 3-yard line and got tackled in the end zone for a safety with 4:16 left until halftime. It marked the first safety against OSU since West Virginia's Kyle Rose recorded one in a game on Oct. 10, 2015.

1: Senior wide receiver Leon Johnson III made a 21-yard touchdown catch that trimmed the deficit to 23-16 with 1:29 left until halftime. It marked his first touchdown with OSU after transferring from George Fox (Division III) this past offseason.

103: Presley caught nine passes for a season-high 103 yards in the first half alone. He's the first OSU receiver to record at least 100 receiving yards in the first half of a game since Dillon Stoner racked up 180 yards against Baylor on Dec. 12, 2020.

10: OSU scored 10 unanswered points in the final four minutes and 16 seconds of the first half to trim Houston's lead to 23-19.

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OSU claims the lead in the third quarter

68: OSU went on a 63-yard drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Gordon. The sophomore accounted for 68 yards on the drive due to a false start against the Cowboys.

25: OSU held Houston to just 25 yards of offense in the third quarter.

80: After rushing for just 21 yards in the first half, OSU ran for 80 yards in the third quarter alone. All of those rushing yards came from Gordon.

0: OSU held Houston scoreless in the third quarter as it built a 33-23 lead. It marked the first time the Cowboys held their opponent scoreless in any quarter since the third quarter of a win over Cincinnati on Oct. 28.

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OSU gets back in the win column

27: After trailing 23-9 with 4:16 left in the second quarter, OSU responded by scoring 27 unanswered points. That streak ended with 7:30 left in the game when Smith ran for a 31-yard touchdown that trimmed the Cowboys' lead to 36-30.

3: Redshirt sophomore linebacker Nickolas Martin recorded a career-high three tackles for loss. His previous career high came against Kansas State (2.5) on Oct. 6.

7: Gordon finished with 25 carries for 164 yards and three touchdowns. It marked his seventh 100-yard rushing performance in the past eight games.

348: Bowman went 29 for 43 through the air for 348 yards and two touchdowns. It marked the most passing yards by him in a game since he threw for 384 yards against OSU on Oct. 31, 2020, while at Texas Tech.

189: Presley finished with career highs of 15 catches and 189 receiving yards. His previous career highs came in a game against Notre Dame on Jan. 1, 2021. He caught 10 passes for 137 yards.

15: Presley's 15 catches rank second in program history for a single game. Alex Loyd holds the record with 16 catches against Kansas on Oct. 22, 1949.

—Justin Martinez, Staff writer

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football stats vs. Houston: Brennan Presley stars