The third loss of the season, and the second on the road, was dealt to head coach Steve Sarkisian and No. 20 ranked Texas football in a hard-fought game in Stillwater against head coach Mike Gundy and the No. 11 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. Texas ultimately fell short to Oklahoma State by the final score of 41-34.
This was another devastating second-half collapse for the Longhorns under Sark. Texas now boasts a record of 1-6 on the road under Sark, and has lost five games in the Big 12 when up by double digits in the second half. The solid team we thought we saw on the field for the last few weeks led by redshirt freshman quarterback Quinn Ewers disappeared down the stretch this weekend.
Communication was an issue throughout much of this game for the Longhorns. Ewers wasn’t on the same page with his receivers throughout the game. And the defense struggled to pick up the pace.
But that’s just the beginning of the issues that Texas faced in this loss to the Pokes. Texas was getting destroyed with penalties in this one, getting flagged more than a dozen times for more than 110 yards. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State somehow avoided any flag on the day.
That was just part of the issue, though.
Texas’ biggest issue was clearly the inability to close this one out. Texas had momentum in the second half. But Ewers and this Texas offense couldn’t get much of anything going in the second half.
Here’s a look at the fan and social media reaction to Texas’ seven-point loss to Oklahoma State on Oct. 22.
Social media reacts to Texas football’s loss to Oklahoma State
Texas deserved to lose, played sloppy, was lifeless on offense in the second half.
— HornSports (@HornSports) October 22, 2022
But to have a football game where one football team has 13 penalties and the other has 0 is embarrassing for the Big 12.
Sark should have tried Hudson Card.
— Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) October 22, 2022
I fully disagree with anyone saying that Sark should’ve trotted out junior quarterback Hudson Card in place of Ewers in the second half.
Arch Manning watching Quinn Ewers today pic.twitter.com/2EL9W0zCvo
— PointsBet: A Fanatics Experience (@PointsBetFBG) October 22, 2022
The quarterback talk is definitely going to continue throughout the bye week.
I am about to put in a missing persons report for Quinn Ewers
— The Tunnel Longhorns #3(3) 3-0 0-0 (@TheTunnel_Texas) October 22, 2022
OF COURSE THERE IS A FUCKING FLAG ARE YOU FUCKING ME THAT IS A PANCAKE
— Barstool Longhorn (@UTBarstool) October 22, 2022
THAT WAS NOT A PENALTY ON CHRISTIAN JONES
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) October 22, 2022
This was a decisive call and I don’t believe this should be a flag.
Some big news -- Sark can't blow a second-half lead next week.
— Wescott Eberts (@SBN_Wescott) October 23, 2022
So very true.
Steve Sarkisian on Quinn Ewers: "He's got a great career ahead of him. He's going to have a heck of a lot better days that he'll have. He's in a young stage of his career."
— Joe Cook (@josephcook89) October 23, 2022
Following this loss to Oklahoma State, Texas is now sitting on a record of 5-3 (3-2 Big 12). Meanwhile, Oklahoma State boasts a record of 6-1 (3-1 Big 12). Texas now heads into the bye week with plenty, and I mean PLENTY, to work on.