Oklahoma State opened up its college football season against Central Michigan, a team that usually wreaks havoc in Stillwater.
This year, however, OSU ended up on top, defeating the Chippewas 58-44, but not without fireworks near the end, much like the game in 2016.
Spencer Sanders lit up Boone Pickens Stadium with a career-high 406 passing yards and six total touchdowns (passing and rushing) and led his 12th-ranked Cowboys to revenge against the Chippewas. Mike Gundy also collected his 150th coaching victory.
Braydon Johnson answered the call for OSU’s receiving corp with six catches for 133 yards, a career-high, and Brennan Presley added five receptions for 83 yards.
In the first half, OSU was on fire, and so was Sanders, who threw for 313 yards and three TDs, and ran for two, leading the Cowboys to a 44-15 halftime lead.
OSU started the second half the same way they ended the first – with a touchdown in the opening 50 seconds of the quarter, putting them up 51-15, which should have effectively put Central Michigan away.
In the blink of an eye, Central Michigan clawed their way back into the contest, and before we knew it, Jalen McGaughy was catching a 54-yard TD pass from Daniel Richardson, cutting Oklahoma State’s lead to 58-44 with 3:15 left to play.
Luckily for the Cowboys, this wasn’t a repeat of 2016 – they didn’t let Central Michigan take it too far, but you have to credit the Chippewas, who gained 546 total yards and outscored a top 15 team 29-14 in the second half.
Oklahoma State will play Arizona State next Saturday in Stillwater.
