STILLWATER — With nearly 60,000 people watching Oklahoma State try to finish off one of the biggest wins in recent program history , Sam Keltner somehow felt like he was back at practice.
Four times Oklahoma State called on its kicker during Saturday's 39-31 upset of No. 6 Oregon . Four times Keltner delivered.
Yet when Keltner reflected on his perfect performance, he said the pressure of the moment never really registered.
"It was an interesting game, and you may not believe me, but I genuinely did not feel much that game," Keltner said. "Just felt like I was at another practice."
Keltner credited that composure to much more than simply having a good day.
After experiencing his share of ups and downs last season, Keltner said the biggest improvement in his game has come from the mental work he put in during the offseason.
"A lot of it was preparation and the mental work I put in this offseason," Keltner said. "That's the biggest jump I've made from this season to last season. Just feels like I'm kicking it in high school again."
That mindset was tested repeatedly against Oregon. Keltner converted all four of his field-goal attempts, providing 12 points in a game Oklahoma State ultimately won by eight.
None was more important than his final attempt. With OSU holding a 36-31 lead late in the fourth quarter, Eric Morris faced a fourth-and-short decision deep in Oregon territory. Rather than keeping his offense on the field, Morris sent Keltner out.
He delivered again, extending Oklahoma State's advantage to 39-31 and forcing Oregon to need eight points just to tie the game. The Ducks never got them.
Morris said there is only so much a coaching staff can do to prepare a kicker for that kind of pressure.
"You can never replicate going out against a top-10 team in front of 60,000 people with a game on the line," Morris said. "It's his work and his preparation that allowed him to go out there and have confidence."
That preparation allowed Keltner to embrace the moment rather than fear it.
"Obviously those are big kicks in a big game, but I was honestly just having fun," Keltner said. "I'm just having a great time, and my best friends are with me out there on the field."
The atmosphere made Keltner's performance even more meaningful. He experienced a hostile environment at Clemson last season, but said Saturday's atmosphere at Boone Pickens Stadium topped anything he had previously experienced.
"That was the best crowd I've played in front of, and I played in front of the Clemson crowd last year," Keltner said.
For Keltner, though, there was another layer to it. He grew up an Oklahoma State fan.
"This was just — growing up an OSU fan, it was really special seeing how rowdy the crowd got," Keltner said.
By the end of the afternoon, that crowd was no longer confined to the stands. Oklahoma State had completed its 39-31 upset, fans poured onto the field and Keltner had played a significant role in giving his childhood team a night to remember.
The pressure might have felt enormous to everyone watching.
To Keltner? It felt like practice.
