There was a lot of hope around the Oklahoma State football program going into the season. Through six games, much of that hope has been realized.
The Cowboys (4-2, 2-1 in Big 12) have put several losing streaks in the rearview mirror after six games and are surprise contenders for the Big 12 championship game in December. There's still a long way to go and they'll need some help based on how the race has developed. But just being in it in mid-October in head coach Eric Morris' first season is something to be excited about.
The Cowboys continue their season against the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday. It's the start of the back half of the season.
Here are five things we've learned after the first half of the season.
OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Drew Mestemaker could go to the NFL after this season. That was a hypothetical going into the season but now it's starting to gather the sort of steam that may force head coach Eric Morris to hit the transfer portal after the season for a new QB.
Mestemaker has put together five straight 300-yard passing games and has thrown for 1,940 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. The turnovers are a bit worrisome, but for the arm talent he has many NFL coaches are willing to live with it. His across-the-body pass on the run against Houston is the type of throw NFL general managers crave.
Entering the season the QB draft looked stacked. Now? Perhaps a bit less so. Oregon's Dante Moore lost to Mestemaker and OSU straight up and is dealing with a serious concussion. Texas star Arch Manning is having his issues. Not everyone is sold on Notre Dame's CJ Carr. Before the season some mocks had him late in the first round. Now, some have him at No. 2 overall.
Morris' relationship with Mestemaker might keep him here another year. He's the one coach that gave him a chance. But if he looks like a high first-round lock, well, Morris may have to start over.
Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Justin Bowick. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
On paper and during his time at Illinois, Bowick profiled as a jump ball target in the red zone. He has completely changed that narrative.
In six games he has 29 catches for 469 yards and six touchdowns. Those are all career highs. He's emerged as a deep threat with possession receiver ability and a freakish ability to make one-handed catches. It's not hyperbolic to say that he's transformed this offense as much as Mestemaker has. The Cowboys don't have another receiver like him on the roster.
This is Bowick's final year of college. He's played his way into the NFL Draft, especially if he keeps this pace.
Oklahoma State's Jaleel Johnson. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Oklahoma State defense was a bottom quarter unit in just about every meaningful category last season. So, watching what defensive coordinator Skyler Cassidy has done with a group of solid but not star quality players is something for the Cowboys to take pride in. The unit is 70th in FBS in scoring defense and is 73rd in total defense after six games.
Linebacker Ethan Wesloski can fit himself for all-Big 12 honors at the end of the season. The unit does a solid job slowing down the run and has its moments rushing the passer. The secondary clearly has some liabilities and the season-ending injury to Mose Phillips III doesn't help matters.
It's clear what Oklahoma State must adjust for the rest of the season. When they face a dual-threat quarterback that is actually a dual-threat quarterback like Houston's Conner Weigman, they're going to have to do a better job of getting teams off the field on third down. That will probably be the difference between winning and losing the rest of the season. Oklahoma State can augment that by creating more turnovers, but that's been an issue too.
No one expected the defense to be perfect. But I think it's safe to say it's better than many expected. The good news is that if the defense keeps playing well that gives Cassidy and Morris more ammunition to hit the portal and the recruiting trail in 2027. Those targets needed to see a better unit and they've accomplished it.
OSU head coach Eric Morris. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Whether it's hunting down armadillos tearing up his yard or embracing life in Stillwater, Morris has done a great job of ingratiating himself to the fan base in his first year. Certainly, winning helps, but it's the way that he wins that really has fans excited.
The Air Raid offense is something different than what the Cowboys ran under Mike Gundy. Gundy's offenses were highly productive, but the Air Raid gives game day a little extra juice - especially when you have a trigger man like Mestemaker running the offense.
Morris knew this was going to be a multi-year effort but his goal in his first year was to get the Cowboys back to winning games and energizing the fan base. After six games one could easily say mission accomplished - and perhaps then some.
Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Caleb Hawkins. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mike Gundy's last two years in Stillwater were rough and his firing after the Tulsa loss in week 3 spared him from the rest of the campaign. But it didn't spare the fan base. The Cowboys went 1-11, went 4-20 the past two seasons and had an 18-game Big 12 losing streak going into the season. The loss to Tulsa to open this season didn't help matters at all.
But winning four of the last five games puts the Cowboys on solid footing for the future. You're starting to see that on the recruiting trail. The Cowboys are positioning themselves to potentially flip recruits that have committed to other schools. They already have two four-star recruits committed, something Morris didn't accomplish in his first abbreviated cycle as head coach.
The success on the field should allow him to better target talent in the transfer portal. After two forgettable seasons in Stillwater, it was hard to blame players for not wanting to come to play for Oklahoma State. They need to you need to see success to believe it.
Well, Morris has accomplished that. They're interested. He has the foundation to start closing the deal and build the program into a consistent winner again.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as What We Have Learned About Oklahoma State Football Through First Half of Season .
