It was supposed to be a "get right" game. You know the type. The kind of game where a Power Four program like Oklahoma State schedules an in-state mid-major to shake off a blowout loss and remind everyone who’s boss. Instead, on a humid Friday night in September 2025, the OSU Cowboys vs Tulsa matchup turned into the final nail in the coffin for the longest-tenured head coach in the Big 12.
When Mike Gundy walked off the field at Boone Pickens Stadium following a 19-12 loss to the Golden Hurricane, the atmosphere wasn't just disappointed. It was toxic. The "O-S-U" chants that usually define Stillwater were replaced by a guttural, collective boo that felt decades in the making.
Honestly, most people focus on the score, but the score was the least interesting thing about that night. What really happened was the total collapse of a 20-year identity.
The Night the Turnpike Classic Flipped the Script
For years, the OSU Cowboys vs Tulsa rivalry—often called the Turnpike Classic—was a one-sided affair. Gundy had literally never lost to Tulsa. Not once. Since taking over in 2005, he’d treated the Golden Hurricane like a preseason scrimmage. Heading into the 2025 meeting, the Cowboys held an 11-game winning streak in the series.
Then the game started.
Tulsa, led by second-year coach Tre Lamb, didn't look like an underdog. They looked like the more prepared, more aggressive, and frankly, more modern program. While the Cowboys fumbled through an archaic offensive scheme that felt stuck in 2011, Tulsa’s Baylor Hayes picked apart the secondary. Seth Morgan, Tulsa's kicker, basically became the MVP by knocking through four field goals.
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A Statistical Nightmare
If you’re a Pokes fan, the numbers from that night are enough to make you sick. Check this out:
- It was Tulsa’s first win in Stillwater since 1951. To put that in perspective, the school was still called Oklahoma A&M back then.
- The Cowboys went nearly 300 days without scoring an offensive touchdown against an FBS opponent until Zane Flores finally broke the plane in the fourth quarter.
- OSU was outscored 140-15 over a three-game FBS stretch surrounding this loss.
The most jarring part? Dominic Richardson, a former Cowboy running back who transferred out of Stillwater, was the one who iced the game for Tulsa with 146 rushing yards. Talk about salt in the wound.
Why Mike Gundy Couldn't Fix the Glitch
The downfall of Mike Gundy wasn't just about losing a football game to a smaller school. It was about a fundamental refusal to adapt. For five years, Gundy essentially thumbed his nose at the transfer portal. While other coaches were building rosters like GMs in the NFL, Gundy insisted on "developing high school kids."
That sounds noble. It really does. But in 2025, it’s a death sentence.
By the time the OSU Cowboys vs Tulsa game rolled around, the roster was a shell of its former self. The Cowboys looked slow. They looked small. They looked like a team that had been "developed" into a corner.
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There’s a lot of talk about his contract, too. Gundy had this legendary "evergreen" deal—a rolling five-year contract that made him nearly impossible to fire. But after the historic 69-3 loss to Oregon earlier that month, and then the Tulsa debacle, the Board of Regents had seen enough. Gundy had actually renegotiated his buyout down to $15 million earlier that winter, perhaps sensing the end was near.
The Rodney Fields Jr. Silver Lining
Look, it wasn’t all disaster. If you watched the game closely, you saw Rodney Fields Jr. basically trying to carry the entire university on his back. The redshirt freshman running back put up 113 yards on 17 carries. He was the only reason the score stayed within seven points.
He’s the kind of player that makes you wonder what could have been. If the coaching staff had embraced the modern NIL and portal era to surround a talent like Fields with a competent offensive line, we might be talking about a Big 12 title run instead of a coaching search.
Misconceptions About the Tulsa Rivalry
People outside of Oklahoma think this is a "nothing" game. They’re wrong. The OSU Cowboys vs Tulsa series is actually the second-most played matchup in OSU history, trailing only the Bedlam game against OU.
Since Bedlam is essentially on life support with the Sooners moving to the SEC, the Turnpike Classic has become the defining in-state battle. When Tulsa won in 2025, they didn't just win a game; they claimed a territory. They proved that the gap between the "big brothers" and "little brothers" in the state had evaporated.
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What Happens Now?
If you're following the fallout, the program is in a total reset. Gundy was officially fired just days after the Tulsa loss. The hunt is on for a coach who can navigate the new landscape of college football—someone who isn't afraid of the portal and understands that "the way we've always done it" is a recipe for a 3-9 season.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're looking at the future of the OSU Cowboys vs Tulsa matchup, here is what to keep an eye on:
- Watch the Buyout Language: The new coaching contract at OSU will almost certainly lack the "automatic rollover" clause that kept Gundy in power for so long. Expect a much more performance-based deal.
- The Transfer Portal Pivot: Whoever takes the job next will likely bring in 15-20 transfers immediately. The "development-only" era in Stillwater is dead.
- Tulsa's New Ceiling: Tre Lamb has shown that Tulsa can compete for the American Athletic Conference title. This win wasn't a fluke; it was a blueprint.
- Recruiting the 918: Tulsa (the city) is a recruiting hotbed. For the first time in decades, the Golden Hurricane has the "bragging rights" leverage to keep local 4-star talent at home instead of letting them head north to Stillwater.
The 2025 season will be remembered as a tragedy for some and a revolution for others. But one thing is for sure: the OSU Cowboys vs Tulsa game is no longer an automatic "W" for the orange and black. It's a fight for survival.
Next Steps for OSU Football Fans
To truly understand where the program goes from here, you need to look at the short list of coaching candidates. Names like GJ Kinne and Dana Holgorsen are already circulating. Your best move is to monitor the early signing period in December; if the new staff can't lock down the local Oklahoma talent that Tulsa is now targeting, the rebuilding process could take much longer than a single season. Keep an eye on the "Open For Business" Big 12 newsletter for the latest on the coaching search and roster movements.