Oklahoma State upends Texas 38-26

The Texas Longhorns seem to have settled on their quarterback for the future.

The problem is, the result was still a loss.

Freshman David Ash got his first career start and took every snap of No. 22 Texas' 38-26 loss to No. 6 Oklahoma State on Saturday.

After three weeks of rotating with sophomore Case McCoy, Ash was 22 of 40 for 139 yards and no touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions and fumbled on a sack late in the game to kill Texas' last chance to rally.

Ash has five turnovers in the last two games, but by sticking with him in a game Texas never led, the Longhorns coaching staff appears ready to let Ash lead the way.

"We felt like he gave us a better chance to win," Texas coach Mack Brown said.

Ash said he was told early in the week he would get the start. He led three scoring drives against the Cowboys but was critical of his play.

"First off, we had to eliminate the turnovers," Ash said. "That's what's been plaguing us and when you turn the ball over like that you can't win ... I worked in practice and felt mentally prepared. I knew I would have to make some critical passes and decisions."

One of his toughest plays came on a fourth-and-goal from the Oklahoma State 3 in the fourth quarter. His low throw caused running back Fozzy Whittaker to fall just inches short of the goal line. A touchdown would have cut Oklahoma State's lead to 38-31.

"We didn't get the breaks, or make the breaks, we needed in the second half to win the game," Brown said.

Jeremy Smith ran for 140 yards and scored on runs of 30 and 74 yards for Oklahoma State (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) and Justin Gilbert returned the third quarter kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Gilbert tied the Cowboys school record for career kickoff TD returns with four.

Whittaker had a 100-yard touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff for the Longhorns (4-2, 1-2) who have lost seven of their last eight Big 12 games and six of their last 10 at home. Texas hasn't won at home in the Big 12 since a 51-20 win over Kansas on Nov. 21, 2009, a five-game skid.

Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden passed for 218 yards with a touchdown to Justin Blackmon.

Malcolm Brown ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns for the Longhorns.

Smith's touchdowns were surprising for how easy they were.

The first came in the second quarter on fourth-and-inches when he ran off left tackle. There was no defender to meet him at the line of scrimmage and he coasted to the end zone.

The second came in the third quarter and put the Cowboys ahead 38-24. Smith ran straight up the middle and Texas linebackers Keenan Robinson and Jordan Hicks got washed out of the play, leaving no defender within 10 yards with a chance to tackle him.

Oklahoma State, which had lost 12 in a row to the Longhorns, now has consecutive wins in Austin. A scheduling quirk in the Big 12 put the Cowboys on the road against Texas two years in a row.

Weeden, the second-leading passer in the nation, struggled to find his rhythm for most of the game, but clicked with Blackmon in the second quarter.

Blackmon had a 16-yard catch on fourth down to keep a drive alive, then grabbed a 15-yard TD on the next play when he caught the ball at the 3 and carried Texas cornerback Carrington Byndom into the end zone.

Smith's first touchdown put OSU up 21-10 and the Cowboys seemed primed to put the game away at the start of the third.

Gilbert took the kickoff five yards deep in the end zone, zipped through a seam near the 30 and raced past the defense for a 28-10 lead. Gilbert tied the school record set by Perrish Cox for career kick return TDs.

The Cowboys had only a few seconds to get comfortable with the lead. Whittaker, who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown the previous week against Oklahoma, matched Gilbert's TD to keep Texas in the game at 28-17.

Texas was building momentum when Malcolm Brown scored his second touchdown to cut the lead to 28-24.

Texas ran the so-called "Statue of Liberty" play where Ash took the snap and faked a throw to his right while tucking the ball low behind his back. Brown grabbed it, scampered to his left and tiptoed on the sideline for the touchdown. The play call by first-year offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin was similar to the one used by Boise State to beat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

Oklahoma State answered with a 22-yard field goal by Quinn Sharp before Smith ripped off his second long TD.