MANHATTAN, Kan. (Interstat) — Drew Mestemaker accounted for six touchdowns and Oklahoma State turned a back-and-forth opening quarter into a runaway victory, beating Kansas State 66-28 in a Football Bowl Subdivision game Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Cowboys improved to 6-3, while the Wildcats fell to 4-5. Oklahoma State scored 21 points in the first quarter and 14 in the second, while Kansas State managed seven in each of the first two periods.

Mestemaker, a quarterback from Austin, Texas, completed 22 of 28 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns, rushed three times for 11 yards and another score, and caught a 5-yard touchdown pass. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound passer repeatedly hurt Kansas State with deep throws and timely runs, and his ability to finish drives kept the Wildcats from mounting a comeback after Oklahoma State took control. Mestemaker opened the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Justin Bowick with 12:21 left in the first quarter, then added a 3-yard scoring toss to Morgan McPhaul later in the period and a 19-yard touchdown pass to Miles Coleman just before halftime. He also scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter and became a receiver in the third when W. Young found him for a 5-yard touchdown.

Caleb Hawkins delivered the complementary production Oklahoma State needed. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound running back carried 20 times for 175 yards, caught six passes for 71 yards and scored four touchdowns. Hawkins had scoring runs of 37 and 9 yards, and he turned a short pass from Mestemaker into a 5-yard touchdown in the third quarter. His combination of burst between the tackles and effectiveness out of the backfield gave the Cowboys balance and forced Kansas State to defend the entire field.

Kansas State had early answers. Blake Barnett completed 7 of 17 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, rushed 10 times for 23 yards and recorded a tackle. His biggest strike was a 73-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Salley Jr. with 11:18 remaining in the first quarter. Dillon Duff, who also took snaps at quarterback, completed 10 of 17 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown and rushed three times for 2 yards. Duff found Salley for an 18-yard scoring pass in the third quarter. Salley finished with three receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns, keeping the Wildcats within striking distance early.

But Oklahoma State’s defense and special teams created separation after the Wildcats’ fast start. LaDainian Fields intercepted two passes and added three tackles and a quarterback hurry. Quinton Hammonds had two tackles and an interception. Isaiah Chisom led the Cowboys with 11 tackles and a quarterback hurry. Ethan Wesloski added five tackles and a quarterback hurry, while Mo Horn, Taurean Davis and Evan Jackson each finished with five tackles. DJ Jackson Jr. recorded a sack, and James Williams, DeSean Brown and Saadiq Clements each contributed a quarterback hurry as Oklahoma State made Kansas State’s passing game work for every yard.

Kansas State’s defense had its moments. Logan Bartley intercepted Mestemaker and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, briefly giving the Wildcats life. Bartley finished with five tackles and the interception. Wesley Fair made eight tackles, Asa Newsom had six, and Jordan Allen added four tackles and a quarterback hurry. Rex Van Wyhe recorded eight tackles and returned a kickoff for no gain. Nick McClellan, JoJo Scott and Gabe Powers each had three tackles, but the Wildcats could not slow Oklahoma State’s pace for long. Oklahoma State’s defense finished with multiple takeaways and kept Kansas State from sustaining drives.

The decisive stretch came around halftime. After Kansas State’s early touchdown, Oklahoma State answered with Hawkins’ 37-yard scoring run and Mestemaker’s 3-yard touchdown pass to McPhaul in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Mestemaker’s 1-yard run, Hawkins’ 9-yard run and Mestemaker’s 19-yard pass to Coleman helped the Cowboys pull away. Even Bartley’s pick-six could not shift momentum for long, because Oklahoma State responded with consecutive scoring drives. By the time Duff connected with Salley in the third quarter, the Cowboys had control.

Oklahoma State’s receiving corps spread the work. Miles Coleman caught six passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, Justin Bowick had three receptions for 59 yards and a score, and Terrence Lewis added two catches for 30 yards. Israel Polk caught one pass for 24 yards, Oscar Hammond had one for 5 yards and Morgan McPhaul had a 3-yard touchdown catch. Tre Page III rushed seven times for 17 yards, William Mason carried four times for 20 yards, and Lachie Pozzobon punted twice for 73 yards. Bobby Deal Jr. returned two punts for 9 yards and made a tackle, while Braylin Presley returned a kickoff 12 yards. The Cowboys finished with a balanced effort that kept the chains moving and the clock under control.

Kansas State’s final touchdown came in the fourth quarter on Rodney Fields Jr.’s 1-yard run. Oklahoma State answered with Sam Keltner’s 23-yard field goal. Keltner converted his kick attempts, and the Cowboys’ special teams helped keep the Wildcats pinned. Jaron Tibbs added six receptions for 42 yards and a 3-yard run for Kansas State, while Linkon Cure caught five passes for 33 yards and Garrett Oakley had one catch for 6 yards. Cameron Epps made four tackles for Oklahoma State, and Markeith Williams, Christian Bodnar, Malik Charles and DeSean Brown each finished with two tackles.

Oklahoma State had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 6.5. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Kansas State 49, Oklahoma State 31 and its ELO system had given Kansas State an 83.7 percent probability to win. The total score of 94 went under the over/under line of 62.5.