With one dynamic burst of speed, Tyreek Hill saved Oklahoma State's season.
With about a minute to play and the Cowboys trailing rival Oklahoma 35-28, Hill fielded a punt at the Oklahoma State 8-yard line.
The track sprinter cut toward the left sideline, beat two defenders, picked up a block at the Oklahoma State 45 and was gone to the end zone. His 92-yard touchdown tied the score with 45 seconds remaining and forced overtime.
"At the time, it didn't feel real, because I was crying while I was running, so it didn't feel real at all," he said. "Tears of joy."
Ben Grogan's 21-yard field goal completed the comeback, and Oklahoma State upset the 18th-ranked Sooners 38-35 on Saturday to become bowl-eligible.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing about Hill's punt return for the Sooners is that Oklahoma re-kicked after Oklahoma State was called for roughing the kicker, giving Hill a chance.
"In hindsight, you don't kick it again," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "I thought we could cover 35 yards in positive territory where we've pooch-punted it. That didn't happen. We always pooch it left and it went right. You saw the rest of it -- he made a great play. Credit him for that."
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On the first overtime possession, Oklahoma's Michael Hunnicutt missed a 44-yard field goal attempt. Oklahoma State took over and pounded the ball with Desmond Roland to set up the winning kick.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, who entered the game with a 1-8 record against Stoops in the series, got just the boost he needed. The Cowboys had lost five in a row after opening the season with a close loss to Florida State and five straight wins.
"I'm happy for our seniors -- an opportunity to stay together for another month or however long it will be, to play in a bowl game," Gundy said. "I'm happy for our seniors who couldn't play because they were injured, (Josh) Furman and (Daniel) Koenig, that get an opportunity to play again."
Mason Rudolph passed for 273 yards and two touchdowns, and Brandon Sheperd caught seven passes for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns and Hill had 186 all-purpose yards for the Cowboys (6-6, 4-5 Big 12).
Samaje Perine ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns for Oklahoma (8-4, 5-4), but left the game in the third quarter with a severely sprained left ankle and didn't return. The Sooners led 28-14 when he was injured.
Perine was hit and fumbled with 5:51 left in the third quarter. A hush fell over the crowd as he remained on the ground after the play. He got up and put pressure on his right leg as he was helped off the field. An Oklahoma medical staff member put ice around Perine's left ankle once he went to the sideline.
Perine ran for a major-college record 427 yards in his previous game against Kansas. The Sooners also were without quarterback Trevor Knight for the third straight game with a neck injury. Top receiver Sterling Shepard, who has been in and out of the lineup with a groin injury, left the game early again.
"When some of your better players aren't in there, it changes you a little bit," Stoops said. "You're not quite as effective."
Aaron Ripkowski ran for two 1-yard touchdowns and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass for the Sooners, who lost their third home game this season.
The game started off in grand fashion for Perine. He had five carries for 50 yards and a touchdown on the game's opening drive to put the Sooners up 7-0.
Oklahoma State came right back, as Roland's 1-yard touchdown run tied the game midway through the first quarter.
Ripkowski punched it in early in the second quarter to put the Sooners up 14-7.
The Cowboys responded again when Rudolph connected with Sheperd for a 39-yard touchdown that tied the score.
Perine scored again, this time from 9 yards, to put the Sooners up 21-14. On Oklahoma's next possession, Ripkowski carried four Oklahoma State defenders into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown catch that put the Sooners up 28-14.
Oklahoma State seized momentum, and Roland's 3-yard touchdown run cut Oklahoma's lead to 28-21 early in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma's other backs filled in nicely for Perine at first. Keith Ford had a 56-yard run, and Ripkowski plowed into the end zone again to put the Sooners up 35-21 with 7:54 to play.
Oklahoma State wasn't done. A 43-yard touchdown pass from Rudolph to Sheperd cut Oklahoma's lead to 35-28 and set up Hill's dramatic play.
"Those guys told me, `Tyreek, we're going to block our tails off,' and I said, `I got y'all,"' Hill said. "We did everything we practiced, so it came out exactly how we practiced it. I was just happy that it all worked out in our favor."
