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 Quarterback Mason Rudolph passed for a career-high 299 yards and
two touchdowns and senior defensive tackle James Castleman scored
one touchdown made a key pass reception when the Cowboys rolled to a
24-0 lead and held on for a 30-22 victory over the Washington
Huskies in the Cactus Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on Friday night.
"This team has been resilient over the last month," Oklahoma State
coach Mike Gundy said. "They've turned this into a pretty good
season."
Oklahoma State (7-6) was the only one of 76 bowl teams to have a
five-game losing streak during the regular season, gaining bowl
eligibility only after a 38-35 overtime victory over Oklahoma on
Dec. 6 in which they trailed 35-21 with five minutes remaining.
"Our win over Oklahoma changed the feel of this team. These kids
never quit," Gundy said.
Rudolph, forced to bypass his redshirt season in the 11th game of
the year after injuries knocked out the top two Cowboys
quarterbacks, threw first-half touchdown passes of 28 yards to James
Washington and 47 yards to Brandon Sheperd, who finished with five
receptions for 98 yards.
"It's been a ride. It's been a great season," Rudolph said.
 Oklahoma State halfback Desmond Roland rushed for a career-high 123
yards on 32 carries and had his first career 100-yard game, but it
was Castleman who scored the game's first touchdown when he lined up
in the backfield, took a direct snap from center and ran over left
tackle from the 1-yard line to cap an 84-yard drive with the opening
kickoff.
"It's definitely my top game," said Castleman, who made 36 starts
during his career and led the Pac-12 with three blocked kicks.
"These guys are my brothers. I'm going to remember this for life."
Ben Grogan made three field goals for the Cowboys, who never led by
fewer than the final margin.
Washington quarterback Cyler Myles completed 25-of-38 passes for 268
yards and a touchdown, and his 16-yard touchdown pass to wide
receiver Jaydon Mickens and ensuing two-point conversion pass to
halfback Deontae Cooper enabled the Huskies to close it to 30-22
with 3:29 remaining.
On the next series, Oklahoma State used a 48-yard pass to Castleman
on third-and-two to consume most of the remaining time. Castleman,
6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, lined up at H-back and was open when his
defender fell down.
The Huskies (8-6) got the ball back with 43 seconds remaining, but
cornerback Kevin Peterson intercepted a pass near midfield with five
seconds remaining.
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Oklahoma State had 473 yards, 293 in the first half, and it held
Washington to five first downs in the first half, the first coming
with just more than nine minutes remaining in the second quarter.
The Huskies had 369 yards.
"We got our teeth kicked in on offense from the very start, and
there are no good plays when that is happening," Washington coach
Chris Petersen said.
"They were playing harder than us from the start."
Mickens scored on a 31-yard reverse on the first series of the
second half and wide receiver John Ross had a 96-yard touchdown
return after the second of Grogan's three field goals to make it
27-14. Ross' kickoff return was the longest in Cactus Bowl history.
"It's kind of like, 'Dang, this sucks,'" Washington defense end
Andrew Hudson said. "You know, if we would have come out ready, the
outcome could have been different."
NOTES: The Pac-12 was 5-2 in bowl games after the Cactus Bowl loss.
... From Oct. 18-Nov. 9, Washington and Oklahoma State were a
combined 1-9. The Huskies had the only victory in that stretch, a
38-23 victory at Colorado on Nov. 1. ... Washington LB/HB Shaq
Thompson, NT Danny Shelton and LB Hau'oli Kikaha were named
first-team AP All-Americans, the first time in school history three
players were so honored in the same season. ... Washington was 0-5
against ranked teams this season and 8-0 against the rest. ...
Oklahoma State freshman WR Tyreek Hill, whose 94-yard punt return
with 45 seconds remaining sent the 38-35 victory over Oklahoma into
overtime, was dismissed from the program on Dec. 15 for allegedly
choking and punching his girlfriend, who was reportedly eight weeks
pregnant.
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