STILLWATER — Oklahoma State set a school record for penalty yardage in its 59-38 loss to Arizona, getting flagged 15 times for 167 yards Saturday night in Tucson.
And since none were minor infractions, those fouls significantly impacted the game. They flipped field position. They halted OSU drives deep in Cowboy territory. They pushed Arizona closer to the end zone.
Here's a breakdown of the most costly penalties for the Cowboys:
Penalty: Personal foul x 2
Culprit: Calvin Barnett
Timing: Mid-first quarter
Field position: Pushed Arizona forward from its own 40 to the OSU 30
New down and distance: First and 10
Ultimate result: One of the most crucial moments of the night came when Barnett, on the same play, was called for roughing the passer and unnecessary roughness after the whistle. The Wildcats eventually took those free 30 yards and turned them into a momentum-swinging touchdown when Matt Scott found Richard Morrison on a 15-yard fade route to the end zone. That score cut OSU's lead to 14-7 and was the start of 30 consecutive points scored by the Wildcats.
Penalty: Personal foul
Culprit: Brodrick Brown
Timing: Late first quarter
Field position: Pushed Arizona forward from the OSU 22 to the OSU 11
New down and distance: First and 10
Ultimate result: Brown was called for a hit out of bounds after a catch by receiver Dan Buckner. That moved the Wildcats inside the red zone on a drive capped by a John Bonano 25-yard field goal to cut OSU's lead to 14-10.
Penalty: Offensive holding
Timing: Late first quarter
Field position: Pushed OSU back from its own 17 to its own 8
New down and distance: Second and 13
Ultimate result: That flag, combined with an illegal block in the back on the kickoff before this possession, put Lunt in the first stressful situation of his college career. The drive stalled inside the OSU 10, and Quinn Sharp punted for the first time of the night.
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