Bryant’s 2 TDs lift No. 9 Oklahoma State to 24-10 victory against No. 13 Georgia

Bryant, No. 9 Cowboys down No. 13 Georgia 24-10

STILLWATER, Okla. — Zac Robinson threw two touchdown passes to star receiver Dez Bryant and also scored on a quarterback sneak as No. 9 Oklahoma State proved itself deserving of its highest preseason ranking ever by beating 13th-ranked Georgia 24-10 on Saturday.

The Cowboys capitalized on a fourth quarter fumble by new Georgia starting quarterback Joe Cox to seal the season-opening win on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Robinson to Bryant.

The two also hooked up on an impressive 46-yard score in the first half that got Oklahoma State’s offense going after a sloppy start.

Robinson finished with 135 yards on 11 for 22 passing, and Bryant made the most of his three catches for 77 yards.

Cox was 15 for 30 for 162 yards with one interception, but the Georgia offense — a group looking for new stars after the early departures of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno — slowed to a halt after his 4-yard TD pass to Michael Moore on the game’s opening drive.

The Bulldogs’ first season opener outside the southeast in 51 years was set up as a grand reopening of Oklahoma State’s stadium after a $286 million renovation. It ended up as the most anticipated home opener in OSU history as the Cowboys returned most of their stars from last year’s breakout 9-4 season.

A record crowd of 53,012 turned out as billionaire donor T. Boone Pickens rededicated the stadium. Career rushing-leader Thurman Thomas made a cameo, too.

Eventually, the Cowboys’ current stars also showed up.

Bryant got Oklahoma State’s scuffling offense going when he got behind the defense and made a diving catch of Robinson’s 46-yard pass in the second quarter, tying the game at 7.

Safety Lucien Antoine then knocked the ball free from tailback Carlton Thomas on the second snap of Georgia’s next drive, and Terrance Anderson scooped it up at the 6. Oklahoma State settled for Dan Bailey’s 28-yard field goal and a 10-7 halftime lead after a holding call negated Robinson’s scramble for a 1-yard TD on fourth-and-goal.

Perrish Cox returned the second-half kickoff 75 yards to get the Cowboys going again.

After another fourth-down gamble inside the 5 by Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, Robinson put OSU up 17-7 with his 1-yard sneak.

The Bulldogs got a career-long 53-yard field goal by kicker Blair Walsh to get within seven, but Shane Jarka sacked Cox and forced the critical fumble. Five plays later, Robinson got the ball to Bryant and he zipped into the end zone for the final score.

The Bulldogs also lost left tackle Trinton Sturdivant to a left knee injury in the second half.