STILLWATER — In a game that pitted two quarterbacks with seven years of experience against each other, their reserves were the day’s main characters.

Oklahoma State fell to Utah 22-19 on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in the Utes’ first-ever Big 12 game. But in a game that saw little action, the biggest storylines came on both teams’ opening drives in the first and second halves.

After a week of speculation over whether Utah quarterback Cam Rising would play with a hand injury, it was freshman Isaac Wilson who took the field for the Utes. Rising also missed last week’s game after running into Gatorade coolers against Baylor in Week 2 and fouling out in the second quarter of that game. Rising was considered a game-time decision, but he went through pregame warmups with a glove on his right hand, even going on the first few plays, but Utah ultimately decided he wasn’t healthy enough to go.

In place of Rising, Wilson, brother of Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, threw for 207 yards and a TD while completing 59 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions in his second career start. He also rushed for 41 yards. But Wilson was generally expected to play in place of Rising. But no one expected Garrett Rangel to replace Alan Bowman on Saturday.

The Cowboys entered the locker room trailing 10-3 after a half in which the offense could not get going at all. The leader of the offense, Bowman, a seventh-year QB, had completed just 36 percent of his passes for 89 yards plus an INT. He had completed just two of his last 12 pass attempts in the first half. When OSU took the field to start the second half, Rangel, a redshirt sophomore, was the quarterback.

Rangel, however, did not provide the spark that OSU coach Mike Gundy was likely hoping for. The offense continued to falter, as Rangel completed just 27 percent of his 11 pass attempts. Rangel’s time behind center lasted four drives before Bowman was sent back outside. OSU, however, promptly went three-and-out as Bowman threw a pair of incomplete passes. On the first play of the next drive, Bowman threw an interception while attempting to hit deep De’Zhaun Stribling. As Bowman stood in the end zone with his hands over his helmet in disbelief, the mass exodus of fans at BPS began with 6:31 left in the game.

Just one play later, Utah turned the interception into six points after Wilson connected with Brant Kuithe for a 45-yard touchdown, making it 22-3. While that appeared to be the dagger for OSU, Bowman went back and led the Cowboys into the endzone, sending Bullet out of the tunnel for the first time that day. Bowman found Brennan Presley for a 28-yard score before OSU also converted a two-point conversion when the two connected again.

The Cowboys found gold again on their next drive when Rashod Owens caught a nine-yard pass from Bowman. Then it was Bowman and Presley who converted another two-point conversion to cut the margin to three with 1:47 left.

Ultimately, OSU’s offense finished with 285 yards of total offense, 127 of which came on its final two drives, in the Cowboys’ ugliest performance since a loss to South Alabama early last season. Next up, after losing to the Big 12 preseason favorite, the Pokes travel to Kansas State, which was voted No. 2 in the preseason poll.