Oklahoma State 35, Arkansas State 7

9/9/2006 9:17 PM

By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -Bobby Reid threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Oklahoma State recovered from a sloppy start to beat Arkansas State 35-7 Saturday night.

Reid threw two interceptions in the first quarter - one of which was returned for a touchdown. He settled down after that, and Arkansas State could do little against the Cowboys' defense.

The Indians (1-1) gained only 188 yards on offense and turned the ball over three times. Arkansas State was coming off a 14-6 win over Army to open the season, but the Indians haven't started 2-0 since 1986, when they played in Division I-AA.

Reid threw four touchdown passes in Oklahoma State's opener last week, a 52-10 win over Missouri State, but he looked shaky at times against Arkansas State. Khayyam Burns intercepted a short pass toward the left flat and raced 51 yards for a touchdown to give the Indians a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, Koby McKinnon intercepted Reid at the Arkansas State 12.

But the Indians couldn't increase their lead, and Oklahoma State tied it early in the second. Arkansas State quarterback Travis Hewitt tried a quick kick on fourth down from the Cowboys 45, and Perrish Cox returned it 49 yards. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Indians gave the Cowboys the ball at the 23.

Reid eventually scored on 13-yard run, keeping the ball himself on an option. He also hurt the Indians on several rollouts off play-action in the first half.

Oklahoma State went ahead 14-7 on Mike Hamilton's 7-yard run with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter, and the Cowboys scored again early in the third. Victor DeGrate sacked Hewitt with a blind-side hit, forcing a fumble. Ryan McBean recovered for Oklahoma State at the Arkansas State 7, and Reid found Jeremiah Burton for a 4-yard scoring pass.

Reid finished 11-of-18 for 167 yards and also ran for 45 yards. He threw one more interception in the fourth quarter, but by that time Arkansas State trailed 28-7 and was showing no signs of coming back.

Julius Crosslin scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter, and Reid added a 6-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew late in the fourth.

Arkansas State tied for the Sun Belt Conference title last year and went to the New Orleans Bowl, but the Indians haven't beaten a major conference team in recent memory. They fell to 0-14 against current Big 12 schools.

Oklahoma State has won 13 straight nonconference regular-season games since a loss to UCLA in 2002.

The game was played at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium before an announced crowd of 23,816. Arkansas State plays most of its home games in Jonesboro and went undefeated there last season.