The Oklahoma State Cowboys have a trend going for them as they enter their contest with the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The Cowboys (5-3, 3-2 in Big 12) have lost three games this year, including last week’s 51-49 loss to the Iowa State Cyclones. After each of the first two losses this season, the Cowboys met the moment. After falling to Tulsa, they completely upended Oregon at home. After falling to Houston on the road, they returned home to take care of Colorado.

While the Cowboys have had a winning streak this season, they've never had a losing streak. Head coach Eric Morris hopes to avoid his first losing streak as head coach against the Wildcats (4-4, 1-4).

Saturday's game is set for noon CT on TNT.

Here are four storylines that I have my eye on going into the game.

A Defensive Bounce Back

I think two months into this season the difference in talent level between Oklahoma State’s offense and defense finally caught up to it. The defense had its worst game of the season. Oklahoma State allowed nearly 600 total yards give up 51 points and just couldn't get the stop they needed at the end of the game against Iowa State. It put defensive coordinator Skyler Cassidy under a microscope.

But the reality is the defense isn’t as talented or as deep as the offense. Blame it on the 1-11 team head coach Eric Morris inherited. What high-level defender would have wanted to go to Stillwater while in the transfer portal last offseason — at least not one that played for Morris at North Texas?

The Cowboys stand to be without two starters for Saturday's game — defensive end Jaleel Johnson and linebacker Tate Romney. Both are doubtful going into the weekend. Those are tough losses. OSU must overcome it.

This unit must play better. The assignment mistakes it made against Iowa State can’t happen again. Cassidy needs to adjust the scheme to account for talent differences across the unit. The Cowboys must tackle better. They’ve made big tackles in key situations. But when that betrays them the lack of consistency really shows up.

I wrote in my bold predictions piece that I think the Cowboys will play better defensively. The good news is that in each of their two losses the Cowboys bounced back and won. The defense has been part of that. I'm interested to see if they can do it a third time.

Wyatt Young’s Redemption

On the continuum of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, what wide receiver Wyatt Young did at the end of the Iowa State game is on the low end — but it was no less catastrophic given the timing and what it allowed Iowa State to do. Young isn't the only reason the Cowboys lost. But without that penalty the Cyclones probably start that drive at their 25 as opposed to their 39. Maybe that makes a difference as they tried to get in position for a game-winning field goal.

Young has apologized to Cowboys fans, his head coach and his teammates. Morris said after the game there would be punishment. He has not disclosed what it will be. Perhaps Young misses the first possession of the game. But he’s not sitting out — unless his inclusion on the player availability report on Thursday is an indication that something is up physically. The penalty doesn’t warrant missing a full game.

What I'm really interested in is whether he uses this as motivation to have a huge game? For reference, he caught eight passes for 192 yards and a touchdown against West Virginia. If he has a game like that, this one’s probably over.

The Former Cowboy Effect

Kansas State has two players that were with Oklahoma State last season that could have a significant impact on Saturday's game. I'm curious to see just how much of an impact they'll have, especially running back Rodney Fields Jr., who went up against several of these holdover defensive players in practice last season.

Fields is also the cousin of Cowboys cornerback LaDainian Fields, who has five interceptions this season. Rodney Fields has rushed for 487 yards and five touchdowns on 97 carries. He’s had two 100-yard rushing games, but none since the Washington State game on Sept. 12. Cowboys head coach Eric Morris said he was a player they hoped to keep when he arrived in December.

Defensive end Wendell Gregory was the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year with the Cowboys last season as he had 27 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and a pass breakup in 12 games (four starts) before he portaled out. He’s a defender the Cowboys could use on the edge. He’s put together a similar season for K-State with 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

I’m interested to see how they play against their former team.

A Fitting Place to 'Bowl Out'

Two years ago, I just happened to cover the Oklahoma State-Kansas State game in Manhattan for another outlet. At the time, Oklahoma State was ranked and the Cowboys were coming off that loss to Utah to open Big 12 play. There was little sign of what was to come. But one could argue that game was the first real sign that there was trouble in Stillwater.

Two years later, the Cowboys returned to the scene of the crime, so to speak. They do so after going through a two-season stretch in which they won just four games and lost 18 straight Big 12 games.

On some level, it would be fitting the Cowboys to clinch the sixth win they need to go to a bowl game in a place where their fortunes began to take a true nosedive. I'm interested to see if these Cowboys rise to the challenge or if they're going to keep their fans waiting one more week.