Dorian Singer’s moment finally arrives in Utah’s win over Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. — Somehow, some way, Dorian Singer maintained possession of the ball.
Near the end of the first quarter, on third-and-9, Singer ran a crossing route, giving quarterback Isaac Wilson an option as Oklahoma State defenders converged on him. Recognizing the pressure, Wilson threw it right before getting hit, and with Cowboy cornerback Korie Black draped over him, Singer made the catch, pressing the ball against his helmet, then his shoulder — with his arm reaching behind his head — as he went to the ground.
Despite the nose of the football touching the ground, after review, officials ruled that Singer, who took four steps with the ball, had maintained control, performed a football move, and had his body touch the ground, overturning the original incomplete call to a catch.
Even if Singer’s body didn’t touch the ground before the nose of the ball did, according to the NCAA rulebook, “If the ball touches the ground after the player secures control and continues to maintain control, and the elements above are satisfied, it is a catch.”
When it was all said and done, it was a six-yard gain that set up fourth-and-3 from the Oklahoma State 32-yard-line. Singer’s catch made the fourth down reasonable enough that offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig decided to go for it, and Wilson rolled out to his right and found a wide-open Money Parks for an 11-yard gain that moved the chains.
Though the drive ended with two sacks of Wilson, Cole Becker made a 43-yard field goal to tie the game at three, something that would prove crucial in a 22-19 win over Oklahoma State. Without Singer’s remarkable grab, the Utes would have put no points on the scoreboard through their first three drives in a game where scoring was at a premium.
It certainly has to be the most memorable six-yard completion of Singer’s football career, but was it the craziest catch he’s ever made?
“Nah,” Singer said postgame. “I got a lot. I got some, a couple in my head I can think of.”
We’ll have to take his word for that, but besides the circus catch, Singer made a big impact on the game in Utah’s 22-19 win over No. 14 Oklahoma State.
After limited opportunities in Utah’s first two games of the season — he had five combined receptions for 43 yards — Singer’s production increased against Utah State as Wilson started his first game of the season.
The two have had a good connection, and that continued against the Cowboys, as Singer had not only his best game thus far as a Ute, but his best showing since 2022, when he was on Arizona. After being lost in the mix at USC, Singer transferred to Utah and was crowned as the school’s WR1 during the preseason.
“Well, first of all, he is an exceptional football player,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said before Utah’s first game of the season. “I mean, he does things out on the practice field that you just go, ‘Wow.’ You just look at each other as coaches and say, ‘Yeah, that’s why we brought him here.’ And so he’s got maybe certainly one of the best sets of hands that we’ve had ever in our program.”
Slowly but surely, Singer is showing why Whittingham was so excited to land the talented wide receiver in the transfer portal.
Almost half of Wilson’s 207 passing yards went to Singer, who caught seven passes for 95 yards. He was a favorite target of the true freshman signal-caller, especially in a stretch between 2:11 in the first quarter and 0:44 in the second quarter when Wilson completed nine of 10 receptions — four of those to Singer.
“He’s a young guy but he plays like a vet,” Singer said of Wilson this week.
On Saturday, Singer and Wilson connected to move the chains four times, with gains of 25, 17, 14 and 13 yards. Singer’s ability to catch contested balls and fight for yards after the catch shined through time and time again as he gained a game-high 48 yards after catch. On a day where Wilson had some freshman mistakes, including two interceptions, Singer served as a reliable option.
On a productive day on offense, one of Singer’s best plays of the day came on a play where he essentially played defense.
On a second-and-10 just outside of the red zone in the third quarter, Singer beat his man to the end zone, but Wilson’s pass was underthrown, and Oklahoma State cornerback Kale Smith looked to have an interception. As Smith went to the ground, though, Singer made a play on the ball, preserving Utah’s drive, which ended with a missed field goal by Becker from 36 yards out.
Though he’s still waiting for his first touchdown as a Ute, Singer has improved his stat line every game, and has turned into Wilson’s No. 1 option in two wins with the true freshman.