Halloween fell on a Saturday, and two Big 12 teams split the holiday's colors right down the middle. Oklahoma State came to Ames in all orange. Iowa State answered in all black. The Big 12 posted the game photos with one line: "the most perfect Halloween Night jersey matchup in the history of jersey matchups of any Halloween in history."
We agree. This was the best uniform matchup of the 2026 college football season, and it might be the best Halloween matchup ever. Then the game went 51-49 and ended on the last kick.
Quick Answers
- What did Oklahoma State wear against Iowa State? All orange: an orange helmet, orange jersey and orange pants, with black skeleton-print cleats.
- What did Iowa State wear? All black: a black helmet with a white center stripe and the white Cynado logo, a black jersey and black pants. It was Iowa State's first black look of the season.
- Who won? Iowa State, 51-49, on a 34-yard field goal by Kyle Konrardy as time expired.
- Was it the best Halloween uniform matchup ever? We think so. Orange against black is the Halloween color scheme, and nobody else has ever dressed a whole game in it this cleanly.
What They Wore
Oklahoma State: all orange. Orange helmet, orange jersey with OKLAHOMA STATE across the chest, orange pants, and the black skeleton-print cleats from the team's reveal. The Cowboys revealed the set on hay bales under a "Happy Halloween" banner and called it "THE uniform matchup of the weekend." It was the program's first Halloween road game since 2015.
Iowa State: all black. Iowa State posted "halloween threads" on October 27: a black helmet with a white center stripe and the white Cynado logo, a black jersey and black pants. The black set came in the 2024 Nike redesign, and this was the first time the Cyclones had worn it in 2026. Every other game this season had been cardinal or white.
Put them on the same field and you get the whole holiday. Orange on one side, black on the other, no white jerseys or pants anywhere to break it up. Most color-on-color games need one team in white to work. This one did not.
How the Game Went
The uniforms were the story before kickoff. The game made it bigger. Iowa State and No. 24 Oklahoma State combined for 100 points on FOX. Oklahoma State scored a touchdown with 53 seconds left, a penalty on the celebration gave Iowa State the field position it needed, and Konrardy hit from 34 yards as time expired. Iowa State 51, Oklahoma State 49.
The photos from that last drive, black jerseys chasing orange ones under the lights in Ames, are the best football pictures of Halloween night.
Our Take
This is the best uniform matchup of the year. Plenty of teams dress up for Halloween, but one team in orange against a team in white is just a normal game. Oklahoma State and Iowa State needed each other. Take away either side and it is a nice alternate. Put them together and it looks like it was planned, even though each team picked its own look.
Oklahoma State's all orange was No. 2 in our college football Halloween uniforms, graded, and it was our Jersey of the Day for October 31. Iowa State's blackout deserves the same credit. The black helmet with the white Cynado is the best helmet in the Iowa State closet, and they should bring it back next Halloween.
If both teams do it again in 2027, we will be watching.
Every look from the weekend is in the college football Week 9 uniform guide. For the full season, see the Oklahoma State uniform schedule and the Iowa State uniform schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Oklahoma State wear on Halloween 2026?
All orange at Iowa State on October 31: an orange helmet, orange jersey and orange pants, with black skeleton-print cleats.
What did Iowa State wear against Oklahoma State?
The blackout: a black helmet with a white center stripe and the white Cynado logo, a black jersey and black pants. It was Iowa State's first time in black in 2026.
Who won Oklahoma State vs Iowa State on Halloween?
Iowa State won 51-49 on a 34-yard field goal by Kyle Konrardy as time expired. Oklahoma State had taken the lead with a touchdown 53 seconds earlier.
What channel was Oklahoma State vs Iowa State on?
FOX, on Saturday night, October 31, 2026, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
What was the best Halloween uniform matchup in college football?
Oklahoma State in all orange against Iowa State in all black on October 31, 2026. The Big 12 called it "the most perfect Halloween Night jersey matchup" in history.
Does Iowa State have a black uniform?
Yes. The black jersey and black pants came in Iowa State's 2024 Nike redesign, along with an all-white set. Iowa State wore the black set for the first time in 2026 against Oklahoma State on Halloween.
Does Oklahoma State have an all orange uniform?
Yes. Oklahoma State has an orange helmet, orange jersey and orange pants, and wore all three together at Iowa State on Halloween 2026.
