Watching the Houston tape left Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris with one clear frustration: too often, the Cowboys looked like they were out there with only 10 players doing the job.
That was the message Morris wanted to drive home this week as OSU turned the page toward Colorado. The Cowboys came up short against a ranked Houston team in a game they could have won, a result that kept them from staying unbeaten in Big 12 play with BYU, Texas Tech and Utah. It also was the kind of loss that stings because of what it might have meant for Oklahoma State in the national picture.
Morris said the feedback he gave his team on Monday was shaped carefully. He didn’t want the lesson to turn into blame, especially when the problem on film was less about a team-wide breakdown and more about one player here and there missing an assignment.
“Usually we do good ball, bad ball in there, you know?” Morris said. “Just to really try to learn from some situations that we think we can learn from as a team, and then to really praise the kids where they did good, right?”
That didn’t mean the film was easy to watch. Morris kept coming back to the same image: 10 players executing one way, and one player going another. In his view, that disconnect cost OSU chances to swing the game.
“Too many times in that game we were playing with 10 people and people not executing their job,” Morris said.
He drew a contrast with the Tulsa game, where the issues were broader and more widespread. Against Houston, the problem was more isolated, but no less damaging. Morris said he wanted to avoid players pointing fingers at each other, which is why he framed the discussion around a couple of specific examples rather than a full-on teardown.
Football, as he put it, has to work like a concert. Every part has to be in sync.
“I picked two clips of chances where we had a chance at that position to make a play to maybe change that game, right? And every single one of them, I think it was a good illustration to our team just how close we were, right?” Morris said.
The breakdowns showed up everywhere. Houston hit five touchdown passes on Oklahoma State’s secondary.
The offensive line gave up pressure and sacks. The receivers were in the wrong spots at times, leading to incompletions and an interception.
The defensive line also failed to bring enough pressure.
Morris said the bigger issue is making sure none of that spills into Saturday’s matchup with Colorado.
“We played with 10 way too many times, and so we had a chance to make some plays to change the game [and didn’t],” Morris said.
In Other News...
Wyatt Young Brings An Edge Oklahoma State Fans Love To Watch
Wyatt Young has given Oklahoma State a little extra edge every time he steps on the field, and it starts with the kind of competitive banter that can light a fire without crossing the line. The receivers trash-talking has become part of his identity, a sharp but controlled form of gamesmanship that seems to energize both him and the Cowboys while still staying within the rules.
Young has built that style over time, going back to his high school days when he played quarterback and started developing the kind of back-and-forth mindset he uses now. It is the sort of confidence coaches can appreciate and opponents tend to respect, even when they would rather not hear it, and it has helped make him one of the more intriguing personalities in the Oklahoma State locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Heads Into Oklahoma State With A Growing Injury Problem
Colorados trip to Stillwater arrives with the Buffaloes trying to piece together an offense and a depth chart that keep getting thinner. The injury list has grown again ahead of Week 8 against Oklahoma State, with Micah Welch and Jayven Richardson both unavailable after getting hurt against Utah, adding another layer of uncertainty to a team already dealing with bodies in flux.
Deion Sanders has been working through the latest updates one by one, and the concern is not just about the immediate week ahead. Danny Scuderos situation is trending in an especially troubling direction, while Lamont Lester remains limited, leaving Colorado to manage a roster that is far from full strength as it heads into a conference road test. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State May Have Found The Secondary Help It Desperately Needs
Oklahoma State is back in the market for secondary help, and one name to watch is Coaleon Johnson, a three-star junior college cornerback whose recruitment has picked up as his season at Iowa Western Community College winds down. Johnson has drawn attention for the kind of traits the Cowboys have been seeking in the defensive backfield, with his size, experience and knack for creating turnovers making him a notable target in a crowded pursuit.
Johnson plans to announce his commitment on Nov. 30, and Oklahoma State is one of 10 schools still in the mix. For a program looking to strengthen its defensive depth, the timing matters, especially with his junior college season now complete and his next move coming into focus. The Cowboys will be watching closely to see whether they can turn that interest into a much-needed addition. [Read more 🡒]