Oklahoma State doesn’t have one offensive headache right now. It has two, and both showed up again in the loss to Houston.
The Cowboys are 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 play, and they can top their win total from the past two seasons with a victory over Colorado on Saturday. But that’s not where the focus sits after Tuesday’s comments from head coach Eric Morris. The issue is what’s happening when the offense gets close to the end zone, and what happens before it ever settles in.
Red zone production has been good enough on paper, but not good enough where it counts. Oklahoma State has reached the red zone 34 times this season and scored on 29 of those trips, an 85.2% success rate.
The problem is that only 18 of those drives have ended in touchdowns. That’s 52.9%, with the rest mostly turning into field goals.
That leaves a lot of points behind. The Cowboys have kicked 11 field goals after those red zone trips, and the result is 44 points they did not get in touchdown form. Morris pointed to the issue directly on Tuesday.
“That’s been a problem for the last couple weeks - actually the whole entire year you know?” Morris said.
“You go back to the first drive of the of our season offensively and we don't get it on fourth down against Tulsa. We have got to find a way to get better and get it fixed.”
There have also been five red zone possessions that ended in turnovers or on downs. Morris brought up the failed fourth-and-goal against Tulsa, which came in the “green zone,” inside the 5-yard line. That same thing happened against Houston.
The Cowboys have tried to adjust with some creative personnel usage. Defensive lineman Malik Charles and backup left tackle Braydon Nelson have both been used as extra blockers, and tight end Morgan McPhaul has taken a turn as a ball carrier. But the wrinkles have not solved the problem yet.
“I’ve got to put them in in better positions and figure out what we can execute,” Morris said.
The other issue is the way Oklahoma State begins games. The Cowboys have been far better after halftime, but the split is stark enough to be a problem on its own.
Oklahoma State has scored 95 points in first halves and 128 in second halves this season. But those numbers shift once Murray State is removed.
Without the 31 first-half points against Murray State, the Cowboys have only scored 64 first-half points against their five FBS opponents. Take away the 28 second-half points against Murray State, and the second-half total drops to 100.
That leaves Oklahoma State averaging 12.8 first-half points and 20 second-half points per game against FBS opponents.
Morris has been pushing the need for quicker starts for weeks, and the results still aren’t there.
“The slow start stuff has to stop,” Morris said. “Like we're two different teams, first half and second half right now and it blows my mind to be honest with you.”
In Other News...
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Oklahoma State's 2027 Class Is Starting To Raise A Bigger Question
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Oklahoma State Secondary Faces A Bigger Test Without A Key Safety
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The absence leaves Oklahoma State leaning on its depth in the secondary as it tries to hold up against a bigger challenge without Phillips patrolling the back end. Oscar Hammond is expected to help fill the void, but the Cowboys will still be asking a lot from a group that has to absorb another hit before the next kickoff. [Read more 🡒]