Eric Morris Wants Oklahoma State-Murray State Game to Be About One Thing

For the Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach there is only one thing on his mind going into their showdown with the Murray State Racers.

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The difference was dramatic and Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Eric Morris knows it.

That difference was between what the Cowboys (1-1) put on tape against Tulsa in Week 1 and against Oregon in Week 2. It’s hard for him to remember a starker difference between two games he’s coached.

“I think it goes to show us how, at our worst how bad we can be and at our best how good we can be,” Morris said.

The Cowboys get one last shot to fine tune things against Murray State (1-2), which is coming off a road win at Valparaiso but has won three games in two-plus seasons under head coach Jody Wright.

Like last week, Morris and his staff are simplifying things. This time it’s not about “fast.” It’s about focusing on something else.

What Is Saturday’s Game About?

Oklahoma State's Malik Charles. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In three words, this week is “worry about us,” according to Morris.

“The message to the team after practice today [Tuesday] is we’ve got to worry about us and get one week better and continue to build momentum.”

Morris is a big believer in momentum. He talks about it every week before games. After the Tulsa game, the Cowboys didn’t seem to have any. Now, with a victory over Oregon — and all the national publicity that has followed — Oklahoma State has it back again. Morris doesn’t want to lose it.

While most coaches preach focusing on what “you” do instead of the other team, it couldn’t be a better statement for this week. The Cowboys are coming off a massive win and facing a team that on paper looks like the easiest they will play this season. It’s a week before the Big 12 opener at Morgantown at West Virginia.

Morris doesn’t want to lose that momentum with a lackluster showing against Murray State, even if it leads to a lopsided victory. To do that, his message must override the message his players have gotten all week from fans and outsiders alike.

“I've been brutally honest with them,” Morris said. “You could say trap game, you can say rat poison, don’t read your press clippings, distractions — everything that can be said is a distraction. But I was really pleased by the way our kids attacked practice today [Tuesday].”

Like any coach, Morris will know whether the message sunk in when the Cowboys play the Racers at 6 p.m. at Boone Pickens Stadium on ESPN+. With the Mountaineers just on the horizon, it’s a message Morris believes can’t afford to be lost, even during preparation for an opponent that seems like an underdog on paper.

But it’s that what most people thought about Oklahoma State last week? There’s the lesson for the Cowboys going into Saturday.