Oklahoma State Football Sputters, Loses to Tulsa in Eric Morris’ Debut

All the good vibrations since Eric Morris was hired to take over as head coach disappeared for the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 60 minutes against Tulsa.

Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Wyatt Young. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma State football coach Eric Morris said he needed to see what his team would do with a little adversity to properly evaluate them.

Tulsa provided the adversity in bushels on Saturday.

The Cowboys lost to the Golden Hurricane, 24-10, on Saturday, thanks in part to Oklahoma State’s inability to execute offensively, which was supposed to be the team’s strength.

Tulsa iced the game with a Zach Williams interception in the end zone with 4:18 left as Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker was trying to cut the lead to one touchdown.

For the Cowboys (0-1) it was their first game under Morris, who took over in December after Mike Gundy was fired in September. After an offseason of good vibrations, even amid a historic roster turnover, Oklahoma State was hoping for a win to start the Morris era off right.

Instead, the Cowboys spent the first half putting forth what Morris called a “piss-poor” effort during his halftime interview on Cowboys radio and the second half trying to avoid a second straight loss to the Golden Hurricane (1-0). Last year’s loss in Stillwater triggered Gundy’s firing. OSU also lost left tackle Jacob Sexton to a leg injury early in the game.

Oklahoma State Drops Season Opener

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

Tulsa made it a two-touchdown game with 7:52 left in the game with a 29-yard touchdown run by Golden Hurricanes running back Damari Alston, which gave them a two-score lead. The play was set up by Oklahoma State’s failure to convert a 3rd-and-2 and a 4th-and-1 deep in their own territory down seven points. Alston scored on the next play.

At the time, the Cowboys were 4-for-14 on third down and 2-for-6 on fourth down. Oklahoma State dodged turning the ball over twice without allowing points. But it couldn’t dodge its inability to sustain drives.

Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes had the more efficient game, as he went 17-for-24 with 227 yards and one touchdown and one interception. That interception, a pick by OSU cornerback LaDainian Fields, did not lead to points for OSU.

Drew Mestemaker, in his OSU debut, struggled at times as he finished 29-for-49 with 241 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He did fumble the ball once on a sack in the third quarter.

OSU running back Caleb Hawkins rushed for 79 yards to lead the Cowboys on the ground, while wide receiver Wyatt Young had 84 yards on eight catches. Justin Bowick was the only Cowboys offensive player that scored, a third-quarter touchdown pass from Mestemaker.

Alston rushed for 73 yards and two scores for Tulsa, while Jimmy Calloway caught five passes for 71 yards.

OSU linebackers Tate Romney and Ethan Wesloski led with seven tackles each while Tulsa’s Chris Thompson Jr. had nine tackles.

Tulsa has a 10-3 lead at halftime. The Golden Hurricane took the lead late in the first half as Alston scored on a 1-yard direct snap with 21 seconds left. But it almost didn’t happen.

Earlier in the drive, Alston scored on a 1-yard touchdown run but that score was called back due to a holding call by Tulsa offensive lineman Ian Mayes. Tulsa failed to get anything going on the next three plays, but the Cowboys gave the Golden Hurricane a fresh set of downs after Jaleel Johnson was called for roughing the passer on fourth down.

Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes was flushed to his left and he threw an incompletion. But Johnson ran into him well after the play ended. While it looked accidental, by rule it was roughing the passer and gave Tulsa the ball at OSU 5-yard line to set up Alston’s touchdown.

Tulsa and Oklahoma State traded field goals before that. Tulsa’s Marlon Hauck made a 40-yarder in the first quarter and OSU’s Sam Keltner made a 35-yarder in the second quarter.