Oklahoma State’s One Injury to Watch vs. Houston — and Cowboys’ Backup Plan

As the Oklahoma State Cowboys prepare for the Houston Cougars, there is one injury situation that bears monitoring leading up to the game.

Oklahoma State players work out against one another during a practice. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Oklahoma State Cowboys will release their first player availability reports on Wednesday night. Expect one defensive starter to be on it.

On Saturday against UCF, Cowboys safety Mose Phillips III left the game with a shoulder issue, as reported by Cowboys Radio Network during the game. Phillips did put on a shoulder sleeve in the second half of the game and got his pads on, but he never returned.

When Cowboys head coach Eric Morris was asked ab out Phillips on Saturday, he said that he believed he would be fine. On Tuesday, he hedged his bets without talking about the severity of the injury.

“We'll see this week how he develops with the shoulder,” Morris said. “So I don't know on Mose yet.”

Game Planning Without Mose Phillips III

Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Evan Jackson and defensive end James Williams. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Phillips was not listed as a starter on the initial depth chart to begin the season but moved into the starting spot at the boundary safety before the Oregon game. The senior brought three years of collegiate experience with him to OSU. Who years at Virginia Tech and one at Missouri.

Phillips’ production was growing. In five games he had 23 tackles (10 solo, 13 assists) with three passes defended. He also had an interception against West Virginia that changed the direction of that game from a Cowboys perspective.  

Without Phillips, the Cowboys would likely turn to Evan Jackson at boundary safety, who started the opener against Tulsa but has been a back-up since then. He had the biggest defensive play of the game against UCF, a scoop-and-score on a fumble caused by a backwards pass that gave the Cowboys a 35-21 lead in the fourth quarter.

He only has four tackles this season, but he has great experience with defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity’s 4-2-5 scheme. He only started one game for North Texas last season under Cassity, but had 44 tackles, including 28 solo. He also had two interceptions and two pass break-ups.

The 2024 season, before Cassity arrived at UNT, was his best season. he started nine of the Mean Green’s 13 games and finished with 55 tackles with 38 solo stops. He also had three interceptions.

One potential benefit of more playing time for Jackson is the opportunity for more turnover creation. He has a history of it and the Cowboys have not been a good outfit when it comes to creating them so far this season.

While the Cowboys monitor Phillips’ progress this week, they know that they have a good back-up plan in Jackson.