Oklahoma State's Eric Morris Doesn't Hold Back After Beating Oregon Ducks

The goalposts have met the ground in Boone Pickens Stadium as the unranked Oklahoma State Cowboys achieved a history upset against the No. 6 Oregon Ducks, 39-31. For the first time in college football history, the Cowboys broke a 12-game losing streak by beating a top-10 opponent in the Ducks after an hour-and-a-half weather delay.

So, how did the Cowboys pull of such a historic upset? Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris shared postgame what went into bouncing back from a season-opening loss to Tulsa to a David vs. Goliath situation where a roster with 91 new players took down coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks.

Sep 12, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Eric Morris prepares to enter the field with his team before the game between the Cowboys and the Oregon Ducks at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

'Much Faster' and 'More Aggressive'

For Morris, coming off that 24-10 opening game against Tulsa was a way to motivate, reevaluate, and challenge a national narrative of the Cowboys being down and out once again after 2025's 1-11 season record.

"I'll come back and reflect on it, and I think why I'm so happy is that our players, we challenged them this week like in a really tough way and tough manner, and we had some meetings that weren't very pleasant in here," Morris said. "And to see them practice this last week, the intensity, the focus, the effort that they had to be rewarded for it."

"I mean, I just thought that physically, we played so much faster and we were more aggressive and the guys went out there and competed their tails off and for them to have that moment for me as a coach... like that's what's rewarding for me like I'll look back on this some point later in life... and then too like we're gonna have to be really good as coaches this week because everybody's gonna tell them how good they are now," Morris added.

Sep 12, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Dierre Hill Jr. (6) fumbles the ball during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Eric Morris Knew the Cowboys Could Pull Off An Upset

Though Morris shared he didn't quite know what to expect from the Cowboys going into this top-10 match-up, the coach had a feeling something special was brewing later in the week.

"I knew we were really locked in Thursday and Friday," Morris said, "Like we were super physical with the guys. Like we got after Tuesday and Wednesday, just because we thought you know we weren't near good enough in the trenches last game, and so I thought they responded on the tough days. And then... Thursday and Friday, our kids just had a different look and intensity, and they were locked in, in so many different ways."

Oklahoma State's Wyatt Young (10) scores a touchdown as Oregon's Davon Benjamin (5) defends first half of the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Oregon Ducks at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Evaluating The Ducks Prior To Kickoff

For Morris, the goal for the defense was to "play fast" while the offense had the "identity to run the football when... needed." A strategy of the Cowboys was practicing the entire week in the burning heat, with the temperature on the field coming out to 105 degrees. Morris' goal was to clean up, while also watching the film and slowing down his process to find Oregon's flaws.

"We just slowed it down. Like, I thought, going back and really researching. And every team's different," Morris said. "I just had to go back and look as a play caller and say, 'Hey, let's get some good down hill runs for those situations today', and then obviously in some key situations have a little bit of more misdirection just because these guys were so good ,right, and up front, like those ends are pretty now."

For the offensive line, it was "night and day" for Morris against an Oregon defensive line that preseason was expected to be one of the best in the country.

"Which I haven't even looked at the stats yet," Morris said. "We have 550 yards and rushing... Can't even see how many rushing yards we have. 237 yards? I mean, I'd say they did pretty good up front, right? And so, and some of that was, there's a couple schematical things like we didn't block a ton of people on the very first play, but it was really well executed."

Sep 12, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Heat Was A Factor

With an hour and a half weather delay until the Cowboys kicked off against the Ducks, Morris posited that the weather truly became an advantage for the Cowboys to complete this historic upset along with an Oklahoma State crowd who's roars could be heard through the television broadcast.

"Yeah, it was so much better," Morris said. "You know, just our whole situation getting here, like our locker room was - we turned [the temperature] down. It was super cold in there, knowing last week our locker room was awful and really hot, and so it was good to be able to do it. But it was - we knew going into it as the delay happened, it was our advantage, right?"

"We were super comfortable. We got a lot of space in there. Our chairs fall down. So as we keep resetting the clock, finally we just told the kids, 'Hey, get off your feet, lay down. We have couches in there. Put your earphones in and just relax for a little bit.'"

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