Eric Morris is already learning how Oklahoma State responds to adversity. After a loss to Tulsa and season-ending injury to captain Jacob Sexton, Morris said some players “have their feelings hurt,” while others have shown the “dog and fight” he wants from his Cowboys.
Oklahoma State didn't have to wait long for adversity to arrive in the Eric Morris era.
One game into the season, the Cowboys are 0-1 after a disappointing 24-10 loss to Tulsa, have lost starting left tackle and captain Jacob Sexton for the season and are preparing to face No. 2 Oregon.
Now Morris is learning plenty about how his new team responds when things don't go according to plan.
“Some good. Some bad,” Morris said Tuesday when asked how the Cowboys have handled the early adversity. “Some have their feelings hurt. Think they didn't play enough or play well. They go into the dumps.”
That's one side of the response.
Morris has also seen the mentality he's looking for from other players.
“Then you have some guys who have the right mentality, who are competitors at heart, have some dog and fight in them,” Morris said. “They're going to come back and respond the right way.”
Morris said he thought Oklahoma State practiced well Tuesday and noticed more players beginning to take on leadership responsibilities.
That's particularly important after losing Sexton.
The Oklahoma transfer was voted one of Oklahoma State's seven captains before the season and quickly established himself as a vocal presence for a team featuring 91 newcomers. His Cowboys career lasted only five offensive plays before he suffered a broken leg against Tulsa that will sideline him for the remainder of the season.
“You lose him early, so someone else has to step up,” Morris said. “We have guys. Mercer. Johnny Dixon. All those guys who have played plenty of football. Should be able to step up and fill that void.”
Tyler Mercer understands that responsibility.
The veteran offensive lineman isn't attempting to minimize what losing Sexton means to the Cowboys. But with 11 games remaining, he also knows Oklahoma State can't spend much time thinking about what it has lost.
“It's next-man-up mentality,” Mercer said. “Football is a physical game. We love Jacob and will miss him. No doubt a big loss, but it's like, OK, what's next? We can't sit and dwell on that.”
Oklahoma State's updated depth chart lists Desmond Magiya or Shaun Torgeson as the options to replace Sexton at left tackle.
But Mercer believes replacing Sexton can't fall solely on whichever player gets the starting assignment.
“We have 11 games left, so it's just equipping the next guy up to carry his weight,” Mercer said. “Ultimately, as the O-line, we are one unit. So a guy goes down, but we all have to do well together to work well together. Just adjust from there.”
The same mentality extends beyond the offensive line.
Oklahoma State's season opener fell well short of expectations. The Cowboys entered Tulsa as nearly two-touchdown favorites but committed four turnovers, scored only 10 points and extended the program's losing streak to 12 games.
Running back Caleb Hawkins views Saturday's matchup against Oregon as an opportunity to show what the Cowboys do with that disappointment.
“We're welcoming the challenge and excited to show what we can prove to the world,” Hawkins said. “Like I've said before in all these, show that we can grow.”
Oklahoma State won't get the luxury of easing into its response.
The Cowboys go directly from a disappointing loss to Tulsa into a matchup with the No. 2 team in the country.
For a roster that was almost entirely rebuilt during the offseason, Saturday represents more than another opportunity to win a football game.
It's the first major test of the mentality Morris has spent months trying to establish.
Some players, by Morris' own admission, haven't responded perfectly to adversity.
Now he'll find out which Cowboys have the “dog and fight” to respond when Oklahoma State takes the field again.
