After two abysmal seasons, the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team is looking to turn things around under new head coach Eric Morris, and the promise of a more exciting team to watch.

The 2024 team started the season 3-0, but then lost 20 straight games against FBS schools, over the next season and a half, with the only win coming against UT Martin to start last season.

The straw that broke the support of the OSU faithful was an embarrassing loss at home against Tulsa, and the result was the firing of longtime coach Mike Gundy. The Cowboys finished 1-11 last season.

One of the biggest questions for the Cowboys this season will be how quickly the returning players, and the new transfers can get on the same page; the winning page.

Morris had one of the top-ranked offenses in the country last season at North Texas and he has brought with him eight players off that high-powered attack. In contrast, OSU finished 130th in the nation in total offense. North Texas scored 31 or more points in every game except the ACC Championship game loss to Tulane, 34-21. For OSU, the Cowboys scored 21 or fewer points in ten games last season.

One of the players to watch is sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker. He’s not just a great player but he has a very interesting background. He wasn’t a starter on his high school team, but led North Texas to a win over Texas State in the 2024 First Responder Bowl. He threw for almost 400 yards with two touchdowns in that game. Last season, Mestemaker threw for over 4,800 yards, 36 touchdowns, and he ran for six more. He knows the Morris offense very well.

Another player of interest is Caleb Hawkins, another North Texas transfer. The versatile back ran for over 1,400 yards and 25 touchdowns, he caught 32 passes for 370 yards and four more touchdowns. Wide receiver Justin Bowick will make some big plays for the Cowboys. He began his career at Ball State. Last year, at Illinois, Bowick caught 22 passes for five touchdowns.

There won’t be as many transfers on defense as there are on offense, so the defense has to step up and have more stops than they have in the past. Last year, OSU was outscored in the third quarter, 106 – 27. Their opponents converted 82% of their fourth downs.

A few players returning on defense include Jaleel Johnson and Malik Charles at end, LaDainian Fields and Kale Smith at the corner back position, and linebacker Trip White.

If the new offense works out and the new players can work together, OSU might surprise some teams in the Big 12.

The Cowboys will open the season at Tulsa, then play Oregon and Murray State. It would be a surprise if OSU loses to TU again, but beating Oregon is unlikely. The team needs to be ready to compete in the Big 12 and it all begins with a visit to West Virginia. There is a good chance the Cowboys can become bowl eligible this season by winning six games but winning more than six games might be a stretch. Even if that plays out to be the case, it’s still a big step forward from what we’ve seen in Stillwater the past two seasons, and the team will likely be much more exciting to watch.

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