Mason Earns Bigger Role as OSU Prepares for Iowa State
Morris says the senior running back’s special teams work opened the door, while the Cowboys sit one win from bowl eligibility.
Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris hasn’t talked to his team about bowl eligibility.
The No. 24 Cowboys (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) sit one win from qualifying for the postseason. Morris sees a bowl berth as more than one more game. It would bring extra practices to develop younger players as his staff works to build sustained success.
At his weekly press conference Tuesday, Morris also discussed injuries at safety and senior running back William Mason’s growing role ahead of Saturday’s trip to Iowa State.
Bowl berth would extend developmental work
OSU scrimmages its younger players every Thursday. The sessions give them a chance to tackle, block and compete outside their scout-team assignments.
Morris said the young offensive linemen and defensive backs have stood out. Bowl practices would let the staff continue that work past the regular season.
“We have a lot of good young players that need to play football right now,” Morris said. “They need to tackle and they need to block and they need to see live action.”
Morris wants postseason trips to become a regular part of the program again, not the ceiling of its ambitions. That is part of why he hasn’t made qualifying a locker-room talking point.
“It’s big for your program,” he said.
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Injuries test safety depth
OSU senior safety Mose Phillips III remains out and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Morris hopes junior safety Quinton Hammonds can return Saturday after leaving the Colorado game with an injury. He said Hammonds’ availability will depend on how he progresses during the week.
Redshirt senior safety Cameron Epps gives the Cowboys an experienced option. Morris praised Epps’ length and versatility and said the staff has worked him at both nickel and safety. He also pointed to Epps’ interception in the spring game as evidence of his playmaking ability.
OSU came out of Saturday’s 57-24 win over Colorado more banged up than in previous weeks, Morris said. The staff has shortened practices as the season has progressed. Morris said the Cowboys still need physical work during the week, but that work has to be balanced against getting players healthy for game day.
Mason earns more opportunities
Mason’s special teams production helped earn him a larger offensive role Saturday. The Coweta High School graduate, who transferred from Central Oklahoma this spring, ran for 27 yards and a 3-yard touchdown on six carries.
Morris praised Mason’s size, strength and speed, and his work on punt and kickoff coverage. He said Mason has also improved in pass protection.
“Maybe we should have got him in a little bit sooner,” Morris said.
Morris stopped short of naming Mason the No. 2 running back, saying the staff still trusts its other options. But Mason’s work keeps earning him more snaps.
Penalties stall drives
Four OSU possessions that included an offensive penalty Saturday ended in field goals, Morris said. One of those penalties cost Mason a 17-yard run in the third quarter, when a holding call pulled the ball back to the OSU 36. Another wiped out a 15-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Caleb Hawkins late in the first half.
“This offense, we don’t need to go backwards,” Morris said.
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Turnover sparked defensive response
Colorado scored on four of its first five possessions and led 24-23 at halftime. It didn’t score again. Morris credited schematic adjustments and better execution for the turnaround.
The spark came on the opening play of the second half. Senior defensive tackle Jerry Lawson forced a fumble by quarterback Isaac Wilson, and Hammonds recovered at the Colorado 22. Morris said the film showed about seven Cowboys around the ball.
“I think that set the tone kind of for that whole entire second half for us,” Morris said.
He also credited the cornerbacks for winning more one-on-one matchups after halftime. Colorado’s eight second-half possessions ended in a fumble, two interceptions, four punts and the end of the game.
For Iowa State, Morris emphasized disciplined pass-rush lanes and limiting the Cyclones’ red-zone chances. He pointed to senior quarterback Jaylen Raynor’s ability to extend plays. That problem hurt OSU on Saturday, when defenders missed chances to finish sacks.
OSU plays Iowa State at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. The game will air on FOX or FS1.
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