STILLWATER — Eric Morris said he doesn’t sleep very well. There’s too many thoughts racing through his mind as he prepares for his debut as the head coach of Oklahoma State football.
If that wasn’t stressful enough, Morris also had an armadillo problem. The little devils were wreaking havoc on his flowerbeds.
So a couple nights ago, Morris put his insomnia to use. He popped up around 2:30 a.m. and decided it was time to, well, pop an armadillo.
“Luckily I found him,” Morris said after practice Tuesday. “This is my first experience with an armadillo.”
Believe it or not, there aren’t a lot of armadillos in Morris’ native West Texas.
“I got him,” Morris said. “... I had to send a text message to my neighbors. I apologized for the gun shot. I am in the country, so it was legal.”
Glad we cleared that up.
Just when you thought there was going to be a dearth of wildlife stories in the post-Mike Gundy era, Morris — wearing a camo hat — casually dropped a Gundy-esque gem.
Here’s what else we learned from Stillwater on Tuesday (none of it as riveting as the armadillo elimination).
More: Oklahoma State football fan base 'got its hope back,' according to survey
Terrence Lewis shines in scrimmage
There hasn’t been a lot of buzz about wide receiver Terrence Lewis, but that changed after Saturday’s closed scrimmage.
The North Texas transfer reeled in a 60-yard touchdown catch, making three or four guys miss on his way to the end zone, as Morris recalled.
“I think Terrence Lewis has had probably his best little stretch of eight or nine practices together that he’s had since I’ve known him,” Morris said. “He’s always shown flashes, it’s been the consistency factor of it.”
Lewis, from Brenham, Texas, had 11 catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman for the Mean Green.
Could Carson Kolb start at tight end?
The most eyebrow-raising revelation from Morris on Tuesday was about Carson Kolb’s role at tight end.
“If we played a game tomorrow, there’s a good chance he’s our starting tight end right now,” Morris said.
Maybe by default. Donovan Green and Oscar Hammond, who are thought to be the top tight ends on the depth chart, were both seen without pads on during practice and are presumably dealing with injuries.
Kolb had zero catches in two seasons at Oregon State. He came to OSU as a walk-on and was put on scholarship in June.
Morris described Kolb as an energy-drink chugging, screaming-in-the-weight-room “typical meathead.” But Morris also said Kolb is a versatile player who “thinks fast.”
“He just continues to be a guy that gets noticed around here in every camp,” Morris said. “... We didn’t foresee this kid possibly being a starting tight end when we started this thing, but he’s earned it and continues to move his way up and get more and more reps.”
OSU offensive line taking shape
Eric Morris wanted to have his starting offensive line in place as soon as possible. Cohesion is especially important with that unit.
And it sounds like the Cowboys are close to having their five.
OU transfer Jacob Sexton is the favorite to start at left tackle, Kansas transfer Tyler Mercer is a lock to start at center, Johnny Dickson III is working at right guard and Ashton Lepo and Shaun Torgeson are battling for the right tackle job.
Joseph Hanson and Braydon Nelson were the other names Morris mentioned. Nelson, who’s injured, can play either guard or tackle.
Morris said Torgeson has been the “surprise of camp.” He transferred in from FCS Portland State.
Oklahoma State football from A to Z: What to know about Eric Morris' 2026 OSU Cowboys
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football coach Eric Morris tackles armadillo problem