Eric Morris Hasn’t Coached an OSU Game Yet And Already Getting the Full Stillwater Experience

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Eric Morris was hired to rebuild Oklahoma State football. Apparently, that job description also includes protecting the lawn from armadillos at 2:30 in the morning.

Welcome to Stillwater, Coach. Morris provided perhaps the best story of Oklahoma State's fall camp Tuesday when he revealed that he'd been dealing with an unwanted visitor at his new home. An armadillo.

This wasn't some harmless little neighbor passing through. According to Morris, the thing was “crushing my yard”, tearing apart his flower beds and digging everything up.

So Morris handled it. At 2:30 a.m. With a gun and then sent what had to be one of the strangest apology texts his new neighbors have ever received.

“Had to send a text message to my neighbors. I apologized for the gun shot.”

Football season hasn't even started yet. Eric Morris already has his first great Oklahoma State head-coaching story.

Imagine Getting That Text

This is the part that makes me laugh. Imagine waking up the next morning, checking your phone and seeing a message from your neighbor.

Your neighbor just happens to be the new head football coach at Oklahoma State.

And he's apologizing because you might've heard a gunshot at 2:30 in the morning.

Why? Armadillo problem. That's Stillwater.

Morris explained that he'd been having problems with armadillos tearing up his property. Then a couple of nights ago, he woke up in the middle of the night because he couldn't sleep.

Most football coaches probably start thinking about third-down packages. Morris apparently thought: This might be my chance to get that armadillo.

He went outside. He found it. Problem solved.

Morris Is Already Following the Gundy Playbook

Naturally, it's impossible to hear this story without thinking about Mike Gundy.

Gundy gave Oklahoma State fans 20 years of random ranch and wildlife stories to go alongside the football.

Most famously, he once went rattlesnake hunting with Wild Bill in Okeene. There were ranch animals. Snakes. Country-life stories.

Things that somehow became perfectly normal topics during an Oklahoma State football press conference.

Morris has been Oklahoma State's coach for a matter of months and we've already got: 2:30 a.m. Armadillogate. He's working quickly.

Forget the Air Raid—We're Talking Lawn Defense

We've spent months analyzing Morris' offense. Drew Mestemaker. Caleb Hawkins. Wyatt Young. Tempo. Explosive plays.

How quickly the North Texas system can translate to the Big 12.

Apparently we've been overlooking the real strength of this coaching staff. Home-field defense.

Morris saw an opponent consistently getting penetration into the backfield. There were repeated breakdowns. Significant damage was being done. So the head coach made an adjustment and unlike some defensive coordinators, he stopped the run.

I'll see myself out.

This Is Exactly the Kind of Story Fall Camp Needs

In all seriousness, this is what makes August fun. We're getting close enough to the season that everything becomes serious.

Depth charts. Injuries. Position battles. Expectations. Schemes.

Eventually every Morris press conference will revolve around what happened Saturday and what needs to happen the following Saturday.

So enjoy the random stuff while we can. Because before Oklahoma State starts worrying about Texas Tech, BYU or whoever else is coming to Boone Pickens Stadium, Morris had another opponent invading his home turf. And that opponent is officially 0-1.

Final Thoughts

Eric Morris hasn't coached his first game at Oklahoma State. He's already apologizing to his Stillwater-area neighbors for middle-of-the-night gunshots after eliminating an armadillo that was destroying his lawn.

I don't know what else to say. He's officially an Oklahoma State football coach now.

Mike Gundy had the rattlesnakes. Eric Morris has the armadillos.

If this is what we're getting before Game one? I can't wait to see what Year one brings.

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