TCU Transfer Leading Mean Green’s High-Powered Offensive Attack

LARAMIE -- All the big boys wanted a piece of Chandler Morris.

Clemson offered. Arkansas followed. So did Auburn, Kansas, USC and a whole host of other programs, including Wyoming's Mountain West foes Boise State and Colorado State.

Get our free mobile app

Jay Sawvel can see why.

"He's good," the rookie head coach said Monday in Laramie at his weekly press conference. "I mean, the thing is, with him, he gets the ball out really quick on their screen game. He's very decisive with what he's doing. He's accurate. He's over right close to 63% and he's not throwing bubbles all the time or anything like that."

The 6-foot, 190-pound Morris eventually chose Oklahoma, where he spent one season before transferring to TCU.

Morris threw for more than 2,300 yards during his three-year stint in Fort Worth. He tacked on 16 touchdowns and also helped lead the Horned Frogs to the 2022 National Championship Game.

Now, he calls Denton home. He's running the North Texas offense at break-neck speed, too. His father, Chad Morris, is the passing-game coordinator. The Mean Green are putting up 36 points and rolling up nearly 470 yards per game in the process. Head coach Eric Morris is no relation.

Morris, who has already thrown for 899 yards and nine touchdowns in just three games, is the catalyst. He has plenty of help on the outside and in the backfield, too.

Luckily for winless Wyoming, it won't have to deal with Damashja Harris. The 224-pound junior running back -- and his 8.4 yards per carry -- will miss Saturday's tilt with an injury. Ikaika Ragsdale will also be absent from the North Texas backfield. Juwaun Price is also out for an extended period of time after suffering a broken leg in the season opener.

A pair of explosive wideouts -- Damon Ward Jr. and Jeremiah Aaron -- are also not operating at full speed after last Saturday's 66-21 setback in Lubbock.

Those two have combined for 378 receiving yards on 20 catches. Ward has found the end zone twice. Aaron, once.

“They didn’t practice today,” Eric Morris told the Denton Record-Chronicle. “We’ll see how those three (including Harris) do in the course of the week. I wouldn’t say they are definitely out now. All of them have a chance to play.”

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* 'Obviously, we need him': Gyllenborg slowly returning to form

* Just how bad has this Wyoming offense been through three weeks?

* Know Wyoming's Foe: North Texas Mean Green

* Wyoming Football: News and Notes Ahead of North Texas

* Rants and Raves: BYU Edition

* Cowboys can't hang with Cougs in 34-14 setback

* Tuck's Take: How long is Evan Svoboda's leash?

* Turning point, unsung hero and what's next for UW Football

* LIVE FILE: Wyoming Cowboys vs. BYU Cougars

* 7220sports.com Kickoff Show: Bring on Brigham Young

* Q&A With Wyoming AD Tom Burman

* UW fans react to "Disloyal Four" leaving for Pac-12

* BREAKING: Four MW programs bolting for the Pac-12

All of the above have caught the eye of Wyoming's staff.

"They've got good players, you know, offensively," Sawvel said, specifically pointing to wide receiver Wyatt Young, who caught a 75-yard touchdown pass against Texas Tech. "They play with a lot of tempo, a lot of pace. They can create explosive plays.

"... This is a huge challenge, defensively, and we've got to play better defensively."

The pressure is also on a Wyoming offense that has averaged just over 11 points per game through three weeks.

"We need to be able to establish some things, and we need to be able to to create some things," Sawvel added. "We're going to have to score points. We're not going down there and shutting out North Texas. They're good on offense. That's not happening."

Morris connected on 15-of-27 throws for 162 yards and three interceptions in that lopsided loss to the Red Raiders. He was picked off on consecutive drives in the second quarter. Bralyn Lux returned the first one 44 yards for a touchdown in a 15-minute span that saw Texas Tech put up an eye-popping 35 points.

Sawvel said he isn't going to judge this North Texas team on that game. He knows what it's like to face an "avalanche," he added. The same thing happened to the Cowboys in a 48-7 loss at Arizona State just three weeks ago.

"I don't think that's a reflection of their team at all," Sawvel said. "Sometimes, in the attempt to dig yourself out of a hole, you dig yourself a bigger hole, you know? I think that happened in that situation there. College football is a weird thing."

The Cowboys (0-3) and Mean Green (2-1) are slated to kickoff Saturday inside DATCU Stadium at 5 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be televised on ESPN-Plus.

Meet the Mean Green:

* Head coach: Eric Morris (2nd year) 7-8 overall record, 3-5 in American Athletic play

* Offensive coordinator: Jordan Davis (2nd season); Defensive coordinator: Matt Caponi (2nd season)

* Record in 2023: 5-7 overall, 3-5 in American Athletic Conference

* Offense in 2024: Average 36 ppg, 469 ypg (140.3 rush, 328.7 pass)

* Defense in 2024: Allow 41.3 ppg, 472 ypg (149.7 rush, 322.3 pass)

* Key Returners/ Newcomers - Offense: Chandler Morris (QB - 73-112, 899 yds, 9 TD, 6 INT; 13 rush, 19 yds, 2 TD), Damashja Harris (RB - 23 rush, 193 yds, TD; 4 catch, 7 yds), Damon Ward Jr. (WR - 15 catch, 281 yds, 2 TD), DT Sheffield (WR - 13 catch, 148 yds, 3 TD), Wyatt Young (WR - 6 catch, 119 yds, TD), Jeremiah Aaron (WR - 5 catch, 97 yds, TD), Oscar Hammond (TE - 7 catch, 84 yds, TD)

* Key Returners - Defense: Jayden Hill (S - 25 tackles), Jaylen Smith (LB - 21 tackles), Evan Jackson (S - 20 tackles, 2 PBU), Jordan Brown (LB - 18 tackles), Ethan Wesloski (LB - 12 tackles), Brian Nelson II (CB - 10 tackles, INT, 2 PBU), Roderick Brown (DL - 6 tackles, 2 sacks)

* Injured/ questionable: Ikaika Ragsdale (RB - 22 rush, 58 yds, TD), Landon Peterson (Guard), Damashja Harris (RB - 23 rush, 193 yds, TD; 4 catch, 7 yds), Damon Ward Jr. (WR - 15 catch, 281 yds, 2 TD), Jeremiah Aaron (WR - 5 catch, 97 yds, TD), Tyler Mercer (Center)