STILLWATER, OKLA. ? Chijuan Mack had just caught a long pass down the sidelines and was trotting back past coach Les Miles when he hollered his thoughts aloud.

He didn’t direct his statement at the Cowboys coach or at anyone else. This was for anyone at practice to hear.

“This is why they recruited me here,” Mack shouted.

The Cowboys didn’t show it much in their season opener. In fact, they didn’t really show why they recruited any of their receivers.

Oklahoma State attempted only eight passes, and quarterback Donovan Woods completed two — a scrambling, 18-yard flip pass to fullback Shawn Willis and a short, 5-yard toss over the middle to receiver Prentiss Elliott.

The Cowboys’ 23 passing yards was the lowest total of any of the 106 teams that had played through last weekend. But the lack of passing wasn’t out of deficiency. It simply wasn’t necessary.

Vernand Morency and the rest of the team had 426 yards on the ground — the third best total in the country — and there wasn’t any reason to have Woods throw the ball.

That leaves the Cowboys’ next opponent, Tulsa, and any other onlookers in the dark about what to expect when the Cowboys take to the air. Miles joked that even he didn’t know what to expect from his own passing game.

“I think people have a decent understanding of what we’re going to do, but they don’t know exactly what we’re relying on necessarily,” Miles said. “There’s an advantage there.”

The Cowboys’ success on the ground also allowed Woods, a red-shirt freshman, to get comfortable in his first start.

Until Woods is ready, Morency is prepared to carry the load for Oklahoma State. After 29 carries and 261 yards last Saturday, Morency said he was still ready for more.

“We’re just trying to make him as comfortable as possible,” Morency said. “He’s getting there.”