Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Hosts Cowboy Football Media Golf Outing
July 30, 2015 | Cowboy Football
Photo Gallery
STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State hosted its annual Cowboy Football Media Golf Outing Thursday at Karsten Creek. After playing a scramble-style tournament, Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and several assistant coaches met with media to preview the upcoming football season. Some of their comments:
Â
Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer
On the experience of the defense's returning starters:
"We took some lumps and gave up some big plays last year; way too many touchdowns. We weren't very good, and we weren't very effective. Those guys have felt that pain. If you haven't felt that pain, you're not going to be absolutely mad about not letting it happen again. Those guys that felt that pain in those situations won't have that sting again. At the same time, I hear people talking about us having a great chance to be great on defense. Of course we do. It's like that every year. That's the same guys that were out there, they're just five or six months older. They've got to get better and not let those situations happen again. A lot of those guys have had good reps. I'm not saying they were the best reps, but experience is something that you can't coach. You just have to get it. We've got that now in a lot of positions."
On the team's depth at linebacker:
"This is the healthiest unit that that position has ever had since I've been here. That's exciting. The competition is going to be great. They're going to be working together on the field and getting reps. The coaches have really trimmed practice time down, which I think will be really smart in camp. I understand the reasons for that, and I think it's going to benefit us, especially in the later weeks of the season. At the same time, Coach Yurcich and I have been scripting for camp, and we're just like, 'Gosh, this isn't a lot of reps.' I bring that up because we have a situation with three guys, maybe four, in a couple of spots who are competing for playing time. That's tough. It's tough to get good evaluations from them. We'll have to do that, and we'll have to do a good job of evaluating those guys and giving certain guys the nod in different situations. It's a tough spot for a coach to be in, but that's a good problem to have, right?"
On emphasizing emotion with the defense:
"You know, I was watching TV a second ago, and I saw Rickie Fowler drain one for a hole in one. He came out of his shoes, and everybody is high-fiving. Honestly, that's great to show emotion, more so in our sport than in golf. Great defenses play with great emotion and great intensity. I've been doing this for 26 years, and the great ones that I've played around have played with great emotion and great intensity. I'm going to get excited. I think they're going to feed off of me, and I feed off them. Does it help? I don't know, but I know it doesn't hurt. That's just the way that I want them to play, and I think it's important that they see that out of a coach, too."
Â
Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich
On Mason Rudolph's growth throughout the offseason:
"I think he walks down the hall the same. I haven't noticed a difference. Mason is a very confident guy. All of the quarterbacks that we have on our roster want to be the starter. They're all competitors. I haven't seen a marked difference in his demeanor, mainly because he has always had confidence about himself. He's a team guy, so he's a very unselfish person by nature. He has done all the work you that you need to do as a starting quarterback. He's been watching a lot of film on his own, and he's been in the facility quite a bit. I think he's poised to be the starter, and I'm looking forward to just starting camp with him. We haven't had a practice yet. Meeting with him in the summer is one thing, but being able to practice and get out there on the field is another. Time will tell."
On what Greg Adkins brings to the coaching staff:
"Being able to verbalize your philosophies, your schemes and your techniques is one thing, but being able to see player improvement and development is another thing. We saw our offensive line develop really well under Coach Adkins. The worth of a coach is in the execution of players and how they develop. We've seen our guys develop, so Greg is obviously doing a great job. We're very fortunate for him to be a part of our staff."
On the health of the offensive line:
"Staying healthy is key to any football program. I don't care who you are or where you're ranked in the preseason. It's important to stay healthy. I think there are other positions that have higher priority than others, and I think the tackle position is one of them. You want to stay healthy at that particular position because of how specialized it is. You have to stay healthy at every position. With the game, there are a lot of things we can't control. Injuries are one of them. We have to make sure that we're doing a great job of helping with depth, preparing the second team guys and making sure that they're ready to go. Injuries are going to happen. It's inevitable. We just have to make sure that we're doing a great job of preparing our guys."
On the team's playmaking potential compared to this time last season:
"With the addition of [Chris] Carson at tailback, I think we feel good about that position. With Mason [Rudolph] and J.W. [Walsh], I feel really good about the quarterback situation. Our receivers have come along very well. They're all returning, so I think that's a position that we all feel good about. With the addition of the Cowboy back position, which is both a fullback and tight end, we feel good about who we have starting there and who we have backing up. The multiplicity that we can have with being in a fullback or a tight end set helps us muscle up in certain formations. We feel good about where we're at from a personnel standpoint. At the same time, we have to be fortunate and avoid the injury bug, but we feel good about personnel right now."
Â
Running Backs Coach Marcus Arroyo
On getting back into a college program:
"I was open to it. There were a handful of opportunities that were presented that were really humbling. There were some in the NFL, which, again, is a humbling situation. One of those, I thought we were going with. We felt OK about it, and then Mike [Gundy] called out of nowhere, really. He really closed the deal. It's about the people you're with. The people, the place and the leader. Who do you want to work for? And when you get to choose who you want to work for, that's a really engaging opportunity. I knew enough about Mike through my good friend Todd Monken, and I've followed this school for a long time and have really admired the things they've done and how they've done them."
On the outlook of the running backs:
"I know the gains that Rennie [Childs] made in the spring were really good. He did a really good job of applying himself, the whole room did actually. Their challenge was big. Their challenge of having me come into the room was big because they didn't know me and I didn't know them. They embraced me and I think that was a really cool deal. Rennie did a nice job of growing throughout and he did a nice job in the weight room. Todd Mays, a junior college transfer, got a little banged up in the spring, but he did a great job. Raymond Taylor did great. Chris [Carson] I got to see right when he got here before we broke for the summer. He was here for a couple of weeks, and we spent a lot of time just getting to know each other. I'm a big believer in that so we can develop that trust. There's a lot of really good things about him."
On preparing the running backs:
"We need to be effective in running the ball and having an attitude about us. I think the one thing that is really good that they took on this spring is that I'm very open to a tough and physical brand in the backfield. I think sometimes you get lost in a one-back spread tempo deal, and that's not really the flavor. That's not the way Coach Gundy thinks and that's definitely not the way I think."
Â
Tight Ends/Cowboy Backs Coach Jason McEndoo
On the origin of the name "Cowboy backs:"
"Cowboy Backs came about because they were doing my business cards and Coach Barr asked Coach Gundy what he wanted on my business card. Coach Gundy said he didn't want to call them fullbacks anymore. He wanted to come up with a new name—something catchy that they could market. Coach Barr told me to come up with a name so I went through a few options like outlaw backs, Pistol Pete backs. Finally I said, 'Well, we're the Cowboys. How about Cowboy backs?" Coach Gundy said he liked it so that's what stuck.'"
On what a Cowboy back is:
"We're trying to have this higher grid position that is basically a tight end and fullback rolled into one. They'll do multifaceted things. That's the vision that Coach Gundy had. He wanted a multifaceted guy that could line up in an in-line position or wing position then split up, play wide receiver and line up in the backfield as a fullback. As a defense, the first thing they're looking at is personnel coming off the sidelines. So if you have the same personnel group, and you're lining up in multiple situations and formations, then those guys can't put a bead on who's who. That really helps you out."
On mixing up the positions:
"One of the biggest emphasis of the season is going to be putting those guys in position. If you take Blake Jarwin and Jeremy Seaton, those are two different body types. Blake Jarwin would be your more traditional in-line tight end kind of guy, and Jeremy Seaton is more of your personnel fullback. Now ask those guys to do one in the same job. There's going to be things that those guys are better at than the other, but that's where it's my job to put them in the right play and the right situation to be successful. It's going to take a lot of communication and coordination to get those guys where we want them to be."
Â
STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State hosted its annual Cowboy Football Media Golf Outing Thursday at Karsten Creek. After playing a scramble-style tournament, Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and several assistant coaches met with media to preview the upcoming football season. Some of their comments:
Â
Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer
On the experience of the defense's returning starters:
"We took some lumps and gave up some big plays last year; way too many touchdowns. We weren't very good, and we weren't very effective. Those guys have felt that pain. If you haven't felt that pain, you're not going to be absolutely mad about not letting it happen again. Those guys that felt that pain in those situations won't have that sting again. At the same time, I hear people talking about us having a great chance to be great on defense. Of course we do. It's like that every year. That's the same guys that were out there, they're just five or six months older. They've got to get better and not let those situations happen again. A lot of those guys have had good reps. I'm not saying they were the best reps, but experience is something that you can't coach. You just have to get it. We've got that now in a lot of positions."
On the team's depth at linebacker:
"This is the healthiest unit that that position has ever had since I've been here. That's exciting. The competition is going to be great. They're going to be working together on the field and getting reps. The coaches have really trimmed practice time down, which I think will be really smart in camp. I understand the reasons for that, and I think it's going to benefit us, especially in the later weeks of the season. At the same time, Coach Yurcich and I have been scripting for camp, and we're just like, 'Gosh, this isn't a lot of reps.' I bring that up because we have a situation with three guys, maybe four, in a couple of spots who are competing for playing time. That's tough. It's tough to get good evaluations from them. We'll have to do that, and we'll have to do a good job of evaluating those guys and giving certain guys the nod in different situations. It's a tough spot for a coach to be in, but that's a good problem to have, right?"
On emphasizing emotion with the defense:
"You know, I was watching TV a second ago, and I saw Rickie Fowler drain one for a hole in one. He came out of his shoes, and everybody is high-fiving. Honestly, that's great to show emotion, more so in our sport than in golf. Great defenses play with great emotion and great intensity. I've been doing this for 26 years, and the great ones that I've played around have played with great emotion and great intensity. I'm going to get excited. I think they're going to feed off of me, and I feed off them. Does it help? I don't know, but I know it doesn't hurt. That's just the way that I want them to play, and I think it's important that they see that out of a coach, too."
Â
Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich
On Mason Rudolph's growth throughout the offseason:
"I think he walks down the hall the same. I haven't noticed a difference. Mason is a very confident guy. All of the quarterbacks that we have on our roster want to be the starter. They're all competitors. I haven't seen a marked difference in his demeanor, mainly because he has always had confidence about himself. He's a team guy, so he's a very unselfish person by nature. He has done all the work you that you need to do as a starting quarterback. He's been watching a lot of film on his own, and he's been in the facility quite a bit. I think he's poised to be the starter, and I'm looking forward to just starting camp with him. We haven't had a practice yet. Meeting with him in the summer is one thing, but being able to practice and get out there on the field is another. Time will tell."
On what Greg Adkins brings to the coaching staff:
"Being able to verbalize your philosophies, your schemes and your techniques is one thing, but being able to see player improvement and development is another thing. We saw our offensive line develop really well under Coach Adkins. The worth of a coach is in the execution of players and how they develop. We've seen our guys develop, so Greg is obviously doing a great job. We're very fortunate for him to be a part of our staff."
On the health of the offensive line:
"Staying healthy is key to any football program. I don't care who you are or where you're ranked in the preseason. It's important to stay healthy. I think there are other positions that have higher priority than others, and I think the tackle position is one of them. You want to stay healthy at that particular position because of how specialized it is. You have to stay healthy at every position. With the game, there are a lot of things we can't control. Injuries are one of them. We have to make sure that we're doing a great job of helping with depth, preparing the second team guys and making sure that they're ready to go. Injuries are going to happen. It's inevitable. We just have to make sure that we're doing a great job of preparing our guys."
On the team's playmaking potential compared to this time last season:
"With the addition of [Chris] Carson at tailback, I think we feel good about that position. With Mason [Rudolph] and J.W. [Walsh], I feel really good about the quarterback situation. Our receivers have come along very well. They're all returning, so I think that's a position that we all feel good about. With the addition of the Cowboy back position, which is both a fullback and tight end, we feel good about who we have starting there and who we have backing up. The multiplicity that we can have with being in a fullback or a tight end set helps us muscle up in certain formations. We feel good about where we're at from a personnel standpoint. At the same time, we have to be fortunate and avoid the injury bug, but we feel good about personnel right now."
Â
Running Backs Coach Marcus Arroyo
On getting back into a college program:
"I was open to it. There were a handful of opportunities that were presented that were really humbling. There were some in the NFL, which, again, is a humbling situation. One of those, I thought we were going with. We felt OK about it, and then Mike [Gundy] called out of nowhere, really. He really closed the deal. It's about the people you're with. The people, the place and the leader. Who do you want to work for? And when you get to choose who you want to work for, that's a really engaging opportunity. I knew enough about Mike through my good friend Todd Monken, and I've followed this school for a long time and have really admired the things they've done and how they've done them."
On the outlook of the running backs:
"I know the gains that Rennie [Childs] made in the spring were really good. He did a really good job of applying himself, the whole room did actually. Their challenge was big. Their challenge of having me come into the room was big because they didn't know me and I didn't know them. They embraced me and I think that was a really cool deal. Rennie did a nice job of growing throughout and he did a nice job in the weight room. Todd Mays, a junior college transfer, got a little banged up in the spring, but he did a great job. Raymond Taylor did great. Chris [Carson] I got to see right when he got here before we broke for the summer. He was here for a couple of weeks, and we spent a lot of time just getting to know each other. I'm a big believer in that so we can develop that trust. There's a lot of really good things about him."
On preparing the running backs:
"We need to be effective in running the ball and having an attitude about us. I think the one thing that is really good that they took on this spring is that I'm very open to a tough and physical brand in the backfield. I think sometimes you get lost in a one-back spread tempo deal, and that's not really the flavor. That's not the way Coach Gundy thinks and that's definitely not the way I think."
Â
Tight Ends/Cowboy Backs Coach Jason McEndoo
On the origin of the name "Cowboy backs:"
"Cowboy Backs came about because they were doing my business cards and Coach Barr asked Coach Gundy what he wanted on my business card. Coach Gundy said he didn't want to call them fullbacks anymore. He wanted to come up with a new name—something catchy that they could market. Coach Barr told me to come up with a name so I went through a few options like outlaw backs, Pistol Pete backs. Finally I said, 'Well, we're the Cowboys. How about Cowboy backs?" Coach Gundy said he liked it so that's what stuck.'"
On what a Cowboy back is:
"We're trying to have this higher grid position that is basically a tight end and fullback rolled into one. They'll do multifaceted things. That's the vision that Coach Gundy had. He wanted a multifaceted guy that could line up in an in-line position or wing position then split up, play wide receiver and line up in the backfield as a fullback. As a defense, the first thing they're looking at is personnel coming off the sidelines. So if you have the same personnel group, and you're lining up in multiple situations and formations, then those guys can't put a bead on who's who. That really helps you out."
On mixing up the positions:
"One of the biggest emphasis of the season is going to be putting those guys in position. If you take Blake Jarwin and Jeremy Seaton, those are two different body types. Blake Jarwin would be your more traditional in-line tight end kind of guy, and Jeremy Seaton is more of your personnel fullback. Now ask those guys to do one in the same job. There's going to be things that those guys are better at than the other, but that's where it's my job to put them in the right play and the right situation to be successful. It's going to take a lot of communication and coordination to get those guys where we want them to be."
Â
Players Mentioned
CW
/ Cowboy Football
QB
/ Cowboy Football
FB/TE
/ Cowboy Football
RB
/ Cowboy FootballOklahoma State Athletics News Conference (9-23-2025)
Tuesday, September 23
Mike Gundy Previews Cowboys vs. Baylor - Oklahoma State News Conference (9-22-2025)
Tuesday, September 23
Mike Gundy Postgame - Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa (9-19-2025)
Saturday, September 20
Cowboy Football Ch. 3: Trailer vs Tulsa - Turnpike Classic
Friday, September 19
