Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Gear Up for Spring Game with Scrimmage
April 20, 2006 | Cowboy Football
The Cowboys practiced for approximately one hour before starting the scrimmage on the grass practice fields.
Overall, head coach Mike Gundy was happy with the big play potential of the offense but said it is an area the defense must improve in.
“I thought we had a good day today. I thought the defense gave up too many big plays,” said Gundy. “They had a couple of guys out on defense so they were a little handicapped. The offense did a decent job of taking care of the football.”
Gundy was also pleased with Bobby Reid's strong play in the scrimmage.
“I thought Bobby Reid played well without knowing exactly what he did,” said Gundy. “It was a really good scrimmage.”
The sophomore-to-be completed 11 of 22 passes for 190 yards. Reid connected with newcomer Adarius Bowman for both of his scoring strikes, with one going for 70 yards.
Reid also threw the only interception of the day. The Houston, Texas, native was picked off by freshman safety Andre Sexton. Sexton then returned the interception 35 yards for a touchdown that was waived off because of a penalty on the return.
The passing game also saw several big plays from freshman tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Gundy said he liked the development of the sophomore-to-be.
“We have a lot of plays for the tight end,” said Gundy. “He will drop the ball every now and then but he is an effective player. He understands how to take the ball out of the air.”
Last year's leading receiver D'Juan Woods also chipped in with a 30-yard touchdown reception from Zac Robinson.
Running back Calvin Roberts took advantage of his added reps and opened up some eyes on offense with several hard runs.
“Calvin seems to be running hard. We limit what Mike (Hamilton) does right now because he has proven to us he is durable,” said Gundy. “Calvin ran hard out there today and made some guys miss.”
While the offense highlighted the scrimmage, the defense came up with several big plays of their own. The defensive line recorded four sacks including two from defensive tackle Ryan McBean. Aside from his interception, Sexton recorded a fumble recovery and put a big hit on Roberts behind the line of scrimmage for a tackle for loss.
Overall, Gundy said he enjoys spring practice and wished there could be more workouts.
“We have really had a good spring practice. I enjoy this part of it,” said Gundy. “I look forward to spring football and I wish we had 15 more (practices). We really like being out there.”
The spring game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., on Saturday with gates opening up at 4 p.m. Seating will be limited to the south side of the stadium due to construction.
