Oklahoma State University Athletics
Highlights From Mike Gundy's Monday Press Conference
October 30, 2007 | Cowboy Football
Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy
General thoughts:
“We will have a full practice today. I'd like a normal Monday where it's basically a walkthrough and a run. We will get to work out this evening and back on normal schedule tomorrow. Looking forward to the game. Players are back in town now and ready to roll with practice today.”
Regarding the advantage of bye week in preparation for Texas:
“We used mainly one day (last week to look at Texas). We worked on fundamentals the other. So we had one practice on Texas and from that point on it's very similar to a normal game week.”
“We get an extra practice. You may get two depending on how you schedule it. We decided to take more time off last week, but you do get an extra day. We have to make sure our players get started again at practice. The only issue with having an open week is when they leave you for three or four days and they go home and get out of the routine that they are in, so as coaches we have to make sure we get them started today at practice and get back on track.”
Regarding Texas:
“They are still very athletic. They've got big guys that run fast. Obviously, Jamaal Charles is a good player on offense. Colt McCoy makes plays and they have skill and they are still very big. They are probably not as mature in the secondary as they have been in the past. They have generally had those seniors playing back there, but they are still very athletic.”
Regarding facing good run defenses in the next few weeks:
“I hope what we are doing is working. Each week the match-up is different. It is hard to make comparisons against who they played and who we played or anyone else in the country for that matter. We have a plan for running the football and we work on it all week and hopefully it will work on Saturday.”
Regarding the passing game:
“It's the same with everybody. If you try to run the football and they overload the box, then you have to throw it, and if you try to throw it they back them all off and you've got to run it. Whether you are a one back, a two back, an empty, or either way, you have to try to take advantage of what the defense gives you. Obviously we watch tape and try to formulate a plan and they are doing the same. Try to do the best job of getting ready to play on Saturday.”
Regarding if OSU is a different team than it was to start the season against Georgia?
“I think Dantrell makes a big difference. When he is healthy, he obviously provides us something on offense that we need. He gives Kendall an opportunity to stay fresh and obviously Dantrell can make plays. When he is up and running full speed we are a different team. If he is not full speed, then we are not the same offense.”
Regarding the offensive line:
“They are playing average. We have to get a lot better. We would like to be able to run the football when they know we are going to run it and still be able to run it. We are not that far yet. We have young players up front who are getting better. We still have a long ways to go up front."
“When you run the football better, you are not going to give up as many sacks.”
Regarding special teams:
"It [special teams] is a big factor. We talk about it each week, all three phases. You have to play well in special teams against good teams. You can't fall off in any of the three areas. We feel like our special teams play was really important in the last game and it has to carry over into this game because when you're as athletic and you have as much speed as these guys do, you've got to be careful and not slip up on special teams."
Regarding the defense:
"We haven't gotten to anybody this year. We'll have to try to find a way to get pressure on the passer in a throwing situation. We will blitz some. Nebraska went to the extreme [blitzing Texas]. I don't see us as a team that's going to blitz 35 times in the first half. That's not what we do. Nebraska has a history of doing that in that style of defense at times, depending on if they thought that was best for them. We have to find a way to get pressure on the passer but we have not been very successful at it this year."
Regarding recruiting:
"I think we're further ahead now than where I thought we would be at this time, but we still have a ways to go. We're several years away in recruiting quality classes to make enough depth to have a run at it [the championship]."
General thoughts:
“We will have a full practice today. I'd like a normal Monday where it's basically a walkthrough and a run. We will get to work out this evening and back on normal schedule tomorrow. Looking forward to the game. Players are back in town now and ready to roll with practice today.”
Regarding the advantage of bye week in preparation for Texas:
“We used mainly one day (last week to look at Texas). We worked on fundamentals the other. So we had one practice on Texas and from that point on it's very similar to a normal game week.”
“We get an extra practice. You may get two depending on how you schedule it. We decided to take more time off last week, but you do get an extra day. We have to make sure our players get started again at practice. The only issue with having an open week is when they leave you for three or four days and they go home and get out of the routine that they are in, so as coaches we have to make sure we get them started today at practice and get back on track.”
Regarding Texas:
“They are still very athletic. They've got big guys that run fast. Obviously, Jamaal Charles is a good player on offense. Colt McCoy makes plays and they have skill and they are still very big. They are probably not as mature in the secondary as they have been in the past. They have generally had those seniors playing back there, but they are still very athletic.”
Regarding facing good run defenses in the next few weeks:
“I hope what we are doing is working. Each week the match-up is different. It is hard to make comparisons against who they played and who we played or anyone else in the country for that matter. We have a plan for running the football and we work on it all week and hopefully it will work on Saturday.”
Regarding the passing game:
“It's the same with everybody. If you try to run the football and they overload the box, then you have to throw it, and if you try to throw it they back them all off and you've got to run it. Whether you are a one back, a two back, an empty, or either way, you have to try to take advantage of what the defense gives you. Obviously we watch tape and try to formulate a plan and they are doing the same. Try to do the best job of getting ready to play on Saturday.”
Regarding if OSU is a different team than it was to start the season against Georgia?
“I think Dantrell makes a big difference. When he is healthy, he obviously provides us something on offense that we need. He gives Kendall an opportunity to stay fresh and obviously Dantrell can make plays. When he is up and running full speed we are a different team. If he is not full speed, then we are not the same offense.”
Regarding the offensive line:
“They are playing average. We have to get a lot better. We would like to be able to run the football when they know we are going to run it and still be able to run it. We are not that far yet. We have young players up front who are getting better. We still have a long ways to go up front."
“When you run the football better, you are not going to give up as many sacks.”
Regarding special teams:
"It [special teams] is a big factor. We talk about it each week, all three phases. You have to play well in special teams against good teams. You can't fall off in any of the three areas. We feel like our special teams play was really important in the last game and it has to carry over into this game because when you're as athletic and you have as much speed as these guys do, you've got to be careful and not slip up on special teams."
Regarding the defense:
"We haven't gotten to anybody this year. We'll have to try to find a way to get pressure on the passer in a throwing situation. We will blitz some. Nebraska went to the extreme [blitzing Texas]. I don't see us as a team that's going to blitz 35 times in the first half. That's not what we do. Nebraska has a history of doing that in that style of defense at times, depending on if they thought that was best for them. We have to find a way to get pressure on the passer but we have not been very successful at it this year."
Regarding recruiting:
"I think we're further ahead now than where I thought we would be at this time, but we still have a ways to go. We're several years away in recruiting quality classes to make enough depth to have a run at it [the championship]."
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