Oklahoma State University Athletics
Highlights From Monday's Football Media Luncheon
October 08, 2007 | Cowboy Football
Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy
“We're looking forward to another football game, getting the guys out there and working out a little bit tonight and getting ready to go play at Lincoln.”
Gundy regarding the strategy involved in trying to block a punt late in last week's game at Texas A&M:
“First off I would prefer to not talk about specifics and X's and O's and what we were doing. Obviously, what happened is not what we wanted to happen. We have punt blocks on each week and whether we're going after a punt or not, we never leave our feet. Ever. And in that situation we did. It was just an unfortunate situation and we just have to move on from that play.”
Gundy regarding how much of a help fall break is:
“It's an opportunity for the players to catch up with having fatigue and sleep. We don't spend that much more time with them. If you bring them over all the time like in fall camp they don't get caught up on their rest. At this point in the year it's important they get caught up. It's what fall break is good for. For them to get back on schedule and try to get their bodies back a little bit and give them an opportunity to catch up, mentally and physically from the last eight or 10 weeks of two-a-days, games and school.”
Gundy regarding who will get more reps at quarterback:
“I have not seen any of those guys because of fall break. I just know that they said this morning that Zac (Robinson) would practice today.”
Gundy regarding the Oklahoma State defense:
“We're getting a tremendous amount out of Jeray Chatham and Mo Cummings. They're playing over 60 snaps a game or close to it and I'm very happy with the way they're playing. They're giving us really good effort. Junior Tea is getting in there and giving them a break some. We're playing Jonathan Lewis a little bit. As a coach I'm proud of the way those guys are competing and staying in there. Especially in a game like A&M. They're staying in there and working hard and giving us a good effort.”
Regarding how the Cowboys responded to adversity last week against Texas A&M:
“Our team believed they could win the football game. They made some plays early in the third quarter and we made some mistakes that contributed to them coming back. Truth is if Dantrell (Savage) doesn't put the ball on the ground and we don't bust on the 6-inch line we're probably not talking about this today. But that's the way it is. Our team continued to play, momentum changed, the crowd got into it, we got right down the field and got back in it and had a mistake on the goal line. So there were some things that came out of the game that were positive. From the standpoint that I thought we played the best game we had this year defensively. And offensively, up until we had those errors, we had played pretty well.”
Gundry regarding calls by the referees in last week's game at Texas A&M:
“I just have this feeling that everyone calls the best they can. And why would somebody call holding if it's not holding? Or why would someone want to purposely call something against one team and or the other? Because I'm not bad on officials, I'm a pretty nice guy. So unless someone has an issue against me or one of our coaches or players or something, I don't submit things for reviews by the Big 12 just because I feel like they have a job to do and they're going to make mistakes. I don't think there's any question that they're going to make mistakes, I have no problem with that.”
Defensive Lineman Maurice Cummings
Regarding OSU's Tackling:
“We did our job as much as we possibly could. We still need a little work on pass rush and stuff, but other than that we pretty much did the best job we could possibly do.”
Regarding Nebraska Quarterback Sam Keller:
“He's a good quarterback. He is good under pressure. He has been playing pretty well this year. We've just got to put pressure on him and make sure we harass him the whole game.”
Regarding Nebraska:
“They still have a lot of tradition and everything. They are a good program with a big nice stadium and they are a good team. We've just got to come out and perform.”
Regarding The Possibility Of Winning In Lincoln, Where OSU Has Not Had Much Success Through The Years:
“It would mean a lot. That would be a big win since we lost by a point last game. If we do win this game, it would be real big for us.”
Regarding The Team's Mood After Last Week's Game At Texas A&M:
“It was real hard because we were sure that we would come out with a victory. The apple just did not fall our way, and we just have to live with it and come out and play Saturday. We did everything we possibly could and just didn't come out with a victory. It hurt real bad. You've just got to get over it and come out and win the next game. That's the best way to fix that problem.”
Regarding The Team Developing Confidence:
“It does build confidence knowing that we did the best we could, but didn't come out with the victory. We know we've got to work hard this week. It will pay off in the game on Saturday, hopefully.”
Regarding The Improvement Of The Defense:
“Yes, every practice we strive to get better so we can play well on Saturdays. We are attacking a whole lot better, we are not loafing as much. Tackling is the main thing that we are doing a whole lot better. Coach Beckman's intensity is spreading out among all of us.”
Offensive Lineman Andrew Lewis
Regarding Last Week's Game At Texas A&M:
“It was a tough loss for us, but we are just focused on now coming back and working hard and getting back to be ready to play Nebraska.”
Regarding Playing Center:
“I am comfortable. I have played it for a few years now. I'm just getting back into the swing of things and it is comfortable now. It is a lot more responsibility having the ball and everything. It is a lot more responsibility than guard.”
Regarding Mental Preparation:
“There are not that many mental preparations. I have known the calls for the past few years and I knew them before when I played guard. It wasn't a big deal.”
Regarding The Late Special Teams Penalty Called Against OSU Last Week At Texas A&M:
“It was disappointing not to get to go back on the field and try to drive the ball down one more time. We can't do anything about that now, so we just have to move on and worry about Nebraska now. We felt like we could run the ball, pass the ball, we felt like we were in control of the game.”
Regarding Penalties:
“We don't really say anything to the refs. We do not want to get on their bad side. We just take it and go with it. If we have our hands inside, it is not holding. That is what we are taught. I don't think we are singled out. We are just making mistakes that can be correctable and we just have to learn from those.”
Regarding When Bobby Reid Entered The Texas A&M Game:
“He seemed like the same old Bobby. He was excited and ready to get out there. He was just the same as when he was playing.”
Regarding The Possibility Of Winning In Lincoln:
“It would be a great win for us. It would be very important and a key success on the road. We haven't been playing too well on the road for a while now, so it would be great to win that game.”
Regarding Being One Play Away From Breaking Through The Road Woes:
“I think we are really close. We need to eliminate those mistakes and just play sound football. It is just making stupid mistakes, that is all it is.”
