Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Preview Kansas State Game
October 25, 2010 | Cowboy Football
Oct. 25, 2010
STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy and selected members of the team visited with members of the media Monday at Boone Pickens Stadium to put a cap on last week's game against Nebraska and to look ahead to this week's contest at Kansas State. The highlights:
Mike Gundy, Head Coach
Opening Statement
“It's good to get back to work. When you don't play as well on Saturday as you want to, it's always good to get back to work on Sunday and Monday. It's good to practice and get ready for Kansas State. We'll definitely have to have a great week of practice. Our players need to come in tomorrow ready to go to work. We will face a really good kick-off returner. I think he might be No. 1 in our league for kick-off returns. We will face a tailback who will make a lot of plays and a quarterback who, in my opinion, is gaining momentum and playing better each week. It'll be a challenge for our team and we need to handle things right this week as we do each week.”
On making changes to special teams
“Joe DeForest and I started on that this morning at 6:15. I like the plan that we have. I don't think there's any question that we're all aware of what's going on. The coaches are aware as well as anyone who watches the game. We feel like we have a good plan. We liked our plan last week. We had chances to make those plays and we didn't. I certainly understand that we have a number of young guys on those units. We're trying to make the best decision for our football team. At times it's not the easiest thing to do to take a starter off defense, a guy who potentially plays between 70-80 plays a game and have him run down on kick off. I'm not saying we couldn't do that, but we're trying to make the best decisions. We will make some adjustments from where we're at now in order to try and help our coverage on Saturday. I have confidence in Coach DeForest. We grade effort very seriously. A large percentage of the time effort was not a factor.”
On the potential for injuries on special teams
“I've been concerned on kickoff and kickoff return for a number of years. I think it was three years ago they moved the ball back to the 30-yard line. That increased the run-down speed. I'm an ex-quarterback and an offensive guy but I like football. I like the toughness of football. I don't want to be a part of it but I like coaching it. I don't try to take anything away from the game. We had some comments today on some hits on special teams. We need to get better and we need get prepared for that. I don't want to see anybody get hurt but you certainly can't blame the other guys because they're playing football. That's what football is, it's a contact sport. The speed of what's going on is getting greater each year, guys are getting bigger, people run faster and there are more collisions. I am concerned about it but I don't have an answer for it. Do I think about it a lot? Not really. I'm more concerned about preparing our players to play well and taking care of them.”
On putting defensive starters on the kickoff team
“It's really simple. You can take starters and put them out there. But if something happens to them because you don't ever want to play tentatively, then that guy who was a starter is no longer a starter. And the guy backing him up could be a freshman. No he's playing 70 plays a game, not on kickoff, but now on your defense.”
On Kansas State
“Kansas State does a very good job. Coach Snyder is similar to what he has been in the past. They run power and option and get downhill. They play physical with fullbacks and tight ends and are balanced. Their tailback is a good player. He's been a good player for a number of games dating back to last year. Their quarterback is paying better in my opinion. He's moving around and making some throws. ”
On bouncing back after a loss
“It takes some time. Sundays aren't as fun around here if you lose. Players are on edge and coaches are on edge. Guys and coaches will be critiqued. But that's part of it. There is a certain level of winning that we've been able to achieve the last few years and that's trickled over into Sunday. It's not as fun to be around each other on a Sunday when you didn't win a football game. The players that have been around here understand the importance of whether you play really well and win a big game or whether you don't play as well as you want to and don't win, you have to be ready to go back to work on Tuesday. Sunday afternoon and Sunday night is the day we finish the game and put it to rest. So we stress that with our players.
On linebacker Shaun Lewis
“Shaun is on special teams so he plays quite a bit for us. He had either 23 or 32 plays on defense. He's starting to develop and mature some. He's getting out of being a true freshman, which we're going into game eight now. We're trying to get it through to them that you guys are no longer true freshman because you're played in eight games now. I don't know if they're buying that or not. Shaun has maintained a certain level on intensity in practice and hasn't flinched or shown any fear of playing in big games or league play up until this point. We anticipate him playing. It gives James Thomas a chance to get off the field some.”
Dana Holgorsen, Offensive Coordinator
On Kansas State's defense
"They're sound; they play hard. Kind of like we are, they're searching for some depth, which pretty much everybody is. They've got good-looking kids, they play hard, they're coached well, they're extremely hard at home. They've been stopping people at home and we're going to have to go travel and play with them at their place, so we'll have to play well."
On what made wide receiver Josh Cooper successful against Nebraska
"Just all the man coverage. We knew they were going to play man. He's the best one that we've got, as far as coming out of cuts. He's not the fastest guy we've got, but he can stop and start well, so when we face man coverage, you have to get open. Blackmon does a good job of winning down field, but we don't have many other guys that can win down field, so we had to do some underneath stuff; start and stop underneath, which he did a good job of that. Brandon was focused on him and able to get it to him quick."
On what the offense can improve on after watching the Nebraska tape
"We're still searching for guys to make plays; whether that happens this year or not, I don't know. We're settling a few guys in that need to get comfortable, which they are. When you face a team like Nebraska that their whole defense is about one-on-one matchups, you have to win. We did a good job up front in the run game of winning. Pass protection was average: they won some battles up front, we won some battles up front. At receiver, they won a few battles, we won a few battles. In the run game, their safeties would fill and tackle Kendall for a two yard gain or he'd make them miss and win that one-on-one battle. Continuing to find guys to win one-on-one battles when the defense challenges us like that man-to-man, we just have to find them."
Bill Young, Defensive Coordinator
On Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas
“He is big and he is very athletic. He threw a touchdown pass, which I think was against Baylor. He was a quarterback in high school so he has that ability to throw the ball. He also plays wide receiver, so he is the full package.”
On Bill Snyder
“He has done an unbelievable job with that program. He inherited the program when Kansas State couldn't beat the sisters of the poor and now they are winning championships and competing. He has done such a great job.”
On Bill Snyder coming back after retiring
“I was shocked that he came back after retiring. Obviously he had reasons that he wasn't done coaching.
Quinn Sharp, Punter
On he and teammate Dan Bailey being ranked No. 1 nationally in each of their respective positions
"We saw that. Dan and I were talking in the locker room, we're both currently ranked No. 1 in our spots. We definitely both worked hard to get to where we are at, and we've been enjoying the success so far."
On what being ranked No. 1 means to him
"It's really nice, actually. I didn't come out of high school as a true punter. I feel like with that, it shows that we've worked hard. Dan's worked just as hard as I have; he's doing great at his position. I've filled out my role as a punter and helping the team as much as possible. We're both pulling our roles and it's been a great year so far."
On if he prefers being a punter or a kicker:
"I've always wanted to be a kicker because that's what I came up doing. I still like punting a lot. It's a little more difficult, in my eyes, than field goals because I feel like field goals are more natural to me and kickoffs are more natural to me, but I've enjoyed it so far; I've really liked it."
Josh Cooper, Wide Receiver
On preparing for Kansas State
"We've got to come out and have a good week of practice. We'll practice tomorrow and prepare well just like we do every week and just get it done on Saturday."
On if having offensive success against Nebraska helps prepare the team for Kansas State
"We put up 41 points against Nebraska and they're a great defense. We knew all week they were going to be physical with us. There are just some key things we have to get better on and execute our game plan better. We did really well, though, against Nebraska and I feel like we can put up some points against a lot of teams."
On improving third down conversions
"That's a big key for every game to get third downs. You move the ball down the field and then third downs, you come to a halt, that's not going to help. We had some three-and-outs too that were a big part of the loss. We've got to do better on that and hopefully we do on Saturday."
Brodrick Brown, Cornerback
On the Nebraska game
“We knew that Taylor Martinez was going to get some yards and run, but we missed tackles and that hurt us. That goes back to practice and taking pride in what the defense does. We are going to get back on the work-side of tackling.”
On Nebraska throwing the ball more than expected
“That was a big adjustment when they started throwing more. When we got on the sidelines Coach Young was asking us what kind of routes they were running and we tried to make adjustments. We worked on that and tried to stop them.
On Kansas State's Daniel Thomas
“We haven't faced a back like him this year, but that goes along with just doing your assignments, watching film, and studying tape on him.”
Johnny Thomas, Safety
On looking forward to Kansas State
“We are looking forward to going out there and trying to redeem ourselves from our loss against Nebraska. Nobody likes to lose, but it feels good to be able to play another game.”
On practice this week
“Everything is different. They aren't the same team as Nebraska so we have to prepare different.”
On the game against Nebraska
“I think that it was a good game. We prepared the best that we could. Nebraska was a good team and it turned out that we couldn't come out with a win.”
Chris Donaldson, Defensive Tackle
On facing Kansas State's Daniel Thomas
"It's going to be another challenge. Nebraska was a challenge for us and K-State is actually going to be another challenge. We have to practice hard and bounce back and we have to really play hard. He's good, so we're going to have to stop him."
On if playing Nebraska helps prepare the defense for Kansas State
"It just prepares us more and we have to play better, tackle better and just rally to the ball. We have to shut them down."
On what the defense can take away from playing Nebraska
"Nebraska is over now, so we're trying not to dwell upon it. We're just trying to move on, move forward, let the game stay behind us. That's last week and we're just moving on to next week and looking forward to playing a good game against Kansas State."
Bryant Ward, Fullback
On special teams having problems
“We kick the ball off a lot because we score so many points. I don't know what it is. We always go out and practice hard. We just have had some rough patches on kickoffs. We have some wrinkles we need to iron out.”
On keeping focused on special teams
“It is a little tough to get into a routine with a kicker as good as Quinn Sharp because he has such a good leg that you know some will go in the end zone. It is hard to just tell yourself to keep sprinting because in the back of your mind you are thinking it is going to be a touchback. You have to always think that it is going to be returned and you can't let up until the referee blows the whistle.”
