Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Preview Baylor
November 01, 2010 | Cowboy Football
Nov. 1, 2010
STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy and selected members of the team visited with the media Monday at Boone Pickens Stadium to look ahead to this week's game against Baylor. The highlights:
Mike Gundy, Head Coach
Opening Statement
“We're excited about the win last Saturday. It's going to be a challenge this week because we're playing a good football team that is explosive on offense. They're playing with a quarterback who most people in the country would love to have on their team. He's very competitive, a leader and he makes a lot of plays. In my opinion he has improved considerably throwing the football down the field. That's where he's become so much of a threat this year plus the running ability he's already had. He has a couple guys out there playing wideout who are tall and can make plays. The running back is effective and opens up the middle of the field. They are a very good offensive football team. A defensive team that has seven seniors I think and they're rallying and playing well. Their team concept in all three phases is very good and that's why they're having a lot of success. It'll be important for us to have a great week of practice. Defense needs to run to the football, show up and tackle well in space. Our offense needs to continue to do what we've done: make our throws in certain areas and be good on third downs. ”
On Johnny Thomas' performance against Kansas State
“Johnny was our player of the game on defense. He made a number of tackles. He has shown a lot of leadership in the last month. Obviously the interception where he was able to run the ball in for a touchdown was a big play. He made some nice moves. Johnny is a returner for us so it was a good sign when he had the ball in his hands. There were two plays that my wife mentioned when she called me as I was riding home on the bus. One was the play Johnny made keeping the ball out of the end zone. That was a really good play and a balancing act knocking the ball back into play. The second one was the defense not committing a penalty when he returned the interception for a touchdown. Quinn Sharp was the MVP of that game with what he was able to do for us.”
On players working ahead on the next opponent
“They're doing much better than they were a month ago. There was a period of time when we had concerns about the young guys putting in the work they need to in order to have success on Saturdays. I think the Nebraska game was a wake-up call for them. We try to do the best we can as a staff to instill the importance of preparation. Last week's preparation was really good. The meetings we had Sunday were good. So I think they're buying in.”
On Orie Lemon
“Orie has definitely been a really good leader for us. He plays very physical and he's run well sideline to sideline. He did not play particularly well against Nebraska so I think he got a wake-up call there himself. He got banged up in the Kansas State game but we were able to get him back after a few plays and he was able to play well rest of the game. His leadership qualities have been really good for our football team.”
Bill Young, Defensive Coordinator
On Johnny Thomas' performance at Kansas State
"Johnny Thomas had an outstanding game. We picked him as our player of the game. He had a touchdown, an interception, and two or three broken up passes. He just played outstanding. He was all over the place."
On Baylor's offense
"With the athleticism that they have and the skill positions they have, if you miss tackles it will probably be a touchdown. So obviously we have to do a great job tackling. I think that the best thing we did last week as far as tackling was trying to wrap up the runner more and we will have to do that this week."
Dana Holgorsen, Offensive Coordinator
On Brandon Weeden against Kansas State
"Brandon played well. It was the best game that he's had. Part of that has to do with the o-line doing their job and there wasn't much pressure at all. We knew that we could protect him, we knew that we could run the ball. Our passing game was different this week than it had been in the past. A lot of other times in previous games it's been play action, throw it deep kind of stuff. This game, we knew we were going to have to do a bunch of intermediate routes where Brandon was going to have to sit back there and go through his reads, and if he's got time do that, he's pretty good at it. Overall, I was pretty happy with what he did. He took care of the ball and operated pretty well."
On offensive success in the red zone
"Part of it is a good field goal kicker: he doesn't miss. On a lot of teams, you get down there and you just can't make them and it hurts your red zone success. We try to be somewhat conservative with what we call there because we've got such a good field goal kicker, we don't want to screw it up, so to speak. Justin Blackmon's been able to finish a lot of drives for us. And a guy like Hubert Anyiam can do it; he did it earlier in the year. Mike Harrison can finish a drive too, as well as Kendall Hunter. Kendall just always typically gets five or 10 yards."
On Baylor's defense
"They play hard, really hard. They've got a lot of experience. They're well coached. Coach Brian Norwood does a great job. He's been around a lot of good coaches; he's been in some pretty good spots. The scheme is good. In general, they're on a role and they're playing hard and they've improved every week. Since game one they've improved every week. When you're improving every week and winning games, you've got a lot of confidence, and when you've got a lot of confidence, you play hard."
Brandon Weeden, Quarterback
On Baylor
"Just like every game, this is a big one. They have a good football team. I got a chance to watch them play Texas and it wasn't a fluke, they played well. They have a good offense and have gotten a lot better on defense. It is going to be a tough battle for us. We are playing at home and it should be an exciting game."
On Baylor and OSU being on top of the Big 12 South standings
"I think if you would have asked that question eight weeks ago before the season even started, most people would have thought you were crazy. It is just two teams that have just kept going and didn't believe what people were saying early on. They played their game and played well. They are 7-2 and on top of the Big 12 South. It is going to be fun. It is two good offenses and two good defenses. It is going to be a fun game to watch I think."
Markelle Martin, Safety
On playing Baylor
"We have a chance and a challenge to just go out and show to ourselves that we can be a great defense. We are going to go out there and try and force turnovers."
On facing one of the best offenses in the country
"We just want to go out there and compete. Between these two teams we believe in our system and we want to go out there and have fun and play football."
On Robert Griffin III
"We normally have a set system that we buy into. We are playing against a more elusive guy this week at quarterback but we will take the same approach that we have been taking."
Ugo Chinasa, Defensive End
On what he expects from the Baylor offense
"I expect them to spread the ball out and run their offense. They're a better team than they were last year, so we have our hands full."
On Robert Griffin III
"He's a good player, he's fast, he makes good decisions and he's a good athlete."
On playing an offense with a dual threat quarterback
"We just have to contain on pass rush, be very disciplined in run defense and tackle well."
On Baylor being a better team than in past seasons
"They're playing very well. They've got the quarterback back from last year, so they're a totally different team. They just beat Texas, so that shows you they're a very good team."
Jonathan Rush, Offensive Lineman
On Kendall Hunter
"I think he feels a sense of urgency knowing that this is his last season and the last stretch of games. He is trying to get his yards up and do the best that he can."
On how well the young line has done
"I'm not really surprised. This is the first time we have all been starters, but we have been the No. 2 and No. 3 on the team, so it is just a matter of you guys seeing what we have to offer. The first step in having a good line is having confidence in yourself. For me to say that I am surprised that we are doing well would be a lie. I am confident."
On Offensive Line Coach Joe Wickline
"Any time you have a good coach like Coach Wickline that shows you the ins and outs of what you are supposed to do, you get a little more confident in what you are doing."
Andrew McGee, Cornerback
On if focusing too much on Robert Griffin III is dangerous
"With anything really, you can't focus too much on one part of the offense, so we just want to do our job. The rest will take care of itself if everybody is doing their job."
On containing Robert Griffin III
"We had a chance to go against Taylor Martinez from Nebraska and see a quarterback with speed, so that definitely helped us. And we want to learn from our past mistakes from past games. So all those missed tackles in those games that we had, we want to limit those. That will help us when he tucks the ball and runs. We have to make the tackles."
On continuing momentum from the Kansas State game
"We just have to keep doing what we're doing. We had a whole lot less missed tackles this game and we just want to play sound football and be disciplined."
Isaiah Anderson, Wide Receiver
On if it is important for the offense to stay on the field against Baylor so Robert Griffin is not on the field as much:
"We just have to do our job: move the ball down the field and score points. If we can keep him off the field, that's better for us, so we're just looking forward to that competition this week."
On being able to finish off drives with touchdowns
"Our motto is 'First downs get touchdowns,' so we're just trying to keep the ball moving forward and just get over that hump. We need to be more successful in the fourth quarter, so we're going to work on that this week and hopefully be better by Saturday."
On Baylor's defense
"They run a traditional scheme, so it's not like something we haven't seen before. We'll line up and go against their corners and their safeties and see what they have back there."
