Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Football Press Conference Transcript
September 10, 2012 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy and selected members of the team visited with the media Monday in Boone Pickens Stadium. Some of the highlights:
Head coach Mike Gundy
Opening statement:
"Our coaching staff is excited about getting back to practice tomorrow. As you all know, today's a day off for our team. We've reviewed the tape, visited with players and have had all of our meetings. We've started to watch tape on Louisiana, and this is a good football team. This is going to be a good challenge for us. They're very athletic and they have 15 to 16 players who are starting who are juniors or seniors, which means they're an experienced football team. Obviously they went to Troy and won somewhat handily on the road. That was the first time that happened there [Troy] in openers in 21 years. Our team will face a lot of the same challenges we faced last week on offense. They play two quarterbacks. Both of them are athletic and can run the ball and throw the ball effectively in their style of play. We'll have to be really good on the perimeter on defense. Much better than what we were in Arizona. Then offensively, we face what would be common on defense. We don't really see that many looks anymore. You see some three-downs, see some four-down, see some zones, see some man pretty consistently throughout the year. They've got a really good placekicker and punter. He does a nice job in both areas. I know he was a Groza semifinalist last year. Just by watching the tape I could tell that he was really good. He was very effective at Troy in downing them inside the 20-yard line. I think they are a well-coached team. They play hard. They run the ball. They have speed. Our team needs to have a great week of practice and have to play much better in order to have success on Saturday."
On Wes Lunt's performance the last two games:
"He's played well. He's made some mistakes, but we're pleased with where he is at this point in his career. He needs to continue to improve. I don't know that we can ask much more from him in the positions that he's been in in the game on the road. We need for him to continue to work and get better. He's prepared well. He's handled his situation and he seems to be comfortable. I think offensive players and our team in general is gaining respect for him as a player and a person."
On what Arizona did offensively that frustrated OSU:
"One, I think their quarterback is a really good player. In that style of offense, Coach Rodriguez has had teams throughout his entire career that can move the ball and score lots of points with a quarterback who can operate. The quarterback operated very well. It was evident that he was a fifth-year guy. He didn't have a lot of experience, but he was able to play and handle the situations well. He was able to pump fake, get guys off the ground, move around, find open receivers and he knew where the chains were."
On how penalties affected the game:
"Once they got going, our penalties allowed them to continue to always stay on the chains. We never got them in a situation where they really needed a crucial third down conversion. We made drives easy for them with dumb penalties. Personal fouls are not smart football. And when you have a combination of a bunch of things like that, it's not good."
On how he thinks the loss will affect the team moving forward:
"One good thing for us, was that hasn't happened a whole lot to us, so everyone was down --down in the locker room, down on the plane, down yesterday and down last night at the meetings. That's good for us. There shouldn't be any holdover if they have anything to them. They should wish we could play this game tomorrow and then play again Saturday just to get back on the field. If it's important to you and you like to play the game, but you made mistakes and played, in my opinion, poor football, you want to get back out there as fast as you can. That doesn't mean you show up Saturday as a good player, a smart player and a tough guy, it starts in practice tomorrow. I think they understand that. I would be surprised if our team doesn't react the way we want them to and play hard."
On how much time he spent taking the positives from the Arizona game:
"A little bit, but not much, because it's just not what we're going to do. Coaches don't make bold predictions, but we're not going to play that way. We're not good enough to overcome those situations. I'm not sure we were good enough last year to overcome 15 penalties for 167 yards and four turnovers with the guys we had on offense last year who are now starting in the NFL. So, we're certainly not good enough this year. We want to be aggressive. We want to run the ball, and on defense we want to hit, because if you're not, you aren't going to be any good anyway. But, we have to be smart."
Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach Bill Young
On if he's ready to return to action:
"I've been back. I was at a lot of the meetings last week, it is not like I haven't been here. I feel no different today than I did three weeks ago. I had tremendous doctors."
On preparation for the two different styles of quarterback:
"The two quarterbacks are very similar. One of them is left-handed and the other is right-handed. They are very athletic and have similar size. They have good speed, and they run the option, the zone read, some quarterback counters and some zone lead keepers with lead blockers. It is a scheme that could give us some problems so we will work hard on it."
On DT Calvin Barnett's performance against Arizona:
"One thing you have to look at with Calvin is that he is an emotional guy, and he let his emotions get out of control a little bit. He has to be more disciplined than that. When you hit the quarterback in the head, it is going to be a penalty, and you have to understand that. Those are the rules of the game."
On how he viewed the game:
"I didn't have it on TV; I listened to it on the radio. I have surround sound so I was able to listen to it all around the house. It was difficult, and I would have loved to have the opportunity to be there. It is a lot easier being in the game than listening to it. It wouldn't have been any different if I had been there, but it would have been a lot easier for me had I been there. I kind of knew what the calls were and visualized what was taking place."
On how he helped prepare for Arizona:
"I met with the defensive line every day last week. I was also in a couple of staff meetings. The only difference this week is that I will get to go to practice and be here all day long instead of being here two-thirds of the day. I am anxious to get back. I feel great."
Co-Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach Glenn Spencer
On Louisiana's offense:
"Both of their quarterbacks do similar things. It is not going to be a change in game plan. We have (seen Louisiana) based on last year and how productive they were. There is some carry over from the last game due to the personnel groupings they used, but they are pretty dynamic. They are explosive and have showed it through the first couple of weeks against some talent."
On Louisiana's Quarterbacks:
"Both of them will pull it down and run it. We saw both last year, and there wasn't a huge difference between the two. The main difference between this year and last is that their offensive line is massive. They have got some big, huge, mobile guys. They have recruited really well up front. The quarterbacks will also be similar to (Arizona QB Matt Scott) so we've got to pressure and get on these guys in order to make things happen. We'd better learn from our mistakes this next week."
On Louisiana's Offensive Line:
"They are all huge. They are going to be able to get on you and swallow you up a bit more. You have to be able to separate, you have to be able to hit and get off the block. It is hard to get that look with the scout team during the week, but we will do our best."
On Louisiana as a team:
"They won a bowl game and got on a roll after playing us. We have a lot of respect for them because we have some players that have played these guys before. They've got similar talent to the teams we see in the Big 12. It is not like playing a 1-AA team. Just look at their recruiting and they may not get the same kids that LSU gets, but LSU can't get them all. There is so much talent down there in Louisiana and Alabama. There are a lot of athletes to go around."
On the linebackers in coverage vs. Arizona:
"They did well. The issues we had were technique and leverage issues. We didn't know where our help was at times. We had some execution issues. We coughed up some big plays. We didn't get the pressure we needed to through failure to keep the quarterback contained. There were some coverage busts that allowed their quarterback to make a few big plays. The mental aspect and execution of game plan is the biggest thing we have to get corrected."
On return of Defensive Coordinator Bill Young:
"I am glad he's back. We talked every day last week, and he actually came by a lot last week, too. It's not like he's been gone. It will be nice to get him out on the field again."
Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach Todd Monken
On OSU's receiver rotation:
"We wanted to play Charlie Moore a little bit more, but Tracy Moore was doing so well. He was only rotating a little bit at X and Z so we need to get a little more rotation going, but we are very young. Even in the slot, we are young. Josh Stewart is a true sophomore. Blake Jackson is new to this level. Blake Webb is a true freshman. John Goodlett is a walk-on kid that is doing great. There is such an inexperience factor that right now they are doing half the stuff right and half the stuff wrong. That is part of it. People don't understand that they are learning as they're going. They are going to keep moving forward, and we are going to continue to get better. I know statistically we did well, but we are going to continue to be better and grow. We only have so many bullets that give us the best chance to win and that's why we didn't play as many guys."
On how he decides the receiver rotation:
"You basically rate guys in terms on if they can help us win. Will they know where to be and be able to make the consistent play? If you're not in the right spot or you drop the ball, that's how we lose games. You have to play good football to start, and the young guys are improving, but there are only so many snaps. They will all look back in two or three years and say man, `I wasn't very good,' and you know what, they weren't because they haven't played enough. Justin Blackmon was a redshirt freshman. If he was that good, he would have played as a freshman, I promise you. The young guys are going to get better with every rep. It is hard to speed that up."
On Wes Lunt's growth:
"The training wheels came off the other night because we had to throw it. We tried not to throw it so much. We tried to run it, play action it, and keep things fairly simple. The good news is that he threw it for a living in high school so it's not like he is out of his element just dropping back and throwing. The penalties and turnovers pushed us into that."
On Wes Lunt's future:
"If he breaks a bunch of records, that means we are in bad shape. We want to be able to run the ball and control the clock. It's not hard to see that he's got an unbelievable demeanor, a pocket presence and he is very accurate. There weren't many balls he threw that you thought were not accurate. Even when he threw into coverage, it was on the money. The flea flicker, the post, the balls were right there. If we can get him to know where to go with the ball, protect him and run well, they'd better have some good defenders because he's going to throw it accurately. Just like Brandon Weeden, he is going to put it on the money. He has a level head, and he is going to make a lot of plays and a lot of throws."
On when he knew Lunt should start:
"You just see it through the way the guy handles himself. He has an uncanny ability to move around and make accurate throws. When he gets it, he is going to be really good. He's the kind of guy that really likes figuring out puzzles, and those guys are the kind of guys you want, the guys that dissect stuff in their mind. I mean, he doesn't say anything in film. He sits there and you stare at him and wonder if he's even listening, but he is. He is just figuring it all out, and he is always just replying `yes, sir.' I cuss at him, and he just says `yes, sir' so he has an easy, calm demeanor that is hard to explain. He just figures stuff out."
Offensive Lineman Jonathan Rush
On playing from behind:
"Being around for so long, you realize how quick a game can turn around. Last year, during the A&M game, we were down by way more, so there's always opportunity to come back. We never gave up hope, and that's one of the best things about this game."
On the offensive line's play:
"I think that there are things that we can correct, especially penalties. But like I said, with every loss, there's always something that can be gained from it, so that's what we're going to go into this next week looking at."
On Wes Lunt:
"That's probably the loudest crowd I've been around in a while, but I think he did great, especially being a freshman on his first trip on the road. That's probably one of the worst situations he could have been in. He handed it great. A lot of times, after someone messes up, like when he threw a couple interceptions, going back onto the field, they get a little skittish. I think he handled himself like a man. He went out there, never faltered, and he was a dominant presence in the huddle."
Wide Receiver Tracy Moore
On the positives he can take from his performance
"I guess that I haven't missed a step. With missing the first game, I wasn't sure how I would react to playing with a new quarterback. It doesn't mean much without the win, so it still hurts."
On how Wes Lunt performed
"He's very mature for his age. He never panicked, got too excited or anything like that. He always just kept a level head through the entire game. It was impressive for his first game in a hostile environment like that."
On looking ahead to this week's game against Louisiana
"We have to rally around each other. We're just going to get back to work. We started back with practice last night. We just put the Arizona game behind us, and now we're going to move ahead and focus on this week's game."
Running Back Jeremy Smith
On the penalties in the game:
"It's a bunch of mental stuff. We've got to get it corrected this week. We have another pretty good opponent with Louisiana coming in, and we've just got to correct those mistakes."
On bouncing back from the Arizona loss:
"With a game like that, after watching the film, we're still the team that we thought we were. We have a lot of great talent, but we can't have those penalties. Those penalties pretty much killed us. As long as we fix that, we're still going to be the team that we believe that we are. We can still get a Big 12 Championship and a BCS bowl, we've just got to keep working."
On the spirit of the team:
"You never want to go into a quiet locker room. That's a locker room that you always hate being in because those guys want to say something. We hurt ourselves. We got a lot of penalties. We had a lot of good plays, too. We have to go out this week and make sure that we correct those mistakes that we had."
Safety Shamiel Gary
On how Wes Lunt played:
"Wes did well. I feel like he managed the game pretty well. Obviously as the game goes, he is going to make some mistakes, but I feel like he played a good game."
On how the team will bounce back after Saturday:
"I feel like we will have a good week of practice. We start tomorrow. Watch film Monday, watch film Tuesday, watch film Wednesday, watch film Thursday. We have to realize that is just a learning experience. We have a long season ahead of us. We have to take it one game at a time."
Linebacker Shaun Lewis
On being frustrated by Arizona's offense:
"It's frustrating. We helped them out, too. Our coaches can make a great call, but if just one guy is in the wrong spot, it can hurt us. We had that happen a lot on Saturday, but it's something that can be fixed. We haven't hit the panic button. We're going to go out there and prepare for Louisiana like the game is tomorrow."
On the team's overall morale heading into this week:
"We're definitely hurting, but you can only feel bad for yourself for so long. It's time to move on from the Arizona game. We have Louisiana this week and we're going to put all we have into that game plan and executing it."
On what the team leaders are doing to get the team past Arizona:
"I didn't have to say anything. The coaches said everything that needed to be said. My main focus will be to go out and show what we need to do instead of talk about it. I'm going to go out there and practice hard, that way we can show the team what we need to be doing around here."
Defensive End Cooper Bassett:
On moving forward after a loss to Arizona
"We've got to look in the mirror and reevaluate ourselves. The biggest thing is to just get back to the basics. I know that sounds cliché, and people hear it all the time. We weren't sound on our assignments. Defense-wise, we have to put a lot more pressure on the quarterback. We put our secondary in a tight spot by not getting the quarterback as much as we would have liked to. The big thing is to focus on turnovers. Last year, we were a defense that led the nation in turnovers, and we only have two after two games this season. Those are things that we really need to hone in on."
On the absence of Bill Young:
"It hurts whenever you're missing anybody. We're a team, and we're a family. When any one of your key people isn't there, it hurts, and he's the main guy. That's no excuse. If anything, we should have rallied around and won it for Coach Young. This week, we're glad to have him back. We hope we can focus, get back to the basics and get a win with Coach Young back on the sidelines."
On forcing more turnovers:
"I hate to admit it, but in the last couple of weeks we got a little lackadaisical in practice. Our mentality was that it was just going to come to us. Obviously, in the last two games it didn't just come to us. You have to make your own luck. I really am looking forward to it. I know a lot of people expect us to have our tails between our legs and hang our heads, but that's just not how it is. I'm licking my chops and ready to get back out to practice. We have to reassert ourselves as a hardworking defense. That's going to happen by busting our butts every day and every minute of practice."
Wide Receiver Josh Stewart
On what the receivers need to work on:
"Definitely catching the ball. We had a lot of drops, and I had a key drop that I shouldn't have dropped. It's mostly our fault because we just weren't catching them, but we're ready to improve."
On what went wrong for the receivers at Arizona:
"I think it was more that we were down, and we didn't know what was going on because we felt like we were the better team in that game. There was just a bunch of stuff running through our heads. Everybody was trying to make a big play and not really focused on catching the ball. We just need to focus."
On Wes Lunt:
"Wes is going to be great. He had three interceptions but two weren't his fault and the other one he can fix. We're not even worried about Wes. It's more of us as receivers that need to focus more. You could tell that those interceptions didn't get him down. It was motivations for him, and I could see it."
