Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Preview Iowa State
October 21, 2013 | Cowboy Football
Oct. 21, 2013
STILLWATER -
Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy and selected members of the team visited with the media on Monday in Boone Pickens Stadium. Their comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
On how many reps the quarterbacks get each week
“It's been different every year. When I was coaching quarterbacks here and we had Josh (Fields) and we really didn't have a backup so Josh got 95 percent of the reps; and the other guy got a few and the third guy didn't get any at all. The system we are in now that we've been in for a number of years – the quarterbacks get a lot of work. A lot of it is based on the tempo and the way we practice. There's not as many running schemes like there were years ago.”
On if two quarterbacks makes it harder for Iowa State to prepare
“I'm not a defensive guy, but I don't believe there are any advantages in Iowa State knowing who is going to play quarterback for us, our philosophies don't change. It's fairly simple. Other than a few scrambles with J.W. (Walsh) that we don't do with (Clint) Chelf, the concept is the same. It's not like having a wildcat quarterback and then a pocket passer.”
On which quarterback benefits the team more
“You just have to see how it goes. I don't think we can predict how it will go from this point forward. We're very open and honest with both of them and I think that benefits our team. We just have to move forward and we're fortunate that they're good people. They're both good kids.”
On Josh Stewart's punt return for a touchdown against TCU
“That was as good of an executed play as you get. We had nine guys on nine guys. One guy missed his block and Stewart made him miss and then that guy recovered. Obviously that was a great return and punt returns are all about getting started if you have a talented returner who can make the first guy miss, and in most cases that has to happen. Very seldom are you going to block 10 guys, but we had nine guys blocked and it was very well executed.”
On the offensive line
“They got better as the game went on, but they are still playing very average. I'm looking forward to getting settled in on a group and them adjusting and working well together. We went a number of years here and had five guys playing together throughout the season. We'd have one guy get hurt. A couple years ago we were playing A&M and we lost the center and put another guy in and then those guys played the rest of the year. Continuity is very important to the offensive line and we haven't had that up to this point. They'll improve and get better as we get a grasp of the same guys playing all the time.”
On the offensive line improving
“We've improved in certain areas. We've had guys playing in positions that made some mistakes but it's not the same mistakes guys made playing the same position in week two. We had a new guy playing guard who hadn't played guard and he made a few mistakes inside. Then we had a new guy playing tackle who had never played college football and he made some mistakes. Then there were times their defense made plays. There were times that they beat us. So it's a combination of all that.”
Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich
On whether he has coached interchangeable quarterbacks
"No. I never have, but we feel we have two good quarterbacks and we need to make sure we're doing what we can to help them improve and get them playing at a high level. It starts with ball security. That is something we must have. We preach it and work on it every day in practice. It's about getting the ball to our playmakers and creating space for them."
On the dangers of playing against a defense coming off a poor performance
"I think it's really important to not sit there and compare scores. When you factor in a particular score here and there and play that mental game, it can kind of work against you. What you have to do is work to get better each day, and focus on playing your best, regardless of who they've played and who you've played. We as an offense have to get better."
On whether past games at Iowa State have any bearing on Saturday's game
"I can't really speak on that because that's two years before I got here, but we're just trying to make sure we have a good practice schedule for tomorrow, and to make sure we're getting better."
Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer
On what impressed him the most regarding the defense's performance against TCU
"The thing I was most proud of was how we responded to sudden changes. Sudden changes are what we call things such as when a turnover happens and we have to go out right away and respond. On four sudden change opportunities, they got three points. That was really good."
On using the 2011 loss at Iowa State as motivation
"On Sunday, I asked the guys to raise their hand if they made that trip two years ago. A lot of seniors made that trip. As much as I tell them that doesn't play into it, I hope, deep down, they go up there feeling that something was taken from them last time. That's not how you prepare to win a game, but as coaches we're always looking to get an edge and motivate."
On whether he feels the defense's recent performances give him more freedom as a coordinator
"Since we started in the spring, we've tried to instill some different techniques and situational plays. We want to take our chances and challenge in spots. That hasn't really changed from the spring to now. The key is the execution. It's not about the call. It's about them executing. That's what they've been doing well. They've been doing what they need to do to execute well enough to win the game, no matter what it takes. That's what it's been about more than whatever my call is."
Receiver Tracy Moore
On what he remembers from the last visit to Iowa State
"The main thing I remember is the feeling leaving from there. It's something you can't explain, especially knowing that you were supposed to beat that team. It was a good thing to learn from but it was probably one of the worst feelings I've ever had."
On how a quarterback change affects the team
"Both of our quarterbacks are legit players and are making plays. Nobody is worried about who is playing quarterback or what Clint (Chelf) is going to bring to the table because they're both going to play now. It really doesn't matter who's starting or who's taking the first reps or who's taking the last snaps."
On the play of Josh Stewart
"Josh (Stewart) is a great player. He's a little undersized, but he probably has the biggest heart on the team and one of the best work ethics. He's a really good teammate to have. He's not selfish and he's not complaining about not getting the ball. But when he gets it, he does magic with it."
Safety Shamiel Gary
On the best moments from the TCU game
"I don't know about moments, but probably all the turnovers we were getting; just being able to dominate the first half; and we tried to continue it in the second half."
On the defensive performance this year
"Everybody's just playing as a family, and being relentless, too. I like playing under Coach Spencer. He's a tough guy, but he's a great coach to play under."
Linebacker Shaun Lewis
On whether he's playing his best football so far
"I think so, but I also think the best is yet to come. I feel better and better every week, and with the consecutive weeks we're playing, we get into a groove. I think that my best football and the team's best football is still yet to come."
On why his best football is yet to come
"I feel better than I've ever felt before. Coach Spencer does a good job of getting everything out of us, and I'm playing more for my teammates than I am for myself. I don't want to let my team down. It's easy for me to go out and give everything I have and strive to make plays."
Receiver Josh Stewart
On his performance on Saturday
"I felt really good. I just wanted to make plays for my team. That's the mindset going into the game. Going in, I didn't do anything different than what I always do. I just wanted to make plays every opportunity I had and make the best of it. I felt good."
On freshman running back Rennie Childs' performance
"I expected that, and I'm pretty sure everyone else did. Rennie runs exactly how he did in the game in practice. He runs straight and hard, not really side-to-side. He gets down the field. He sees a hole, and he's going to hit it. That's just how he runs. Nothing has changed from practice. I really think that he could be a big factor in our offense, and you saw that against TCU."
Offensive Lineman Brandon Webb
On faring well against TCU's defensive line
"You definitely get more mentally prepared to play against guys like that. They were a big, physical bunch, and we had to meet them at their same level. If you can handle a group like that, it gets you ready to keep going and lets you know how you were built and how you can handle the pressure of someone coming at you like that group did."
On if he felt like the line's constant stability wore down TCU's defense
"Oh yeah, definitely. We kind of like it when our running backs get downhill, get in the hole and get the yards. I guess all of our running backs can kind of do that, but Rennie got in there and did it at the right time."
Defensive End Tyler Johnson
On the team's overall performance against TCU
"I think we did a good job of doing what we we're supposed to do and capitalizing on their mistakes enough to get the win and play well. There were still some things that we did that we need to work on and start fixing this week in practice. We know we need to get better in certain areas and we plan on doing that before we go play again on Saturday."
On what the team needs to work on before this weekend's game
"There were mainly some mental things that we noticed that need to be fixed. Even though we did a lot of good things, there are always the bad things that you can improve on. We looked at the film and were praised for the good things we did, but we know what we really need to work on so we can be better."
On returning to Ames to the first time since 2011
"We're definitely excited about it. We're going to prepare and make sure we have all of our assignments ready and everything like that because it's tough playing anybody in the Big 12 on the road. I don't really see it as much of a revenge factor, but we're going to go in there and play our game."
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