Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Preview Kansas
November 04, 2013 | Cowboy Football
Nov. 4, 2013
STILLWATER, Okla. – 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
Opening statement
"Just as we thought after the game, comments were really accurate. We played good in all three phases at Tech. We were very pleased with our team and the way they handled playing on the road and the adversity. Moving forward, each week is a challenge for us, so we have been through the tape and started to put our game plan together for Kansas. We will be back tomorrow. Players are obviously in a good frame of mind, so we should have a good week of practice."
On Chelf playing similarly to last year
"He's gotten a little bit better each week. He didn't throw the ball as well as we would've wanted him to in Iowa. He started showing signs of being successful. I think that, with the personal that we have, we're trying to get a feel for where we are going offensively. It gives him the chance to get better."
On the running game
"With Des (Roland) being able to carry the load, it had allowed Rennie (Childs) to come in and use his speed and strength when the defense is fatigued. Then Jeremy (Smith) came in and made some plays for us. He averaged five yards per carry and had a nice reception. Hopefully we are moving in the right direction."
On his confidence in Chelf and the running game
"You have to score points. We said at this time last week that playing out there in Lubbock, very seldom are you going to go out there and score 20-25 points and win. You have to score points to win. You have to run your offense and make adjustments."
On whose decision it was on the fourth down calls
"I make the decision on fourth down calls with input from whatever side of the ball it is, but ultimately it's my decision whether we go for fourth downs."
On the running game coming together
"Ultimately, we have to win games. We want our team to win games. It's not going to be the same each year. We're playing pretty good defense right now and I'm really proud of our kicking game and what our players have given us in the kicking game. We've had to use those resources different than what we've had to in the last four or five years as we continue to get better on offense and continue to play with the style that we play in those two phases. Ultimately, that's called coaching and that's what we are supposed to do. We have to work our way through where we are efficient and get better, but we also have to play to the strengths of our football team."
On the Josh Stewart package
"It came about just what you see on tape, nothing out of the ordinary other than a package we've had in that had five receivers. I just thought we should have the opportunity for him to run the ball out of that set. The second time we should have been able to run it. We had an edge; we just didn't get out there and get on it."
Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich
On Clint Chelf's performance
"I wasn't surprised. I knew he was capable of playing like that. He displayed some mental toughness. He has some great leadership skills, and from an experience standpoint, that's what he brings. It was good to see him play like that."
On what he saw leading up to calling the quarterback draw that resulted in a touchdown
"They were dropping off and playing the pass. On that play they actually brought some zone pressure, but they weren't able to execute it the way they wanted, because when you're in that deep of a formation, it's tough to bring pressure all the way from that alignment. Clint did a real nice job of hitting the inside and making sure they couldn't fit their gaps correctly. It was good execution on our part."
On having three running backs performing well
"It's very important this time of year to have three guys performing at that level, at your disposal. They keep each other fresh, they're very unselfish; and it doesn't just help you in the running game, it helps you in pass protection, too. When you get into the third and fourth quarters, it's important to have those guys keeping each other fresh when you're trying to wear down a defense."
On what the keys are to a fast start against Kansas
"Good execution, understanding your assignments and making people miss when you have the ball in space. One thing you see all the good offenses do, is getting athletes in space. There's always a guy you have to make miss, and you have to be able to break tackles. You want to put guys in situations where they're able to do that. It is really a matter of execution and playing fast—not necessarily from a tempo standpoint, but playing fast at your position. Playing faster than the guy across from you; meaning no hesitation, coming off the ball hard and playing instinctively – those are all critical."
Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer
On the unity the defense displays
"From the first meeting I had with them, I was talking about finding your motivation. It's a process. Last week was just another week in the process, but they had an unbelievable look in their eyes on Saturday. I knew they were hurting and I knew they were tired, as a team. Every play was like it was the last play of the last series of their lives. They weren't doing it for themselves. They kept looking at each other and affirming each other, saying 'Let's do it again. We have to do it again.' That's the kind of stuff that makes me proud."
On when he has to roll the dice with a defensive call
"Anytime you want to send max pressure, everything in your body constricts. Especially if the other team is throwing the ball really well, you start thinking, 'Alright, we have to do this now.' You wish you didn't have to do that to try to stop somebody, so when that call is made, that's always a 'hang onto your hats' type of play. We did it down on the goal line, and they threw it up to [Jace] Amaro, and [Daytawion] Lowe was battling with him like there was no tomorrow. We forced a throw off his back foot, and it worked. It worked because they executed it. It wasn't just the call."
On keeping the defense motivated after a good performance
"The motivation is that they played at a high level on Saturday, and it wasn't some magic dust that caused it. It was that, in their mind, they made a decision. Why should that be any different this week? You want to play to your maximum ability and play for each other. Why shouldn't the same process that led to that last week happen again this week?"
Defensive Tackle Calvin Barnett
On the defense's performance against Texas Tech
"I feel like we continued to do what we've been doing; what we've been trying to do this whole year. We've been playing with a lot of intensity and celebrating each other when we make plays. Lately, we've been trying to get a lot more turnovers, so I feel like we did pretty well as a defense. Of course, there are things that we didn't do well at times. There were things that we looked at on film that were really bad, but at the end of the day we were able to put it all together."
On the pride defense has in stopping potent offenses
"It's a pride thing, in general, with us. It starts with our defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer. We are just a prideful defense. The last goal line stand we had, we were pretty convinced if we had let them score we still would have won, but it wasn't about that for us. It was about making our statement in the Big 12 and in the country; trying to let people know what our defense is really about this year."
On keeping up intensity against Kansas
"We are going to go out the same as we have every week. It doesn't matter if they aren't as high powered as Texas Tech. They still were able to move the ball well the first couple of drives against Texas. They have pretty much been in every game until late in it. So we're just going to go out there, play aggressive, start fast and try to get a lot of turnovers like we have been. We're going to try to give our offense a lot of opportunities with the ball."
Fullback Jeremy Seaton
On the team's performance at Tech
"As a team, we played very well. We definitely came together. We still had a few missed assignments here and there, but we're finally starting to come together and play as one unit. It gives us a little bit of momentum."
On preparing for Kansas
"They're a lot better than what you see on paper. They are in every game that they play. They're definitely not an opponent to look over, and we need to stay focused for it."
Linebacker Shaun Lewis
On returning to play at Boone Pickens Stadium after several weeks away
"I'm very excited, and I know the guys are. You only get so many opportunities to play in front of your home crowd and your family. We're excited to be able to do that."
On the importance of forcing turnovers
"It's just as important from week to week, no matter who we're playing. We are just looking for opportunities to get our offense the ball back so they can score. We are going to continue to stress it in practice and hopefully it carries over into the game."
On preparing for Kansas this weekend
"Nothing changes for us. We're preparing for them just like we would for Alabama. We're going to come in and study film and practice hard, as always. We're going to do everything we need to do to get an edge on them. This Saturday, we're going to hit the tunnel with a lot of emotion and a lot of energy, so we don't have any regrets come Saturday night."
Receiver Josh Stewart
On how he feels going into this week
"I feel really good. It's always good to get a big win on the road. It brings a lot of confidence to your team. We just need to practice hard and get ready for this home game we have against Kansas."
On the danger of overlooking Kansas
"It's what we have at stake. We want to win the Big 12 championship, and not all of our past few games against Kansas have been blowouts. Some have been close games. As a team, you can't go in with too much confidence knowing you're going to win. You've got to go in and practice like you're playing the top team in the country."
Offensive Lineman Jake Jenkins
On how the offensive line was able to perform so well against Texas Tech
"We just kept grinding through it, and things seemed to be going right. We kept going forward as a unit. There was just kind of a click."
On the confidence gained from helping the team rush for more than 250 yards
"It does feel good, but we can't overthink it and get a big head. We can't think that we are going to beat up on every other defense just because we did well against this defense. We've still got four games left in the Big 12, so we have to make sure we stay strong and keep moving forward."
On how the offensive line sold the draw on Clint Chelf's 67-yard touchdown run
"The defense was spread wide open. We pushed everybody out of the middle, and Clint had a clear running lane."
Safety Lyndell Johnson
On the physicality of playing against a spread offense
"When you're in the game, it's not like you're counting snaps. You know how fast the game's going, but you really don't realize how many snaps you're playing. Playing teams with spread offenses, they've got that tempo, so everything's moving super-fast. You've just got to be ready."
-OSU-
