Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Bruce Waterfield
Gundy, Cowboys Preview Spring Practice
March 07, 2016 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER, Okla. – Coach Mike Gundy and other members of the Oklahoma State football team met with media Monday at Boone Pickens Stadium to preview spring football practice. Their comments:
Head Coach Mike Gundy
Opening statement:
"We're excited about getting back out there. We've got a couple of days with helmets only, as you know, and then we can get into some pads. We'll start to get down to some quality work. We're going to work really hard at improving the running game, as we've talked about for the last couple of years. We've got a number of offensive linemen back that we feel good about. We'll be more mature. In the throwing game, we've got guys that are more experienced at that position. Mason is back, and we'll get quite a few reps with Taylor [Cornelius] and [John] Kolar this spring. Defensively, we want to really get back to our base defense. It's important that we're in the right position, we're sound and we're tackling well. My message to the staff this morning was that we want to have 12 quality practices. I know we get 15, but you have a game and a couple that you can't really do much with. We want to have 12 practices of base offense versus base defense. We'll continue to work with our kickers, punters and our four special teams units, which we'll continue to develop. There's a lot of enthusiasm, and I'm excited to be back out there. We'll have a team meeting at 1:30 and get started today."
On the spring practice schedule:
"Well, we like practicing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the spring. We go on Thursday this week because some of the players have Friday travel plans for spring break. We don't practice on the weekends. I think that's best for the players and the coaches. Coaches can be with their families on the weekends, and players can get away from us on the weekends and let Coach Glass work them out. We can have meetings, but we won't work out again till Tuesday. We like to have a day in between practices, and we try to avoid practicing on the weekends in the spring."
On improving the special teams unit:
"It's interesting. When we had good returners, we were great on special teams. We have to make a decision on how many starters we want to use on those teams based on the total number of reps they're getting on offense and defense. We've had long discussions about that over the last couple of months. I think the conclusion was that we wanted to base our reps and our schemes on the availability we had with guys who can help us. If we had to use veteran players that are going to get 50 or more snaps on offense or defense, we'd have to be a little less broad with the plays we're using on special teams. It certainly helps in the return game if you've got a guy who can make plays. We do have kickers back and we do have punters back, so that should help us as we start the season."
On recruiting multiple offensive linemen over the offseason:
"We've got a number of guys back, and we should change considerably in size. The last couple of years, we've been somewhat small inside. I think that the group that'll be there in the spring and in the fall will give us more size. We're certainly going to push and try to work hard in that area. We'll try to get a little better in the spring and in August before the season starts."
On Mason Rudolph's development:
"He's always been a good leader. He's a tough guy, and the players respect him for that reason. He just continues to develop. He'll take over out there today, obviously, and I would think that the offense would rally around him at this point with the experience and the games that he's played up to this point in his career."
On his concern for the running game:
"Well, I'm always concerned about it. We all know that most offenses go as your quarterback goes. At some point, you have to be able to establish some running game and have the balance that allows you to be able to throw the ball. Defenses have made some strides in the last three years or so with spreading out offenses, so you need to have somebody who can run the ball and make a play. In most cases, if you look at our game, the guy running the ball has to run through somebody that's a halfway player. There's going to be some sort of contact at three to five yards, so he's either going to have to run through him or make him miss. Most defenses
aren't going to play five-man boxes and allow you to just rush the football. Your schemes are certainly one part of it, but the second part of it is that you've got to have guys who can run through tackles and force defenses to play against the run."
Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich
On the development of the offense:
"It's a big opportunity for just about everybody, especially for those guys that have been redshirted. I see some great strides for those guys in the offseason program, and I can't wait to get going. We have been watching a lot of film together and meeting together, so now to see it unfold on the practice field, and to see a player blossom is part of the pleasures and benefits of coaching. Not just with John [Kolar], but with a lot of other guys as well."
On getting new coaches and preparing them as well as the team:
"You get to look at yourself a little bit closer in the offseason, and you're not trying to work ahead, you're trying to make sure that what you have done is being reviewed. You are able to slow down a little more during this time. It is more of a systematic process that is elevating, and when you have a new staff, everything has to be accelerated that much faster. So, it is a time where you can slow down and talk about points and things that are alternative measures, but it is helpful when the entire staff is there and not having to worry about hiring somebody and getting them up to speed."
On what he is hoping to see from the offensive line this season:
"Well, improvement obviously, and a mindset of toughness coming off of the ball from technique to finish. The basic thing is overall depth competition and to be able to establish a depth chart this spring. Those are the most important things to be able to evaluate, and that is what we are looking to accomplish this spring with the offensive line."
On if he is worried about accomplishing his goals for the offensive line this spring:
"I feel very confident. We know that we have to improve, and improvement is not solely for the offensive line, it's for everybody. It's for our quarterback, they surely can improve, along with our receivers. Obviously, we understand that we have to improve up front. The guys up front are tremendous when it comes to things off the field such as studying. They have the right amount of intensity, and they are driven and focused. We will be better, and it will be fun to see those guys grow."
Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer
On feeling content about the Big 12:
"My expectation and my focus is for today's practice to go well. I'm foolish enough to believe that, if we prepare like we should, I expect to win every Saturday. When we get to that point, that is when we can talk about scores. It's just a process, to be as good as we can be as a group."
On his level of confidence with younger players stepping in:
"These are those guys who haven't proven themselves, and there's still a lot to be seen. We have a lot to take care of between these last 15 practices, and after that then I can determine how I feel about these guys. We are so far from declaring if they are players we can count on to win. They haven't done it yet, and we might not know until they start playing those games. We need physical, spiritual and emotional investment out of them, and to do all they can to get themselves ready for these games."
On his feelings towards Seth Jacobs' departure:
"I know he played through a lot of pain, and he was very unselfish. Yes, it caught me by surprise, but when he said it I wasn't disappointed in him at all and I told him that I understood. It hurts, it hurts us. I mean, it should have been his year, not only regarding his play-making ability, but also with his leadership and his maturity, and all of a sudden he is gone. So, it hurts, and now we have to find somebody close to his production, and it's tough because I don't know if we can find anyone who can get close to his leadership, but we need to find it."
Wide Receiver James Washington
On Mason Rudolph:
"He is making sure that we are there on time, and that we put in extra time to work with him after practices and even on off-days. He has really built that leadership role and picked up right where J.W. [Walsh] left off."
On Rudolph and Walsh:
"J.W. was a good leader for this team, and when he left, I felt as if he passed that role down to Mason because you always want the leader of the team to be the quarterback. When you have that, everything clicks and things fall into place."
On being a team leader
"I feel like I should step up and be more of a leader on this team. I should provide myself with leadership because you can't start to lead a team if you can't even lead yourself. Basically, I need to perfect myself and then I can begin to focus on helping my teammates."
On the running game improving:
"I feel that it all starts with the line, and then gradually from there it will go to the receiver core. As receivers, we have to become better blockers on the perimeter in order to help the running game. It should improve the running game, and from there the passing game will improve as well."
On Barry Sanders Jr. joining the team:
"We try not to put guys on a pedestal before they get here, but I personally am curious to see how he plays. His dad left a big role for him to fill here, and if he can fill that role, then that would be great."
Safety Jordan Sterns
On the spring game:
"It's fun. You get to work on your technique and better your craft every day. You get to develop your leadership skills and find out who the leaders are. You also get to see the freshman come in and see who wants to make a name for themselves. The atmosphere is different and crazy. Everyone is hyped up to showcase what they've been working on the whole offseason."
On the upcoming season:
"I've been trying to take it one day at a time in every way possible. But, I've been excited for spring ball ever since we took the pads off. I just wanted to put them back on. We were disappointed with those last three games, and this is where it starts. You have to go out and take advantage of every day, and every opportunity to be on the field."
On teammates having good offseasons:
"As a team, we've had a great offseason. One guy that stands out to me is Kenneth Edison-McGruder. He fights so hard, and it's tough sometimes, and you can see it in his face. He works so hard, and you know he's going to finish through the line as fast as he can. I remember when I was that guy. I know how hard it is on you, and the fact that he never gives up shows a lot."
Linebacker Chad Whitener
On last season:
"It made me mature really fast as far as being a player goes. It forced me to approach the game differently as far as preparation goes. I have to go in with the mindset that I have to lead, get those guys in line and do everything I'm supposed to do as a middle linebacker. It was a big jump for me in my career."
On earning the trust:
"It's really just making sure you're doing what you're supposed to do. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask questions even if they seem stupid. It's just getting to the point where he knows he can rely on you to execute his defense correctly."
On the missing pieces in defense and new talent:
"We were talking about that in the offseason, and we have a lot of depth with the new guys. I feel like we won't miss a beat as far as production goes. We need to rely on them to do their jobs."
Quarterback Mason Rudolph
On offseason in the weight room:
"Coach Glass challenged some of us to bring it and to up the intensity. He wants to make sure this team is growing and that we're leading by example. I tried to improve in that area, but I also tried to up my game in all areas. I want to help my team get better."
On his foot:
"I feel great. I feel pretty close to 100 percent, if not 100 percent. I'll be full go today and for the rest of the spring. I'm excited to be out there, and I feel good. That's the most important thing."
On J.W. Walsh:
"Yeah, we stay in touch. He's doing a great job down there, and he's enjoying it. He's moving on to the next chapter of his life."
On J.W.'s departure and leadership shift:
"This team has a lot of leaders. I am going to continue to do a good job of stepping in and being that voice. I think there's a lot of guys up here and a lot of guys down in that locker room that know how to lead by example, and know how to rally around this team and get them going. We won't miss a beat, and we'll keep working towards our goal."
On being a junior now:
"It's a little strange because this is my fifth semester. It's exciting though. I'm ready to knock out the spring and start playing football. It's been a long offseason, and we've missed it."
Head Coach Mike Gundy
Opening statement:
"We're excited about getting back out there. We've got a couple of days with helmets only, as you know, and then we can get into some pads. We'll start to get down to some quality work. We're going to work really hard at improving the running game, as we've talked about for the last couple of years. We've got a number of offensive linemen back that we feel good about. We'll be more mature. In the throwing game, we've got guys that are more experienced at that position. Mason is back, and we'll get quite a few reps with Taylor [Cornelius] and [John] Kolar this spring. Defensively, we want to really get back to our base defense. It's important that we're in the right position, we're sound and we're tackling well. My message to the staff this morning was that we want to have 12 quality practices. I know we get 15, but you have a game and a couple that you can't really do much with. We want to have 12 practices of base offense versus base defense. We'll continue to work with our kickers, punters and our four special teams units, which we'll continue to develop. There's a lot of enthusiasm, and I'm excited to be back out there. We'll have a team meeting at 1:30 and get started today."
On the spring practice schedule:
"Well, we like practicing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the spring. We go on Thursday this week because some of the players have Friday travel plans for spring break. We don't practice on the weekends. I think that's best for the players and the coaches. Coaches can be with their families on the weekends, and players can get away from us on the weekends and let Coach Glass work them out. We can have meetings, but we won't work out again till Tuesday. We like to have a day in between practices, and we try to avoid practicing on the weekends in the spring."
On improving the special teams unit:
"It's interesting. When we had good returners, we were great on special teams. We have to make a decision on how many starters we want to use on those teams based on the total number of reps they're getting on offense and defense. We've had long discussions about that over the last couple of months. I think the conclusion was that we wanted to base our reps and our schemes on the availability we had with guys who can help us. If we had to use veteran players that are going to get 50 or more snaps on offense or defense, we'd have to be a little less broad with the plays we're using on special teams. It certainly helps in the return game if you've got a guy who can make plays. We do have kickers back and we do have punters back, so that should help us as we start the season."
On recruiting multiple offensive linemen over the offseason:
"We've got a number of guys back, and we should change considerably in size. The last couple of years, we've been somewhat small inside. I think that the group that'll be there in the spring and in the fall will give us more size. We're certainly going to push and try to work hard in that area. We'll try to get a little better in the spring and in August before the season starts."
On Mason Rudolph's development:
"He's always been a good leader. He's a tough guy, and the players respect him for that reason. He just continues to develop. He'll take over out there today, obviously, and I would think that the offense would rally around him at this point with the experience and the games that he's played up to this point in his career."
On his concern for the running game:
"Well, I'm always concerned about it. We all know that most offenses go as your quarterback goes. At some point, you have to be able to establish some running game and have the balance that allows you to be able to throw the ball. Defenses have made some strides in the last three years or so with spreading out offenses, so you need to have somebody who can run the ball and make a play. In most cases, if you look at our game, the guy running the ball has to run through somebody that's a halfway player. There's going to be some sort of contact at three to five yards, so he's either going to have to run through him or make him miss. Most defenses
aren't going to play five-man boxes and allow you to just rush the football. Your schemes are certainly one part of it, but the second part of it is that you've got to have guys who can run through tackles and force defenses to play against the run."
Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich
On the development of the offense:
"It's a big opportunity for just about everybody, especially for those guys that have been redshirted. I see some great strides for those guys in the offseason program, and I can't wait to get going. We have been watching a lot of film together and meeting together, so now to see it unfold on the practice field, and to see a player blossom is part of the pleasures and benefits of coaching. Not just with John [Kolar], but with a lot of other guys as well."
On getting new coaches and preparing them as well as the team:
"You get to look at yourself a little bit closer in the offseason, and you're not trying to work ahead, you're trying to make sure that what you have done is being reviewed. You are able to slow down a little more during this time. It is more of a systematic process that is elevating, and when you have a new staff, everything has to be accelerated that much faster. So, it is a time where you can slow down and talk about points and things that are alternative measures, but it is helpful when the entire staff is there and not having to worry about hiring somebody and getting them up to speed."
On what he is hoping to see from the offensive line this season:
"Well, improvement obviously, and a mindset of toughness coming off of the ball from technique to finish. The basic thing is overall depth competition and to be able to establish a depth chart this spring. Those are the most important things to be able to evaluate, and that is what we are looking to accomplish this spring with the offensive line."
On if he is worried about accomplishing his goals for the offensive line this spring:
"I feel very confident. We know that we have to improve, and improvement is not solely for the offensive line, it's for everybody. It's for our quarterback, they surely can improve, along with our receivers. Obviously, we understand that we have to improve up front. The guys up front are tremendous when it comes to things off the field such as studying. They have the right amount of intensity, and they are driven and focused. We will be better, and it will be fun to see those guys grow."
Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer
On feeling content about the Big 12:
"My expectation and my focus is for today's practice to go well. I'm foolish enough to believe that, if we prepare like we should, I expect to win every Saturday. When we get to that point, that is when we can talk about scores. It's just a process, to be as good as we can be as a group."
On his level of confidence with younger players stepping in:
"These are those guys who haven't proven themselves, and there's still a lot to be seen. We have a lot to take care of between these last 15 practices, and after that then I can determine how I feel about these guys. We are so far from declaring if they are players we can count on to win. They haven't done it yet, and we might not know until they start playing those games. We need physical, spiritual and emotional investment out of them, and to do all they can to get themselves ready for these games."
On his feelings towards Seth Jacobs' departure:
"I know he played through a lot of pain, and he was very unselfish. Yes, it caught me by surprise, but when he said it I wasn't disappointed in him at all and I told him that I understood. It hurts, it hurts us. I mean, it should have been his year, not only regarding his play-making ability, but also with his leadership and his maturity, and all of a sudden he is gone. So, it hurts, and now we have to find somebody close to his production, and it's tough because I don't know if we can find anyone who can get close to his leadership, but we need to find it."
Wide Receiver James Washington
On Mason Rudolph:
"He is making sure that we are there on time, and that we put in extra time to work with him after practices and even on off-days. He has really built that leadership role and picked up right where J.W. [Walsh] left off."
On Rudolph and Walsh:
"J.W. was a good leader for this team, and when he left, I felt as if he passed that role down to Mason because you always want the leader of the team to be the quarterback. When you have that, everything clicks and things fall into place."
On being a team leader
"I feel like I should step up and be more of a leader on this team. I should provide myself with leadership because you can't start to lead a team if you can't even lead yourself. Basically, I need to perfect myself and then I can begin to focus on helping my teammates."
On the running game improving:
"I feel that it all starts with the line, and then gradually from there it will go to the receiver core. As receivers, we have to become better blockers on the perimeter in order to help the running game. It should improve the running game, and from there the passing game will improve as well."
On Barry Sanders Jr. joining the team:
"We try not to put guys on a pedestal before they get here, but I personally am curious to see how he plays. His dad left a big role for him to fill here, and if he can fill that role, then that would be great."
Safety Jordan Sterns
On the spring game:
"It's fun. You get to work on your technique and better your craft every day. You get to develop your leadership skills and find out who the leaders are. You also get to see the freshman come in and see who wants to make a name for themselves. The atmosphere is different and crazy. Everyone is hyped up to showcase what they've been working on the whole offseason."
On the upcoming season:
"I've been trying to take it one day at a time in every way possible. But, I've been excited for spring ball ever since we took the pads off. I just wanted to put them back on. We were disappointed with those last three games, and this is where it starts. You have to go out and take advantage of every day, and every opportunity to be on the field."
On teammates having good offseasons:
"As a team, we've had a great offseason. One guy that stands out to me is Kenneth Edison-McGruder. He fights so hard, and it's tough sometimes, and you can see it in his face. He works so hard, and you know he's going to finish through the line as fast as he can. I remember when I was that guy. I know how hard it is on you, and the fact that he never gives up shows a lot."
Linebacker Chad Whitener
On last season:
"It made me mature really fast as far as being a player goes. It forced me to approach the game differently as far as preparation goes. I have to go in with the mindset that I have to lead, get those guys in line and do everything I'm supposed to do as a middle linebacker. It was a big jump for me in my career."
On earning the trust:
"It's really just making sure you're doing what you're supposed to do. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask questions even if they seem stupid. It's just getting to the point where he knows he can rely on you to execute his defense correctly."
On the missing pieces in defense and new talent:
"We were talking about that in the offseason, and we have a lot of depth with the new guys. I feel like we won't miss a beat as far as production goes. We need to rely on them to do their jobs."
Quarterback Mason Rudolph
On offseason in the weight room:
"Coach Glass challenged some of us to bring it and to up the intensity. He wants to make sure this team is growing and that we're leading by example. I tried to improve in that area, but I also tried to up my game in all areas. I want to help my team get better."
On his foot:
"I feel great. I feel pretty close to 100 percent, if not 100 percent. I'll be full go today and for the rest of the spring. I'm excited to be out there, and I feel good. That's the most important thing."
On J.W. Walsh:
"Yeah, we stay in touch. He's doing a great job down there, and he's enjoying it. He's moving on to the next chapter of his life."
On J.W.'s departure and leadership shift:
"This team has a lot of leaders. I am going to continue to do a good job of stepping in and being that voice. I think there's a lot of guys up here and a lot of guys down in that locker room that know how to lead by example, and know how to rally around this team and get them going. We won't miss a beat, and we'll keep working towards our goal."
On being a junior now:
"It's a little strange because this is my fifth semester. It's exciting though. I'm ready to knock out the spring and start playing football. It's been a long offseason, and we've missed it."
Players Mentioned
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