Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Bruce Waterfield
Gundy Previews Kansas State Game
November 13, 2017 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Coach Mike Gundy met with media Monday at Boone Pickens Stadium to preview the Cowboys' game against Kansas State this Saturday. His comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
Opening Statement:
"I don't really have a lot to talk about up front, so we can go right into questions about Kansas State. We were glad to get out of the game last week with a win and postgame was pretty thorough. I didn't really see any changes that we need to talk about, so if you guys want to move on to Kansas State, I'm ready to roll."
On K-State's quarterback situation:
"For the most part it's the same plays. I understand they're injured, or were injured, but all we can do is go out there and play who is out there. We have to stop the run and we have to rally and defend the pass, as well as RPOs and such. They do a lot of pulling with fullbacks and tight ends to try to get a gap advantage. Defeating the quarterback run is never easy, so you have to rally to it and make plays."
On Bill Snyder's impact on the Big 12:
"I don't think there's any question that he's had as big of an impact at Kansas State as any coach that has ever coached in college football, based on where they started and where he has taken them to. He's a hall of famer, and he deserves to be. Coaches can coach at a certain school and have an advantage, and then some coaches make their advantages with their commitment and what they put into their programs, and he's a perfect illustration of that for what he has done there. That's as an outsider looking in, and I'm sure the administration there feels the same way about the impact that he has made on that university and that state over the period of time that he's done it."
On how K-State's offense has changed over the years:
"Years ago, he had guys who were a little bit more of throwers. I'm going back into the '90s. (Coach Snyder) has a system in place, and he adjusts it based on the quarterback he has. A lot of the plays are just put back into the system, depending on what quarterback is in the game. But the philosophy is the same since the beginning of time and since we've been competing against them since 1989. The system is just based on who the quarterback is at that particular instance, season or game."
On the Cowboy Back's similarities to what K-State has done offensively:
"Ours is a little bit different in the sense that we would like ours to play a little more in the passing game and be split out wide. They don't do as much with them, and play them as more of a traditional fullback. I don't know that their goal would be for those guys to be versatile in playing on the line and off the line, but more so as tight ends than pure fullbacks. The philosophy of what we're trying to accomplish, and what it looks like they're trying to accomplish, there are similarities. They're a quarterback run-pass option team, and that makes it difficult for a defense because it gives you an extra-man advantage in the running game."
On K-State running the quarterback more frequently than other teams:
"I think each week is difficult now, but the basic principles stay the same. You have to have eyes. To me, in this league and maybe across the country, you have to do a really good job of reading run or pass, because, as you know, in this league people will run block, but throw the ball down the field. In particular, against Kansas State, they're going to split that fullback out and split that tight end out. It's just part of what they do. We have to do a good job watching tape and preparing so that we can try to minimize the big plays that they can accomplish in that part of their offense."
On where the defense stands to improve :
"We let the running back bounce around back behind the line, and we didn't finish and they got big plays. Ironically they're probably going to say the same thing about ours. I think he was a better running back than what I thought, even though he has had some good numbers. He's pretty good at what he does in the world they live in. He sits in there, and he's patient. Then he'll run, take off, bounce and make some plays. There were a number of times we should have finished it, and those yards after contact statistics, he had about 80. That's one area we could have really helped ourselves. We had two personal fouls that extended drives; one on an issue with Bundage jawing with another guy and one on a horse collar. Regardless, those are the areas that we could've been better on defense. I think everybody is tired. We started August 1, we're into 14 weeks, and everybody is tired. Everybody is beat up, but we've got to get those guys down. If we defend the play properly and we're sound in our gaps, we need to get them down. We can't give them big plays when we're sound. Unfortunately there are times they do gap you, just like we do to other teams, but you've got to get guys down and can't allow as many yards after contact."
On OSU's close games:
"I've had a lot of practice at it. I'm pretty good at it. Our value from watching us on TV or the commercial value ought to go way up. There is a lot of excitement in our games. I'll go back to the parity in this league. Look at Kansas State. They lost at the end of the game to OU. They lost at the end of the game to Texas. They barely lost to Vanderbilt on the road. They lost at the end of the game to West Virginia. Don't let the record fool you. I think we all know in this league you can take the majority of the teams and put them on a neutral site, and it's going to be a toss-up. I don't see any difference in this game."
On his sideline demeanor:
"I have been here and done this. Word on the street is if you want to see a hell of a game and have a lot excitement just come to an Oklahoma State game. I'm excited for the game. Obviously we want to win for the team. I have done it a lot, so I think I'm able to stay calm and think. To me that's important ... not that I can help either side of the ball. I should do the best I can to stay calm and think. The question got brought up in postgame, and I'm not going to be something I'm not. I'm not a fist pump guy. I'm not a ... when people jump up and hit each other ... kind of guy. I don't do any of that. That's just not who I am. So I'm not going to promote something I'm not. I have no problem with people who do that. I think it's awesome. I'm just going to be who I am. I would prefer to watch the game and try to think. Sometimes I may show a little emotion, but it's not because I've planned to one way or the other. It's just because it's what happens naturally. Obviously I'm excited."
On winning the close ones:
"(It has to do with) the culture that we create. Understand one play to the next ... control what you can control. I really believe that has an impact. I believe the long-term system we have in place, the nutrition, our hydration, our sleep methods ... and I think a lot of good teams in the country have that. It's like raising a kid and actually having rules and enforcing them. We enforce the policy here on things we believe in. I think that helps us win games."
On team senior leadership:
"You've got to lean on them. It's their team. I tell them all the time, 'If it was me out there playing, we wouldn't have any issues.' But it's you guys out there playing, and I can't do it for you. You've got to find a way. That's the way life is. You get to a point where they have to take care of themselves. We work hard to try and stress the importance of them figuring things out. It all goes back to the game. You're in Iowa, playing in temperatures that are somewhat unusual. It's gray outside. There are 60,000 people. You're playing in tall grass ... There's a lot of things that are different. You've got to figure it out. You've got to find a way to overcome all those different things and be successful. That's what you have to do in games. That's a long answer for, 'You guys got to figure it out on your own.' Mason does that. Chad Whitener does that. (Zachary) Crabtree does that. James Washington and Justice Hill do it without ever saying a word, but their leadership and their effort provides opportunities for people to watch them and see it. The two biggest plays that James Washington had in the game were not catching a pass. He was blocking. Our players watch him block for another guy to score. That's pretty special. That's the leadership that they provide."
On Mason Rudolph having 10 career second-half comeback wins:
"I had a good conversation with his mom and dad outside the bus up there Saturday. The one thing I told them was this, 'When he finishes here, he's probably going to be the most decorated quarterback in the history of this school.' We can argue stats, wins or whatever he's done. Here's what he has done: He has been the most committed player to this team that I have ever seen, really the organization. With his commitment, 'I'm going to do the very best I can.' ... It doesn't guarantee he's going to make all his throws, or he isn't going to misread something, or he isn't going to throw an interception. But his commitment to success for his team and himself is through the roof. I have three sons. I would only hope they would be that committed to some organization at some point in their lives. I'm proud to watch him. He makes me proud."
Coach Mike Gundy
Opening Statement:
"I don't really have a lot to talk about up front, so we can go right into questions about Kansas State. We were glad to get out of the game last week with a win and postgame was pretty thorough. I didn't really see any changes that we need to talk about, so if you guys want to move on to Kansas State, I'm ready to roll."
On K-State's quarterback situation:
"For the most part it's the same plays. I understand they're injured, or were injured, but all we can do is go out there and play who is out there. We have to stop the run and we have to rally and defend the pass, as well as RPOs and such. They do a lot of pulling with fullbacks and tight ends to try to get a gap advantage. Defeating the quarterback run is never easy, so you have to rally to it and make plays."
On Bill Snyder's impact on the Big 12:
"I don't think there's any question that he's had as big of an impact at Kansas State as any coach that has ever coached in college football, based on where they started and where he has taken them to. He's a hall of famer, and he deserves to be. Coaches can coach at a certain school and have an advantage, and then some coaches make their advantages with their commitment and what they put into their programs, and he's a perfect illustration of that for what he has done there. That's as an outsider looking in, and I'm sure the administration there feels the same way about the impact that he has made on that university and that state over the period of time that he's done it."
On how K-State's offense has changed over the years:
"Years ago, he had guys who were a little bit more of throwers. I'm going back into the '90s. (Coach Snyder) has a system in place, and he adjusts it based on the quarterback he has. A lot of the plays are just put back into the system, depending on what quarterback is in the game. But the philosophy is the same since the beginning of time and since we've been competing against them since 1989. The system is just based on who the quarterback is at that particular instance, season or game."
On the Cowboy Back's similarities to what K-State has done offensively:
"Ours is a little bit different in the sense that we would like ours to play a little more in the passing game and be split out wide. They don't do as much with them, and play them as more of a traditional fullback. I don't know that their goal would be for those guys to be versatile in playing on the line and off the line, but more so as tight ends than pure fullbacks. The philosophy of what we're trying to accomplish, and what it looks like they're trying to accomplish, there are similarities. They're a quarterback run-pass option team, and that makes it difficult for a defense because it gives you an extra-man advantage in the running game."
On K-State running the quarterback more frequently than other teams:
"I think each week is difficult now, but the basic principles stay the same. You have to have eyes. To me, in this league and maybe across the country, you have to do a really good job of reading run or pass, because, as you know, in this league people will run block, but throw the ball down the field. In particular, against Kansas State, they're going to split that fullback out and split that tight end out. It's just part of what they do. We have to do a good job watching tape and preparing so that we can try to minimize the big plays that they can accomplish in that part of their offense."
On where the defense stands to improve :
"We let the running back bounce around back behind the line, and we didn't finish and they got big plays. Ironically they're probably going to say the same thing about ours. I think he was a better running back than what I thought, even though he has had some good numbers. He's pretty good at what he does in the world they live in. He sits in there, and he's patient. Then he'll run, take off, bounce and make some plays. There were a number of times we should have finished it, and those yards after contact statistics, he had about 80. That's one area we could have really helped ourselves. We had two personal fouls that extended drives; one on an issue with Bundage jawing with another guy and one on a horse collar. Regardless, those are the areas that we could've been better on defense. I think everybody is tired. We started August 1, we're into 14 weeks, and everybody is tired. Everybody is beat up, but we've got to get those guys down. If we defend the play properly and we're sound in our gaps, we need to get them down. We can't give them big plays when we're sound. Unfortunately there are times they do gap you, just like we do to other teams, but you've got to get guys down and can't allow as many yards after contact."
On OSU's close games:
"I've had a lot of practice at it. I'm pretty good at it. Our value from watching us on TV or the commercial value ought to go way up. There is a lot of excitement in our games. I'll go back to the parity in this league. Look at Kansas State. They lost at the end of the game to OU. They lost at the end of the game to Texas. They barely lost to Vanderbilt on the road. They lost at the end of the game to West Virginia. Don't let the record fool you. I think we all know in this league you can take the majority of the teams and put them on a neutral site, and it's going to be a toss-up. I don't see any difference in this game."
On his sideline demeanor:
"I have been here and done this. Word on the street is if you want to see a hell of a game and have a lot excitement just come to an Oklahoma State game. I'm excited for the game. Obviously we want to win for the team. I have done it a lot, so I think I'm able to stay calm and think. To me that's important ... not that I can help either side of the ball. I should do the best I can to stay calm and think. The question got brought up in postgame, and I'm not going to be something I'm not. I'm not a fist pump guy. I'm not a ... when people jump up and hit each other ... kind of guy. I don't do any of that. That's just not who I am. So I'm not going to promote something I'm not. I have no problem with people who do that. I think it's awesome. I'm just going to be who I am. I would prefer to watch the game and try to think. Sometimes I may show a little emotion, but it's not because I've planned to one way or the other. It's just because it's what happens naturally. Obviously I'm excited."
On winning the close ones:
"(It has to do with) the culture that we create. Understand one play to the next ... control what you can control. I really believe that has an impact. I believe the long-term system we have in place, the nutrition, our hydration, our sleep methods ... and I think a lot of good teams in the country have that. It's like raising a kid and actually having rules and enforcing them. We enforce the policy here on things we believe in. I think that helps us win games."
On team senior leadership:
"You've got to lean on them. It's their team. I tell them all the time, 'If it was me out there playing, we wouldn't have any issues.' But it's you guys out there playing, and I can't do it for you. You've got to find a way. That's the way life is. You get to a point where they have to take care of themselves. We work hard to try and stress the importance of them figuring things out. It all goes back to the game. You're in Iowa, playing in temperatures that are somewhat unusual. It's gray outside. There are 60,000 people. You're playing in tall grass ... There's a lot of things that are different. You've got to figure it out. You've got to find a way to overcome all those different things and be successful. That's what you have to do in games. That's a long answer for, 'You guys got to figure it out on your own.' Mason does that. Chad Whitener does that. (Zachary) Crabtree does that. James Washington and Justice Hill do it without ever saying a word, but their leadership and their effort provides opportunities for people to watch them and see it. The two biggest plays that James Washington had in the game were not catching a pass. He was blocking. Our players watch him block for another guy to score. That's pretty special. That's the leadership that they provide."
On Mason Rudolph having 10 career second-half comeback wins:
"I had a good conversation with his mom and dad outside the bus up there Saturday. The one thing I told them was this, 'When he finishes here, he's probably going to be the most decorated quarterback in the history of this school.' We can argue stats, wins or whatever he's done. Here's what he has done: He has been the most committed player to this team that I have ever seen, really the organization. With his commitment, 'I'm going to do the very best I can.' ... It doesn't guarantee he's going to make all his throws, or he isn't going to misread something, or he isn't going to throw an interception. But his commitment to success for his team and himself is through the roof. I have three sons. I would only hope they would be that committed to some organization at some point in their lives. I'm proud to watch him. He makes me proud."
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
