Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Bruce Waterfield
Gundy Previews Oklahoma State’s Visit to Pittsburgh
September 11, 2017 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy met with media Monday in Boone Pickens Stadium to preview the Cowboys' game at Pittsburgh this Saturday. His comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
Opening Statement:
"We're obviously on to the next game. Our opponents are getting better each week. I've watched quite a bit on Pitt and they're very similar scheme-wise in all three phases to what we saw last year, albeit a little bit different personnel-wise. We have to continue to work hard in all three phases to try and get a little better each week. We'll head out of here Friday morning, fly across the country and play another game."
On finding success in road games:
"I think we've been fortunate enough to be here for a long enough time that we've been able to build confidence in heading out on the road. One of the big things though is that we have a quarterback that has been here for a long time. In my opinion, that gives you a chance to play well on the road. That could be as much of a reason as anything. We also like the way we prepare and travel. We think that helps us with that. I don't have any actual proof that it does, but the maturity of the program would probably be the leading contributor to success on the road."
On the defense's team effort and speed:
"I mentioned throughout the summer that we don't have that guy that people were going to talk about as an early-round draft pick, but I like our team speed and I like our depth. I thought we had more guys that could play in a game than we've had over the last couple of years. I think you're seeing a bit of that right now. Obviously, we lost Kevin Henry. We won't have Calvin Bundage for the first half this week and Kenneth Edison-McGruder is day-to-day. So, we might have to have some of our guys playing a little more, but I think our team speed has been better than it has in recent years."
On Kirk Tucker's performance against South Alabama:
"He got a lot of work. He plays a big role on our special teams and had a lot of snaps on defense. He's a veteran guy and he understands what it takes to play well and have to play more than what you normally do."
On if Pittsburgh will be as physical this year as they were last year:
"They believe in playing very physical. They're going to run the ball and block down the hole. Their mentality defensively is the same way. They're in attack mode. I tried to mention that last year when we played them that they're a really good football team. Regardless of how some of the games ended up, you go on the road and beat the team that wins the national championship, you've got to be a pretty good team. They do a good job with their schemes. They have some younger players that are playing now that didn't last year, but with all their movement, shifts, flying motions, speed sweeps and such, if you aren't gap sound, you can be in some bad positions, and they got us in some bad positions last year. Defensively, they're going to play the game the way they want to play the game. We're going to have to mix it up to have the chance to play well."
On how much it helps to have seen Pittsburgh last season:
"Some. It's a little different though, in the way that they do it. It's all about assignments, gaps, responsibility. It's a good system. If you commit to that system like they do, and you have to do it a lot, you have to be gap sound. It's a lot like read-option football. Somebody has to be responsible for every guy. And then you also have to play the pass when they fake it. You have to be really sound defensively to defend the concept of what they're running on offense."
On all of the motions that Pittsburgh runs on offense:
"From a distance, it's a lot like what Les (Miles) and I did here while we were together. They have a reason for trying to gain a gap advantage, and then if you're not careful they can get you out of a gap. If you don't adjust, they can find a weakness, so there are similarities there to what we did here."
On the secondary:
"They're coming along. We're obviously young, and the teams we play know that. I'm sure Pittsburgh is going to run their play stuff and run (wide receiver Quadree Henderson) down the field, throw it over our head and challenge us. Limiting big plays is important. Last year, that was one of the issues we had in giving up big plays in the secondary. It's give and take. Unless you're just ultimately talented where you can press and challenge every throw, sometimes you give up (short gains) to be sound in the deep stuff. There's give and take there."
Coach Mike Gundy
Opening Statement:
"We're obviously on to the next game. Our opponents are getting better each week. I've watched quite a bit on Pitt and they're very similar scheme-wise in all three phases to what we saw last year, albeit a little bit different personnel-wise. We have to continue to work hard in all three phases to try and get a little better each week. We'll head out of here Friday morning, fly across the country and play another game."
On finding success in road games:
"I think we've been fortunate enough to be here for a long enough time that we've been able to build confidence in heading out on the road. One of the big things though is that we have a quarterback that has been here for a long time. In my opinion, that gives you a chance to play well on the road. That could be as much of a reason as anything. We also like the way we prepare and travel. We think that helps us with that. I don't have any actual proof that it does, but the maturity of the program would probably be the leading contributor to success on the road."
On the defense's team effort and speed:
"I mentioned throughout the summer that we don't have that guy that people were going to talk about as an early-round draft pick, but I like our team speed and I like our depth. I thought we had more guys that could play in a game than we've had over the last couple of years. I think you're seeing a bit of that right now. Obviously, we lost Kevin Henry. We won't have Calvin Bundage for the first half this week and Kenneth Edison-McGruder is day-to-day. So, we might have to have some of our guys playing a little more, but I think our team speed has been better than it has in recent years."
On Kirk Tucker's performance against South Alabama:
"He got a lot of work. He plays a big role on our special teams and had a lot of snaps on defense. He's a veteran guy and he understands what it takes to play well and have to play more than what you normally do."
On if Pittsburgh will be as physical this year as they were last year:
"They believe in playing very physical. They're going to run the ball and block down the hole. Their mentality defensively is the same way. They're in attack mode. I tried to mention that last year when we played them that they're a really good football team. Regardless of how some of the games ended up, you go on the road and beat the team that wins the national championship, you've got to be a pretty good team. They do a good job with their schemes. They have some younger players that are playing now that didn't last year, but with all their movement, shifts, flying motions, speed sweeps and such, if you aren't gap sound, you can be in some bad positions, and they got us in some bad positions last year. Defensively, they're going to play the game the way they want to play the game. We're going to have to mix it up to have the chance to play well."
On how much it helps to have seen Pittsburgh last season:
"Some. It's a little different though, in the way that they do it. It's all about assignments, gaps, responsibility. It's a good system. If you commit to that system like they do, and you have to do it a lot, you have to be gap sound. It's a lot like read-option football. Somebody has to be responsible for every guy. And then you also have to play the pass when they fake it. You have to be really sound defensively to defend the concept of what they're running on offense."
On all of the motions that Pittsburgh runs on offense:
"From a distance, it's a lot like what Les (Miles) and I did here while we were together. They have a reason for trying to gain a gap advantage, and then if you're not careful they can get you out of a gap. If you don't adjust, they can find a weakness, so there are similarities there to what we did here."
On the secondary:
"They're coming along. We're obviously young, and the teams we play know that. I'm sure Pittsburgh is going to run their play stuff and run (wide receiver Quadree Henderson) down the field, throw it over our head and challenge us. Limiting big plays is important. Last year, that was one of the issues we had in giving up big plays in the secondary. It's give and take. Unless you're just ultimately talented where you can press and challenge every throw, sometimes you give up (short gains) to be sound in the deep stuff. There's give and take there."
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