Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Meet With Media After Aug. 14 Practice
August 14, 2018 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER - The Oklahoma State football team continued its third week of fall camp Tuesday, and after practice, coach Mike Gundy and select Cowboys met with members of the media to discuss the upcoming season. Here are some of their comments:
Head Coach Mike Gundy
On quarterbacks:
"Taylor (Cornelius) is doing great. He continues to run our offense. He gets it, so we like where we're at and what we're doing. Both of them (Spencer Sanders and Dru Brown) did really well. I'm still shocked that they can absorb as much information as they can and play the game the way we play it so fast as early as they have in their careers. I mean, they've been here 12 days, and they're doing really well. I think they're really intelligent football players, and they're gathering information. I like where those guys are at. They're doing a good job."
On playing with the video board on:
"It was fantastic. I was shocked. They say if you have a TV for five years it's out of date so I broke down and bought a new one, and this one is better than mine. I was stunned at the clarity and the sound. We didn't notice it being a factor with the team. I mentioned to the coaches that I wouldn't even bring it up. A lot of the time with young people, if you don't bring it up, they won't notice it. So they did fine. We're going to go out and practice with it on a couple of times at night and see what difference that makes with the darkness, lights and video board. Everything seems to be OK, but it's fantastic. It's awesome … just the clarity and how good the video is."
On defensive line coach Greg Richmond:
"He has been really good. Joe Bob (Clements) and Greg (Richmond) are working well together. When you have two guys coaching really one position … I know there are ends and tackles, but ultimately it's all the same … they have to be on the same page, and they're working really well together. Greg loves OSU. I don't think there's anywhere else he'd rather be than here. You can see it, and the players feel it. He brings a little different side than what Joe Bob has. He's a little younger and played at a different level. He's been really good."
On the defensive tackle position:
"We have some guys who are getting some work. They're lacking experience, but with those guys you learn a lot more when you get in a game. There's just no substitute for being in a game, but I like their bodies … I like their effort … I like their willingness to learn and allow the coaches to coach them. We're making some strides, but we'll know a lot more October 1 about those types of players … and really all positions.
Linebacker Justin Phillips
On the linebacker's depth:
"We've still got a lot of depth even though we lost two guys. Everybody else is still able to get in there and do what they do. I'm sure Patrick (Macon) will be back later on in the season, and it's unfortunate for Blake (Barron), but we've still got a good amount of guys that can get in there and play."
On increased reps for the linebackers:
"It's always good to get more reps and get a better fell for the defense. There's a lot of younger guys getting reps in. Guys are still getting a good amount of reps in, and even if you're not in there, you still get mental reps. There's a lot of ways to get in there and get a good feel for the defense."
On defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' scheme helping with depth:
"You don't have to worry about three spots now, since you only have two spots now. So I guess that the depth doesn't factor in as much. We did lose two guys, but we only have two positions, so guys can move around a little bit and know both positions - Mike and Will. Everybody can learn both positions at the same time and be able to move around if they have to."
Safety Malcolm Rodriguez
On how his fall camp has gone so far:
"It has gone really well. We're all back there competing against each other and we're really aggressive on the wide receivers, so we're just getting ready to go for gameday."
On the depth at safety:
"Coach (Dan) Hammerschmidt is rotating a lot of us through there so that we can learn two positions. He's doing a really good job of rotating the young guys in there and helping them to get some experience back there."
On the other players he looks up to in the safeties room:
"Definitely (Kenneth Edison-McGruder). He plays hard back there and he's always running hard to the ball back there. We call him 'The Jet' because he's always flying around and trying to make a play."
Wide Receiver Tylan Wallace
On the running backs and wide receivers complementing each other:
"Defenses don't just have to worry about our passing game. They have to worry about the running game too. That goes vice versa both ways, so they're having to worry about two things instead of just one against us."
On his goals for the final stretch of fall camp:
"My goals are just to keep practicing hard, finish strong and stay healthy for the season. Camp can be rough, but it helps us out a lot. It helps you to learn everything you need to learn and get really ready for that first game."
On the anticipation of the season opener on Aug. 30:
"Everybody is ready for that first game. Everybody is excited in the position rooms and we're just ready to get out there and start playing. At practice we'll all get after it sometimes, so it'll be nice to get out there and be able to hit somebody else for a change."
Cowboy Back Britton Abbott
On the excitement within the team for the season to start:
"I think you can tell how excited everyone is. Before the horse sees the barn, he takes off running. It's almost home. We're just trying to take advantage of every day right now, and trying to iron everything out and get everything perfect. Then once we get into a game week it's boom, boom, boom and all of a sudden you're four games in, then six games and then it's the bowl game. It just goes by fast, so we're just enjoying the process and competing every day to get better."
On his goals for the final week of camp before the fall semester begins:
"I think for me, personally, it would be to just keep ironing out those little details. I want to keep being a leader and help bring along those guys that feel a little tired or sore. Everybody does. But I'm one of the guys that has been here for a while, and as an older guy, it's my job to kind of bring along the guys that are feeling homesick or tired and help them to finish this camp and get their skills as far along as they can."
On only having to focus on football:
"I love it. I don't have class and don't really have a lot of problems outside of here. I've got three meals a day here, I've got my laundry done and go lift weights in the afternoon. It's a great place to be. I get to play a kid's game and a game that I love. That's been really cool and I just enjoy. A lot of people don't make it to this level and a lot of people don't get past this level, so you just have to be thankful for the time that you do have while you're here."
Linebacker Calvin Bundage
On the move to the middle:
"I'm trying to get stronger and bigger, trying to put on some weight since I got moved to the middle now. I like the move, I get a lot of action so I can't complain."
Offensive Lineman Larry Williams
On fall camp
"This is my sixth fall camp, and it feels like a long journey. It's going quicker since I've done it so many times. This camp actually went a lot quicker than most of the camps I've been to."
On the quarterbacks:
"It's challenging because we have our certain cadence we use for every quarterback but every quarterback has their own style. One quarterback might be a little bit quicker, one quarterback might be a little slower, then one quarterback might be just on time. So you've got to be more focused and recognize which one is in there so you know what to do. "
On the running game:
"I think we take a lot of pride in it. With the guys we have, big plays and big runs are supposed to happen. But just because it's supposed to happen doesn't mean it will happen, we still have to put in the work. It's exciting to come out to practice knowing that we have a guy back there that can make a guy miss or hit a hole hard."
Defensive Tackle Darrion Daniels
On being aggressive in practice:
"With the aggressiveness of the team, we get a lot more aggressive because we get a lot more comfortable. Same with the offense, the offense is getting a lot more comfortable. It becomes a very aggressive sport. There has always been a few (aggressive moments) in practice, with me running my mouth all the time, it doesn't tone it down."
On competing in practice:
"I love going against Marcus (Keyes), I love going against everybody. I'll even move outside to go against other people just to give them a different look. When I go to the inside, I never try to do the same move twice. You win some, you lose some, but it's always about competing and making each other better."
Head Coach Mike Gundy
On quarterbacks:
"Taylor (Cornelius) is doing great. He continues to run our offense. He gets it, so we like where we're at and what we're doing. Both of them (Spencer Sanders and Dru Brown) did really well. I'm still shocked that they can absorb as much information as they can and play the game the way we play it so fast as early as they have in their careers. I mean, they've been here 12 days, and they're doing really well. I think they're really intelligent football players, and they're gathering information. I like where those guys are at. They're doing a good job."
On playing with the video board on:
"It was fantastic. I was shocked. They say if you have a TV for five years it's out of date so I broke down and bought a new one, and this one is better than mine. I was stunned at the clarity and the sound. We didn't notice it being a factor with the team. I mentioned to the coaches that I wouldn't even bring it up. A lot of the time with young people, if you don't bring it up, they won't notice it. So they did fine. We're going to go out and practice with it on a couple of times at night and see what difference that makes with the darkness, lights and video board. Everything seems to be OK, but it's fantastic. It's awesome … just the clarity and how good the video is."
On defensive line coach Greg Richmond:
"He has been really good. Joe Bob (Clements) and Greg (Richmond) are working well together. When you have two guys coaching really one position … I know there are ends and tackles, but ultimately it's all the same … they have to be on the same page, and they're working really well together. Greg loves OSU. I don't think there's anywhere else he'd rather be than here. You can see it, and the players feel it. He brings a little different side than what Joe Bob has. He's a little younger and played at a different level. He's been really good."
On the defensive tackle position:
"We have some guys who are getting some work. They're lacking experience, but with those guys you learn a lot more when you get in a game. There's just no substitute for being in a game, but I like their bodies … I like their effort … I like their willingness to learn and allow the coaches to coach them. We're making some strides, but we'll know a lot more October 1 about those types of players … and really all positions.
Linebacker Justin Phillips
On the linebacker's depth:
"We've still got a lot of depth even though we lost two guys. Everybody else is still able to get in there and do what they do. I'm sure Patrick (Macon) will be back later on in the season, and it's unfortunate for Blake (Barron), but we've still got a good amount of guys that can get in there and play."
On increased reps for the linebackers:
"It's always good to get more reps and get a better fell for the defense. There's a lot of younger guys getting reps in. Guys are still getting a good amount of reps in, and even if you're not in there, you still get mental reps. There's a lot of ways to get in there and get a good feel for the defense."
On defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' scheme helping with depth:
"You don't have to worry about three spots now, since you only have two spots now. So I guess that the depth doesn't factor in as much. We did lose two guys, but we only have two positions, so guys can move around a little bit and know both positions - Mike and Will. Everybody can learn both positions at the same time and be able to move around if they have to."
Safety Malcolm Rodriguez
On how his fall camp has gone so far:
"It has gone really well. We're all back there competing against each other and we're really aggressive on the wide receivers, so we're just getting ready to go for gameday."
On the depth at safety:
"Coach (Dan) Hammerschmidt is rotating a lot of us through there so that we can learn two positions. He's doing a really good job of rotating the young guys in there and helping them to get some experience back there."
On the other players he looks up to in the safeties room:
"Definitely (Kenneth Edison-McGruder). He plays hard back there and he's always running hard to the ball back there. We call him 'The Jet' because he's always flying around and trying to make a play."
Wide Receiver Tylan Wallace
On the running backs and wide receivers complementing each other:
"Defenses don't just have to worry about our passing game. They have to worry about the running game too. That goes vice versa both ways, so they're having to worry about two things instead of just one against us."
On his goals for the final stretch of fall camp:
"My goals are just to keep practicing hard, finish strong and stay healthy for the season. Camp can be rough, but it helps us out a lot. It helps you to learn everything you need to learn and get really ready for that first game."
On the anticipation of the season opener on Aug. 30:
"Everybody is ready for that first game. Everybody is excited in the position rooms and we're just ready to get out there and start playing. At practice we'll all get after it sometimes, so it'll be nice to get out there and be able to hit somebody else for a change."
Cowboy Back Britton Abbott
On the excitement within the team for the season to start:
"I think you can tell how excited everyone is. Before the horse sees the barn, he takes off running. It's almost home. We're just trying to take advantage of every day right now, and trying to iron everything out and get everything perfect. Then once we get into a game week it's boom, boom, boom and all of a sudden you're four games in, then six games and then it's the bowl game. It just goes by fast, so we're just enjoying the process and competing every day to get better."
On his goals for the final week of camp before the fall semester begins:
"I think for me, personally, it would be to just keep ironing out those little details. I want to keep being a leader and help bring along those guys that feel a little tired or sore. Everybody does. But I'm one of the guys that has been here for a while, and as an older guy, it's my job to kind of bring along the guys that are feeling homesick or tired and help them to finish this camp and get their skills as far along as they can."
On only having to focus on football:
"I love it. I don't have class and don't really have a lot of problems outside of here. I've got three meals a day here, I've got my laundry done and go lift weights in the afternoon. It's a great place to be. I get to play a kid's game and a game that I love. That's been really cool and I just enjoy. A lot of people don't make it to this level and a lot of people don't get past this level, so you just have to be thankful for the time that you do have while you're here."
Linebacker Calvin Bundage
On the move to the middle:
"I'm trying to get stronger and bigger, trying to put on some weight since I got moved to the middle now. I like the move, I get a lot of action so I can't complain."
Offensive Lineman Larry Williams
On fall camp
"This is my sixth fall camp, and it feels like a long journey. It's going quicker since I've done it so many times. This camp actually went a lot quicker than most of the camps I've been to."
On the quarterbacks:
"It's challenging because we have our certain cadence we use for every quarterback but every quarterback has their own style. One quarterback might be a little bit quicker, one quarterback might be a little slower, then one quarterback might be just on time. So you've got to be more focused and recognize which one is in there so you know what to do. "
On the running game:
"I think we take a lot of pride in it. With the guys we have, big plays and big runs are supposed to happen. But just because it's supposed to happen doesn't mean it will happen, we still have to put in the work. It's exciting to come out to practice knowing that we have a guy back there that can make a guy miss or hit a hole hard."
Defensive Tackle Darrion Daniels
On being aggressive in practice:
"With the aggressiveness of the team, we get a lot more aggressive because we get a lot more comfortable. Same with the offense, the offense is getting a lot more comfortable. It becomes a very aggressive sport. There has always been a few (aggressive moments) in practice, with me running my mouth all the time, it doesn't tone it down."
On competing in practice:
"I love going against Marcus (Keyes), I love going against everybody. I'll even move outside to go against other people just to give them a different look. When I go to the inside, I never try to do the same move twice. You win some, you lose some, but it's always about competing and making each other better."
Players Mentioned
CW
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QB
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LB
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DT
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LB
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LB
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S
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QB
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WR
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OL
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