Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: OSU Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Meet with Media Following 11th Practice of Fall Camp
August 13, 2019 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State football team held its 11th practice of 2019 fall camp Tuesday, practicing for two hours at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.
Coach Mike Gundy and several other Cowboys talked with media after practice to discuss practice so far. Some of their comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
On today's practice:
"We had a day off yesterday, then a heavy practice today, and we'll go heavy for the next two or three days before we have another day off. Then we'll start to get into somewhat of a tapered-down schedule with the guys. They're working really hard. I'm enjoying the coaching. There's not really anything to say different up front from what it was last week. Guys are still competing and working hard."
On having a fall scrimmage:
"We had about a 110-play scrimmage, and guys played hard. We got some quality contact, and fortunately, we stayed healthy. That's always the issue. You worry about that. We turned them loose and let them play, and we got some really good work done on Sunday."
On what he's seen from Dru Brown lately:
"He continues to get better through reps. Each one of those guys (Brown and Spencer Sanders) gets a little better every day. They get really good grades in technique and assignment and effort. They just continue to get a little better every day."
On concern with splitting reps:
"It (concern) started last spring… and it doesn't really go away… for me. Mine and Sean's (Gleeson) hasn't changed. If you clearly have one player that's better than the other, you play him. If not, you have to play both guys. History tells you that you're going to end up playing both of them anyway. I think it's one or two out of the past seven years that we've played one quarterback the entire year. For the most part, you're probably going to need both of them at some point."
On why the two QB system is less common now:
"They just don't have enough reps to go around. We don't practice as many plays as we used to because these guys are such finely-tuned athletes, and they play so fast all the time. For us, anyway, it's limited. The only time we've ever done it is if we're using a short yardage guy with the exception of (Clint) Chelf and J.W. (Walsh) that one year because we didn't have a clue who would be the best player."
On what he saw from Brown and Sanders in the scrimmage:
"They're really both getting better. They really are. They're understanding the offense. They're making plays. Everybody knows, for me, you've got to be able to take care of the football, and you have to be able to distribute it and run our offense at a very up-tempo style. Both of them are getting a little bit better every day."
On the progression of the run game and Charlie Dickey:
"We're doing a good job running the ball. I like Coach (Dickey). We hit a gold mine with him and the transition being as smooth as it is and how he's adapted to our culture here. Coaching at Oklahoma State is a little bit different from other places, so sometimes the adjustment is maybe not as easy as other people think. Coach has been a real smooth transition for our team."
On the defensive line:
"They're doing good. We're playing six to seven guys all rotating in. There's not enough difference to even say one guy is getting more reps than another."
On the running back position behind Chuba Hubbard:
"We have LD, and we have (Jahmyl) Jeter. Dez Jackson will be back first of next week, full speed. Then we have freshmen behind those guys. We've been fortunate the past several years with depth at that position, so we might not have to play a freshman at that position."
On Jim Knowles in his second year at OSU:
"We run the same schemes. I think he has a better feel for the play callers' in this league desire to score on every possession. They're trying to score every play, and we tell guys that, but they don't get it until they get here. I think he understands that and probably has a better feel for it. Our schemes weren't the issues last year so much as just our accountability, discipline and managing the teams we were playing. Hopefully we're better at that this year."
Wide Receiver Landon Wolf
On how the wide receivers feel at this point in camp:
"We're excited. We're looking forward to it. The biggest thing with getting camp started, and most importantly finishing strong, is to keep it fun. That's been the emphasis for the whole team. Just keep everything fun and constantly remind ourselves that we're playing football and we're blessed to be where we are and to not take it too seriously, but understanding that we have a game coming up and that's what we're playing for. Just keeping each other up."
On how he has progressed over camp:
"I think I'm doing well. The biggest thing for me is to be consistent with letting the quarterback know where I'm going to be and that if they throw me the ball that I'm going to make the play. Being in the right spot and being dependable. If we need to be in a certain spot, we'll be there to make the play. If we get our number we have to make the play and it is what it is. That's what I'm focusing on right now."
Cowboy Back Logan Carter
On why he came to OSU:
"The biggest thing that was a blessing was the amount of academic scholarships I had based off of my ACT score and high school grades. That was what made it the easiest. That, and my mother just giving me her blessing and saying, 'We're going to make it work, no matter what the cost is,' and, 'This is your dream, go ahead and chase it.' She really blessed me with that and that helped make it easier. It was definitely a tough decision, but obviously it turned out to be a good one for me."
Offensive Lineman Teven Jenkins
On Coach Dickey:
"He has a lot of experience. I think he's a great coach and it's just great work that he's given us."
On being a leader of the offensive line:
"Coach Dickey keeps talking about setting examples, setting examples for the younger guys and just always giving our best every day."
On Coach Dickey's intensity:
"He's intense. Even when we go out there before practice to start doing drills just to get warmed up, we're always working on our craft. There's never a dull moment with him because he always wants to get more work in, and I like that because there's never a bad time to get more work."
Wide Receiver Tylan Wallace
On what he has seen from the quarterbacks so far:
"Both guys are out there working. They are both really starting to understand the system and where to put the ball and when it needs to be there. Both guys are looking really good right now."
On Coach Gleeson's impact:
"I think he has been doing pretty good. I think we are starting to get a stronger connection with him every day. Going in the meeting room and hearing him talk, you start to get a feel for how he coaches."
On the importance of academics:
"Academics comes first before anything. You have to have your grades to play on the field. It has been like that since middle school. You have to be able to handle business in the classroom before you can handle it on the field."
Cornerback Rodarius Williams
On what he has seen from freshman Thomas Harper:
"He came in ready to go. He seems like he is coming along with the defense ready to go, and he is not afraid."
On the depth at his position:
"It just pushes you to work knowing that you have guys behind you ready to take your spot. You just keep pushing."
On the defense's performance in the team scrimmage:
"There are a lot of things that we can get better at, but at the same time there were a lot of things we did great at. It is just about getting the defense used to the tempo."
Defensive Tackle Cameron Murray
On the defense's performance in practice:
"I feel like we have had a lot of improvement. Some days are harder than others, but I think we are coming together as a team. We are trying to build this into a strong defensive unit."
On his personal goals this season:
"I don't want to settle. I just want to come out and live up to my potential. I really want to take it all in, and come in to work."
On how the team has blended this year:
"I feel like we have come together as a unit. We have some new guys, but overall I think we are really gelling as unit."
Coach Mike Gundy and several other Cowboys talked with media after practice to discuss practice so far. Some of their comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
On today's practice:
"We had a day off yesterday, then a heavy practice today, and we'll go heavy for the next two or three days before we have another day off. Then we'll start to get into somewhat of a tapered-down schedule with the guys. They're working really hard. I'm enjoying the coaching. There's not really anything to say different up front from what it was last week. Guys are still competing and working hard."
On having a fall scrimmage:
"We had about a 110-play scrimmage, and guys played hard. We got some quality contact, and fortunately, we stayed healthy. That's always the issue. You worry about that. We turned them loose and let them play, and we got some really good work done on Sunday."
On what he's seen from Dru Brown lately:
"He continues to get better through reps. Each one of those guys (Brown and Spencer Sanders) gets a little better every day. They get really good grades in technique and assignment and effort. They just continue to get a little better every day."
On concern with splitting reps:
"It (concern) started last spring… and it doesn't really go away… for me. Mine and Sean's (Gleeson) hasn't changed. If you clearly have one player that's better than the other, you play him. If not, you have to play both guys. History tells you that you're going to end up playing both of them anyway. I think it's one or two out of the past seven years that we've played one quarterback the entire year. For the most part, you're probably going to need both of them at some point."
On why the two QB system is less common now:
"They just don't have enough reps to go around. We don't practice as many plays as we used to because these guys are such finely-tuned athletes, and they play so fast all the time. For us, anyway, it's limited. The only time we've ever done it is if we're using a short yardage guy with the exception of (Clint) Chelf and J.W. (Walsh) that one year because we didn't have a clue who would be the best player."
On what he saw from Brown and Sanders in the scrimmage:
"They're really both getting better. They really are. They're understanding the offense. They're making plays. Everybody knows, for me, you've got to be able to take care of the football, and you have to be able to distribute it and run our offense at a very up-tempo style. Both of them are getting a little bit better every day."
On the progression of the run game and Charlie Dickey:
"We're doing a good job running the ball. I like Coach (Dickey). We hit a gold mine with him and the transition being as smooth as it is and how he's adapted to our culture here. Coaching at Oklahoma State is a little bit different from other places, so sometimes the adjustment is maybe not as easy as other people think. Coach has been a real smooth transition for our team."
On the defensive line:
"They're doing good. We're playing six to seven guys all rotating in. There's not enough difference to even say one guy is getting more reps than another."
On the running back position behind Chuba Hubbard:
"We have LD, and we have (Jahmyl) Jeter. Dez Jackson will be back first of next week, full speed. Then we have freshmen behind those guys. We've been fortunate the past several years with depth at that position, so we might not have to play a freshman at that position."
On Jim Knowles in his second year at OSU:
"We run the same schemes. I think he has a better feel for the play callers' in this league desire to score on every possession. They're trying to score every play, and we tell guys that, but they don't get it until they get here. I think he understands that and probably has a better feel for it. Our schemes weren't the issues last year so much as just our accountability, discipline and managing the teams we were playing. Hopefully we're better at that this year."
Wide Receiver Landon Wolf
On how the wide receivers feel at this point in camp:
"We're excited. We're looking forward to it. The biggest thing with getting camp started, and most importantly finishing strong, is to keep it fun. That's been the emphasis for the whole team. Just keep everything fun and constantly remind ourselves that we're playing football and we're blessed to be where we are and to not take it too seriously, but understanding that we have a game coming up and that's what we're playing for. Just keeping each other up."
On how he has progressed over camp:
"I think I'm doing well. The biggest thing for me is to be consistent with letting the quarterback know where I'm going to be and that if they throw me the ball that I'm going to make the play. Being in the right spot and being dependable. If we need to be in a certain spot, we'll be there to make the play. If we get our number we have to make the play and it is what it is. That's what I'm focusing on right now."
Cowboy Back Logan Carter
On why he came to OSU:
"The biggest thing that was a blessing was the amount of academic scholarships I had based off of my ACT score and high school grades. That was what made it the easiest. That, and my mother just giving me her blessing and saying, 'We're going to make it work, no matter what the cost is,' and, 'This is your dream, go ahead and chase it.' She really blessed me with that and that helped make it easier. It was definitely a tough decision, but obviously it turned out to be a good one for me."
Offensive Lineman Teven Jenkins
On Coach Dickey:
"He has a lot of experience. I think he's a great coach and it's just great work that he's given us."
On being a leader of the offensive line:
"Coach Dickey keeps talking about setting examples, setting examples for the younger guys and just always giving our best every day."
On Coach Dickey's intensity:
"He's intense. Even when we go out there before practice to start doing drills just to get warmed up, we're always working on our craft. There's never a dull moment with him because he always wants to get more work in, and I like that because there's never a bad time to get more work."
Wide Receiver Tylan Wallace
On what he has seen from the quarterbacks so far:
"Both guys are out there working. They are both really starting to understand the system and where to put the ball and when it needs to be there. Both guys are looking really good right now."
On Coach Gleeson's impact:
"I think he has been doing pretty good. I think we are starting to get a stronger connection with him every day. Going in the meeting room and hearing him talk, you start to get a feel for how he coaches."
On the importance of academics:
"Academics comes first before anything. You have to have your grades to play on the field. It has been like that since middle school. You have to be able to handle business in the classroom before you can handle it on the field."
Cornerback Rodarius Williams
On what he has seen from freshman Thomas Harper:
"He came in ready to go. He seems like he is coming along with the defense ready to go, and he is not afraid."
On the depth at his position:
"It just pushes you to work knowing that you have guys behind you ready to take your spot. You just keep pushing."
On the defense's performance in the team scrimmage:
"There are a lot of things that we can get better at, but at the same time there were a lot of things we did great at. It is just about getting the defense used to the tempo."
Defensive Tackle Cameron Murray
On the defense's performance in practice:
"I feel like we have had a lot of improvement. Some days are harder than others, but I think we are coming together as a team. We are trying to build this into a strong defensive unit."
On his personal goals this season:
"I don't want to settle. I just want to come out and live up to my potential. I really want to take it all in, and come in to work."
On how the team has blended this year:
"I feel like we have come together as a unit. We have some new guys, but overall I think we are really gelling as unit."
Players Mentioned
QB
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CW
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CB
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RB
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OL
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DT
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QB
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WR
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CB
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WR
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