Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Discuss McNeese Matchup
September 03, 2019 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Select Oklahoma State football players met with media Tuesday to discuss the team's upcoming home opener against McNeese this Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium. Some of their comments:
Safety Tre Sterling
On the defense's performance against Oregon State:
"It took a few drives. We had a couple of three-and-outs after that. We lost momentum in the second half, but coach put emphasis about getting back on it in the second half."
On what he can improve on:
"I think I can get better with my coverage. I should have had a pick, but my reaction time on the ball was a little slow. That led to me not getting it that time, but I think my coverage skills could be a little better."
On what led to his starting role:
"I think it was me buying into the culture we have here. My first year, I came in like most freshmen did, thinking they should start automatically. That was not the case. It took me a while to learn it, but once I did, my name started popping up in the depth chart."
Offensive Lineman Bryce Bray
On Coach Gundy's review of his performance:
"The review was not as bad as I thought. He always says, 'Be your own worst critic'. It didn't look like it on tape, but it was a lot of work. Overall, the results weren't as bad as I thought in my own head."
On the second and third level blocks:
"That is one thing we have been trying to work for is reaching that second level. Obviously, work on the first level is the key thing, but one thing we have all collectively tried to do is getting to that next guy. It is one thing that hasn't been done in the past that often. It is kind of a hit or miss. This year, our main goal is to get to that next guy."
On what made him settle in during his first game:
"What helped me settle in was Chuba [Hubbard] coming up to me before the game and telling me, 'You're good, it is just football. We play this every day in practice.' Then it was me and Spencer [Sanders] saying, 'This is why we are here, to play and to start.' It was also having Johnny [Wilson] and Teven [Jenkins] next to me saying, 'You're fine. We do this every day.' Those are things that really calmed me down."
Quarterback Spencer Sanders
On his and the offense's work on Friday night:
"I feel like everything I did wasn't possible without the guys around me, so I really felt like we came together and played well together. We executed well together, and the outcome of the game showed that."
On the offense:
"I love it. I've got great receivers that are really good at blocking and catching. So if I do pull once, I've got great guys around me to protect me, and hopefully, I'm one-on-one with a corner or a safety and then I can make a move and score."
On having a great run game behind him:
"Bringing a threat both ways, I feel like it is really hard to defend. You have to defend the pass; you have to defend Chuba [Hubbard] and you have to defend the quarterback run. I feel like at Oklahoma State, we bring a big threat to a lot of defenses. As long as we keep working as a team like we did last week, we will be in great shape."
Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga
On the first half against Oregon State:
"The first half we were still thinking. We started off slow but began to figure it out after a while. Once we got that chemistry going, we got into our groove. Still a lot of mistakes we can learn from, but I feel like we can improve from there."
On his chemistry with teammate Malcolm Rodriguez:
"Malcolm and I get along pretty well. That was the first time we've been in together. Usually, I'm with one of the other guys, but Malcolm did a great job for his first time in the box. I knew he would because he's a fantastic player and a hard worker. I'm very proud of him. I'm excited to have that chemistry going forward."
On the defensive adjustments against Oregon State:
"We just tried to come together. We were kind of shocked at first. It was the first game and on the road, so I kind have felt as if it all got to us, but we all calmed down as a unit. Coaches told us to calm down and to play what we've been taught and we did that, so we came out strong. We still need to finish better than we did."
Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez
On when head coach Mike Gundy notified him of the position change:
"It was probably the last two weeks before fall camp ended. He said that we had some linebackers who were getting hurt a little bit and that he wanted to move me down."
On fellow Cowboy linebackers:
"I love all the guys at linebacker. They're friendly and I think we all want to compete against one another."
Running Back Chuba Hubbard
On how he can improve from the Oregon State game:
"There are a lot of things I have to work on. On some of the plays. I need to be more patient, but I was happy with how it worked out. Obviously, the o-line was amazing. As a team, we did a great job. I'm not running for 53 yards if they're not doing well."
On leading the nation in yards rushing after Week 1:
"It's week one, so you can't really base anything of off week one. I wouldn't be here without my team. The offensive line did a great job, so props to them that they did a great job. I'm over Oregon State and last week. They're a great opponent but I'm onto McNeese now."
On comforting teammates before Oregon State:
"I just try to talk to all my guys and make sure they're ready. Everyone has jitters, especially in the first game of the season, no matter if you're a senior or a junior; so I just wanted to make sure everyone was good and that we're all on the same page. Let's just come out there strong. I got you and you got me."
Safety Tre Sterling
On the defense's performance against Oregon State:
"It took a few drives. We had a couple of three-and-outs after that. We lost momentum in the second half, but coach put emphasis about getting back on it in the second half."
On what he can improve on:
"I think I can get better with my coverage. I should have had a pick, but my reaction time on the ball was a little slow. That led to me not getting it that time, but I think my coverage skills could be a little better."
On what led to his starting role:
"I think it was me buying into the culture we have here. My first year, I came in like most freshmen did, thinking they should start automatically. That was not the case. It took me a while to learn it, but once I did, my name started popping up in the depth chart."
Offensive Lineman Bryce Bray
On Coach Gundy's review of his performance:
"The review was not as bad as I thought. He always says, 'Be your own worst critic'. It didn't look like it on tape, but it was a lot of work. Overall, the results weren't as bad as I thought in my own head."
On the second and third level blocks:
"That is one thing we have been trying to work for is reaching that second level. Obviously, work on the first level is the key thing, but one thing we have all collectively tried to do is getting to that next guy. It is one thing that hasn't been done in the past that often. It is kind of a hit or miss. This year, our main goal is to get to that next guy."
On what made him settle in during his first game:
"What helped me settle in was Chuba [Hubbard] coming up to me before the game and telling me, 'You're good, it is just football. We play this every day in practice.' Then it was me and Spencer [Sanders] saying, 'This is why we are here, to play and to start.' It was also having Johnny [Wilson] and Teven [Jenkins] next to me saying, 'You're fine. We do this every day.' Those are things that really calmed me down."
Quarterback Spencer Sanders
On his and the offense's work on Friday night:
"I feel like everything I did wasn't possible without the guys around me, so I really felt like we came together and played well together. We executed well together, and the outcome of the game showed that."
On the offense:
"I love it. I've got great receivers that are really good at blocking and catching. So if I do pull once, I've got great guys around me to protect me, and hopefully, I'm one-on-one with a corner or a safety and then I can make a move and score."
On having a great run game behind him:
"Bringing a threat both ways, I feel like it is really hard to defend. You have to defend the pass; you have to defend Chuba [Hubbard] and you have to defend the quarterback run. I feel like at Oklahoma State, we bring a big threat to a lot of defenses. As long as we keep working as a team like we did last week, we will be in great shape."
Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga
On the first half against Oregon State:
"The first half we were still thinking. We started off slow but began to figure it out after a while. Once we got that chemistry going, we got into our groove. Still a lot of mistakes we can learn from, but I feel like we can improve from there."
On his chemistry with teammate Malcolm Rodriguez:
"Malcolm and I get along pretty well. That was the first time we've been in together. Usually, I'm with one of the other guys, but Malcolm did a great job for his first time in the box. I knew he would because he's a fantastic player and a hard worker. I'm very proud of him. I'm excited to have that chemistry going forward."
On the defensive adjustments against Oregon State:
"We just tried to come together. We were kind of shocked at first. It was the first game and on the road, so I kind have felt as if it all got to us, but we all calmed down as a unit. Coaches told us to calm down and to play what we've been taught and we did that, so we came out strong. We still need to finish better than we did."
Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez
On when head coach Mike Gundy notified him of the position change:
"It was probably the last two weeks before fall camp ended. He said that we had some linebackers who were getting hurt a little bit and that he wanted to move me down."
On fellow Cowboy linebackers:
"I love all the guys at linebacker. They're friendly and I think we all want to compete against one another."
Running Back Chuba Hubbard
On how he can improve from the Oregon State game:
"There are a lot of things I have to work on. On some of the plays. I need to be more patient, but I was happy with how it worked out. Obviously, the o-line was amazing. As a team, we did a great job. I'm not running for 53 yards if they're not doing well."
On leading the nation in yards rushing after Week 1:
"It's week one, so you can't really base anything of off week one. I wouldn't be here without my team. The offensive line did a great job, so props to them that they did a great job. I'm over Oregon State and last week. They're a great opponent but I'm onto McNeese now."
On comforting teammates before Oregon State:
"I just try to talk to all my guys and make sure they're ready. Everyone has jitters, especially in the first game of the season, no matter if you're a senior or a junior; so I just wanted to make sure everyone was good and that we're all on the same page. Let's just come out there strong. I got you and you got me."
Players Mentioned
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