Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy Meets With Media Ahead of Homecoming
October 25, 2021 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy met with the media at his weekly luncheon to discuss the Cowboys performance against Iowa State and their looming homecoming game against Kansas on Saturday. Here's some of what he had to say:
Opening Statement:
"Most of what I said after the game was accurate. It was a really good football game; two good teams playing. They made a play at the end and we didn't. We had a few more missed assignments on both sides together than we have had in previous games. Tanner [Brown], if he would've had that field goal over again, he would've made it. We missed a field goal, they converted theirs. We had some missed assignments. Other than that, we played a good football team. Wish we would've found a way to score at the end. Moving forward, we practiced again last night; everybody's good. We had a good practice last night and the day off today trying to get ready to play Kansas."
On addressing the team after a loss:
"Fortunately, I've done this a long time. I'm getting ready to go into my 18th year. There are certain things you improve at, I should say. The easiest communication for me with our team and our coaches is to tell them the truth. That solves everything and that's what I do, every Saturday, win or lose. Tell them the truth, this is the way I feel and move forward from that point."
On the team's emotion after a loss:
"I know it's going to be that way because that's our culture. They understand our culture. I told them after the game that if it wasn't that way, I would be concerned. They put a lot in every week. 50 percent of the teams that play college football every Saturday night aren't happy because they lost. I appreciate the way they feel and I don't try to take that away from them. I only ask them that when we come back on Sunday to put it aside and move forward. That's what we do in life in all the different things that happen to us that we aren't in favor of. Sure, they hurt. They just played a hard fought game. They came up a few inches short of a conversion and maybe a chance to tie and keep playing. It didn't happen that way. I'm pleased that they feel that way."
On Spencer Sanders performance against Iowa State:
"He played well. He was patient and his composure was good. We protected him better, which gave him a chance to play better. He had a few misreads, which is expected. Spencer is a team guy who's unselfish and I've said that a million times. He's a fantastic young man and he's humble. That was one of the better games he played this year."
On the third-quarter struggles:
"At halftime we all get to make adjustments. Traditionally here, we've been really good in the third quarter. Our concepts are the same; I went over that a few weeks ago. We're not changing anything, we just haven't been able to get that production and we need to find a way to get that. It's not an easy solution or we would've already fixed it. We look at a lot of things and try to back track on what we can put into place to make it better in Saturday's night's game."
On Kansas:
"They are a physical team. Their quarterback is athletic and they have a freshman running back that we offered, he's a good player. Defensively they make plays. First thing I did was flip on the Kansas and Duke game from about four weeks ago and start working my way back and I thought I was going to see a blowout and there was 2:56 left in the third quarter and Kansas was ahead. I watched other things that happened in yesterday's game. They are a well-coached team. He does a great job with technique and fundamentals. Every week they're getting better and I saw their best performance against Oklahoma."
On why he has been able to recruit well within the same families:
"The guys like it here. This is a good place to play college football. A good culture. It's a good place to live. Good people. They're treated right. We graduate every player on our team. They get professional career opportunities. It's a good place to be. If it wasn't for Devin, little Harp wouldn't have come. If it wasn't for the first Walterscheid, the second one wouldn't have come. So, it's a pretty good place to be."
On Collin Oliver:
"He's freakishly athletic. He's got a very strong, flexible lower body and he can bend. He can turn the corner and he can drop his knees, his hips, and bend and get under blocks. He's powerful enough to come back the other way and has a powerful athleticism that allows him to be a good football player and elite pass rusher."
Opening Statement:
"Most of what I said after the game was accurate. It was a really good football game; two good teams playing. They made a play at the end and we didn't. We had a few more missed assignments on both sides together than we have had in previous games. Tanner [Brown], if he would've had that field goal over again, he would've made it. We missed a field goal, they converted theirs. We had some missed assignments. Other than that, we played a good football team. Wish we would've found a way to score at the end. Moving forward, we practiced again last night; everybody's good. We had a good practice last night and the day off today trying to get ready to play Kansas."
On addressing the team after a loss:
"Fortunately, I've done this a long time. I'm getting ready to go into my 18th year. There are certain things you improve at, I should say. The easiest communication for me with our team and our coaches is to tell them the truth. That solves everything and that's what I do, every Saturday, win or lose. Tell them the truth, this is the way I feel and move forward from that point."
On the team's emotion after a loss:
"I know it's going to be that way because that's our culture. They understand our culture. I told them after the game that if it wasn't that way, I would be concerned. They put a lot in every week. 50 percent of the teams that play college football every Saturday night aren't happy because they lost. I appreciate the way they feel and I don't try to take that away from them. I only ask them that when we come back on Sunday to put it aside and move forward. That's what we do in life in all the different things that happen to us that we aren't in favor of. Sure, they hurt. They just played a hard fought game. They came up a few inches short of a conversion and maybe a chance to tie and keep playing. It didn't happen that way. I'm pleased that they feel that way."
On Spencer Sanders performance against Iowa State:
"He played well. He was patient and his composure was good. We protected him better, which gave him a chance to play better. He had a few misreads, which is expected. Spencer is a team guy who's unselfish and I've said that a million times. He's a fantastic young man and he's humble. That was one of the better games he played this year."
On the third-quarter struggles:
"At halftime we all get to make adjustments. Traditionally here, we've been really good in the third quarter. Our concepts are the same; I went over that a few weeks ago. We're not changing anything, we just haven't been able to get that production and we need to find a way to get that. It's not an easy solution or we would've already fixed it. We look at a lot of things and try to back track on what we can put into place to make it better in Saturday's night's game."
On Kansas:
"They are a physical team. Their quarterback is athletic and they have a freshman running back that we offered, he's a good player. Defensively they make plays. First thing I did was flip on the Kansas and Duke game from about four weeks ago and start working my way back and I thought I was going to see a blowout and there was 2:56 left in the third quarter and Kansas was ahead. I watched other things that happened in yesterday's game. They are a well-coached team. He does a great job with technique and fundamentals. Every week they're getting better and I saw their best performance against Oklahoma."
On why he has been able to recruit well within the same families:
"The guys like it here. This is a good place to play college football. A good culture. It's a good place to live. Good people. They're treated right. We graduate every player on our team. They get professional career opportunities. It's a good place to be. If it wasn't for Devin, little Harp wouldn't have come. If it wasn't for the first Walterscheid, the second one wouldn't have come. So, it's a pretty good place to be."
On Collin Oliver:
"He's freakishly athletic. He's got a very strong, flexible lower body and he can bend. He can turn the corner and he can drop his knees, his hips, and bend and get under blocks. He's powerful enough to come back the other way and has a powerful athleticism that allows him to be a good football player and elite pass rusher."
Players Mentioned
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