Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy Talks Performance Against TCU, Homecoming Matchup with Texas
October 17, 2022 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy addressed the media on Monday to discuss Oklahoma State's performance against TCU and discuss how the Cowboys are moving forward with Texas coming to town for Homecoming. Here is some of what he had to say:
Opening Statement:
"What I thought after the game was accurate. We played pretty good football. They made some plays down the stretch. They made some better calls than we did as coaches, but overall, we played a pretty good game. We need to rush the ball a little better. A couple times we dropped coverage and gave up big plays. When I watched the tape, overall, I felt much better – if there's any way to feel better after you come up short – with the way our guys played. On to Texas. The guys were back last night and had good meetings, good practice. As the world turns in college football, we're back at it.
On diagnosis of offensive struggles in the second half vs. TCU:
"We just couldn't rush the ball effectively. We became one dimensional. You become one dimensional, you're much easier to defend. We just weren't very physical. We just couldn't get into a rhythm rushing the ball. We've just got to keep doing the same stuff we're doing and improve."
On sharing the workload at running back:
"Well as I said, we're going to start working those guys in. [Jaden] Nixon is showing physicality and he's playing on punt and kickoff return and when he was playing in the game he did just fine. As he evolves, he's earned a right to get more carries. I want to say that it's not necessarily that we need to take them (carries) from Dom [Richardson]. Dom is running good for us, but I'm concerned about his total carries. Ollie [Gordon] gets better every day. He is still a freshman and freshman, you have to be real careful with them at that particular position."
On getting Dominic Richardson more involved in the passing game:
"He's good. When he's catching the screens and he's out in space, he's running and doing well. If you envision him getting in space, looks pretty good. We have to get him in space more.
On TCU's ability to cover OSU's wide receivers one-on-one:
"They got some carry-over there with what they've done with Coach Patterson there. I mean those guys were pretty good at what they do on defense and the guy (Joe Gillespie) that went from Tulsa to there is a good football coach. They do a good job playing defense. They're playing with some new guys in the box, but out there on the perimeter they are playing pretty good."
On how the wide receivers responded to the man-to-man style the TCU defense played:
"we played okay. Man is, you know you obviously have to be able to defeat, but you can play man and be one-dimensional defensively knowing that if you feel like you can hold up against the run in man, the safeties can kind of cheat and help man, it's a different way of playing man. Instead of just saying I have you and there is no help behind me."
On the Texas offense:
"Five [Bijan Robinson] is a good player and the other back (Roschon Johnson) they put in there is a good player. The quarterback obviously flips it around pretty good. Eight [Xavier Worthy] is dynamic, he is a threat wherever he is. Zero [Ja'Tavion Sanders] is a unique player for them, a hybrid tight end. They use him in the blocking game some and he runs and plays like a wide out so they use him doing some different things. He's a good player."
On Texas' defense:
"They're the same every year. They're big up front. They don't play with small guys, they don't play with undersized guys. All of their linebackers are thick and can run. They are in a challenging mode this year more than they were last year. They're playing more man than they were last year. They are playing with NFL guys on defense, it's the same thing they've always done."
