Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Talk Big 12 Opener Ahead of Saturday's Matchup With Baylor
September 27, 2022 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER - Select players of the Oklahoma State football team met with members of the media following Tuesday's afternoon practice. Coming off of a bye week, No. 7 OSU heads to Waco to open conference play against No. 16 Baylor. Here is some of what the Cowboys had to say:
Running Back Dominic Richardson
On how the team is motivated by the Big 12 Championship game:
"We use it to fuel us. They are a hard opponent and they're going to play us hard every single game. Our main thing is that our offensive line needs to play hard, our defensive line needs to play hard, and our running backs need to play physical. We need to start the game by setting the tone and just running hard."
On how important it is to set the tone early in the game:
"It all starts with the running back to send the physicality and hit them in the mouth first. The offensive linemen need to set the tempo as well, making sure they handle the defense and their guards. It all comes down to the offensive line and the defensive line."
On the OSU running backs:
"Great, we all work together even after practice. We go into the media room and watch film for about an extra hour. We all run pretty physical, and we all have speed. We just keep each other accountable to make sure that we get our jobs done for our quarterback, ourselves, and our linemen."
Wide Receiver John Paul Richardson
On his biggest challenge this season:
"The biggest thing for me was getting bigger to help with blocking a bit. Coach (Rob) Glass has done a really good job at getting me to 190 pounds and that's something I worked really hard for in the offseason. I feel comfortable at this weight and looking forward to keeping the ball rolling."
On Baylor's secondary:
"They're really talented. They're not the same team as last year, neither are we, but they're a really talented group of guys. They're a little bit younger but they fly around and get physical. They also have a big football IQ over there and they're well coached."
On how he has taken his game to the next level:
"Just focus and always being ready to make a play for my teammates. I'm just going out there with the mindset that if the ball comes to me, I need to catch it, and make something happen. I'm blessed to be here at Oklahoma State. I'll keep working hard and see where this thing goes."
Defensive End Brock Martin
On Baylor's slower paced offense:
"We just got to stick to what we do. Every team in the Big 12 is kind of different. Typically, a lot of them like to go fast. But Baylor, they're a little slower for Big 12 tempos. We just got to stay with what we do and not let their tempo affect our tempo."
On playing on the road:
"I'm a road guy. Don't get me wrong, I love playing in front of our crowd. We have one of the greatest crowds in all of college football, but I kind of like hearing the chirping from away fans. Sometimes, they take it overboard. Sometimes I feel like I play better at away stadiums. So, I think I enjoy going into hostile territory."
On the first game of conference play:
"It'll set the tone for Big 12 play. There're only three undefeated teams (in the Big 12): us, TCU and KU. I'd like to stay in that group. Being undefeated is a major deal to make it to the final goal of the playoffs and national championship. Obviously, that's something we want to do. It's something we plan on doing this week and just getting started."
Cornerback Korie Black
On playing in his hometown of Waco:
"I try to keep it just like any other game. I just focus and play like any other game. I'm not trying to make it too big of a deal."
On key to stopping Baylor's offense:
"I think the biggest thing is just focus. Keeping focus and communicating well, making sure everybody's on the same page like we've been doing. I think that if we keep that, we'll be just fine."
On improving communication from the start of the season:
"It improved a lot. Starting from game one, to game two, to game three and this bye week we had, we all got to work on our communication. We were making sure we all were on the same page and doing the right thing. It's been helpful."
Running Back Dominic Richardson
On how the team is motivated by the Big 12 Championship game:
"We use it to fuel us. They are a hard opponent and they're going to play us hard every single game. Our main thing is that our offensive line needs to play hard, our defensive line needs to play hard, and our running backs need to play physical. We need to start the game by setting the tone and just running hard."
On how important it is to set the tone early in the game:
"It all starts with the running back to send the physicality and hit them in the mouth first. The offensive linemen need to set the tempo as well, making sure they handle the defense and their guards. It all comes down to the offensive line and the defensive line."
On the OSU running backs:
"Great, we all work together even after practice. We go into the media room and watch film for about an extra hour. We all run pretty physical, and we all have speed. We just keep each other accountable to make sure that we get our jobs done for our quarterback, ourselves, and our linemen."
Wide Receiver John Paul Richardson
On his biggest challenge this season:
"The biggest thing for me was getting bigger to help with blocking a bit. Coach (Rob) Glass has done a really good job at getting me to 190 pounds and that's something I worked really hard for in the offseason. I feel comfortable at this weight and looking forward to keeping the ball rolling."
On Baylor's secondary:
"They're really talented. They're not the same team as last year, neither are we, but they're a really talented group of guys. They're a little bit younger but they fly around and get physical. They also have a big football IQ over there and they're well coached."
On how he has taken his game to the next level:
"Just focus and always being ready to make a play for my teammates. I'm just going out there with the mindset that if the ball comes to me, I need to catch it, and make something happen. I'm blessed to be here at Oklahoma State. I'll keep working hard and see where this thing goes."
Defensive End Brock Martin
On Baylor's slower paced offense:
"We just got to stick to what we do. Every team in the Big 12 is kind of different. Typically, a lot of them like to go fast. But Baylor, they're a little slower for Big 12 tempos. We just got to stay with what we do and not let their tempo affect our tempo."
On playing on the road:
"I'm a road guy. Don't get me wrong, I love playing in front of our crowd. We have one of the greatest crowds in all of college football, but I kind of like hearing the chirping from away fans. Sometimes, they take it overboard. Sometimes I feel like I play better at away stadiums. So, I think I enjoy going into hostile territory."
On the first game of conference play:
"It'll set the tone for Big 12 play. There're only three undefeated teams (in the Big 12): us, TCU and KU. I'd like to stay in that group. Being undefeated is a major deal to make it to the final goal of the playoffs and national championship. Obviously, that's something we want to do. It's something we plan on doing this week and just getting started."
Cornerback Korie Black
On playing in his hometown of Waco:
"I try to keep it just like any other game. I just focus and play like any other game. I'm not trying to make it too big of a deal."
On key to stopping Baylor's offense:
"I think the biggest thing is just focus. Keeping focus and communicating well, making sure everybody's on the same page like we've been doing. I think that if we keep that, we'll be just fine."
On improving communication from the start of the season:
"It improved a lot. Starting from game one, to game two, to game three and this bye week we had, we all got to work on our communication. We were making sure we all were on the same page and doing the right thing. It's been helpful."
Players Mentioned
CB
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DE
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RB
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WR
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