Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Preview Regular-Season Finale
November 20, 2023 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Head coach Mike Gundy and several players met with the media Monday in Stillwater to discuss Oklahoma State's victory over Houston and regular-season finale against BYU. Here are some of their comments:
Head Coach Mike Gundy
On the offensive line's performance against Houston:
"They covered guys up and played pretty well. Houston was all over the place with three-down, four-down. They were in sell-out and stop run defense, edge pressure, middle pressure and safety pressure. Our offensive linemen held it together and covered guys up. Eventually, in most cases, when that happens, if you'll just stay the course throughout the game, you're going to pop through. You're going to get some runs and downfield throws, and that's what happened for us in the second half."
On Nickolas Martin:
"He's really good. He was that way in high school. We liked him in high school for just those reasons. He would run and strike. We could go back to signing day his senior year, one thing I said about him is he's a throwback, old-school football player. He plays violent. He plays with great speed; you don't see that a lot nowadays. That's why we liked him. He was undersized, and it kept him from being really heavily recruited in my opinion. He's grown into his own. He keeps those characteristics. He loves to play football. He likes to practice. He cares about his team. He's tough and he can run. Those are good things for defensive guys."
On Jaden Bray returning to the lineup:
"It helps, it gives us depth so we can practice better during the week. The difficult aspect of having multiple injuries at one position is during the week you can't practice very much. Guys can only go so many reps, so we were really lacking in practice opportunities. Having guys back gives us a chance to practice better during the week, which gives us a better chance to play good on Saturday. He started to feel pretty good, I didn't know how much he would be able to play. When you're out for four or five weeks and you get back in, human nature is a little timid. He gives us another dimension. He can go up and get the ball, he's long and rangy, he can jump. It's nice to have him back with the team."
On the impact of adding BYU into the Big 12:
"Yeah, they're a good addition to the league. I think when it comes to coast-to-coast, their logo would trigger in most people's minds as a power five school forever. I thought they were. I didn't know what power five was or different conferences or levels when I was in junior high and high school and in college. I always thought they were what people consider a big conference school. They've always played difficult schedules, so they're a really good addition and I think that's one of the reasons the fans have been to so many games and sold out the stadium. I think they're excited about seeing the new teams in the conference."
On OSU fans showing up in Houston:
"They've done a great job. I've complimented them throughout the year. I think they were really excited about the new conference and new teams. I know they wanted to go to Arizona [and] they wanted to go to Florida. We have a huge alumni base in Houston. I think, outside of Oklahoma, it might be the largest. I'm not for sure, but I know it's one of the largest with all of your oil and gas and engineers and such down in that area. I thought we had more fans there than the other team, which is a complement to our people. It certainly helps us. Our crowd supported the team and the guys felt it I'm sure, and it contributes to a better season for us."
Cornerback Korie Black
On the secondary's growth:
"We've grown a lot. We had our ups and downs, but here recently I think we really have been getting to our peak, playing the best football. I think that just comes from being with each other as the season goes."
On how the younger guys in the secondary have developed this year:
"It's helping them a lot. Really, a lot of people may not see it right now, just because they may get beat or something. When you just wait till next year, you'll see how those guys are just so much more mature than what they are now and how much better players they'll be in a year."
Tight End Josiah Johnson
On buying into the Cowboy culture:
"Coach Gundy is a such a great coach. Every pregame speech to our meetings during the week, it's hard not to buy in. All the stuff we have on the walls, all the pictures of past players, you can feel it. Those guys did it right and they did it the Cowboy way. It's hard not to buy in. All my teammates represent that Cowboy culture so well and what it really means to be a Cowboy. It was really easy to see from those role models and buy in. I've loved my time here and I love my teammates, so it's really easy to jump right into it. It's been a lot of fun and really exciting."
On playing his last home game at Boone Pickens Stadium:
"It's definitely exciting. I think it'll settle in more once we get closer because right now, we're just focused on game planning. I've had a short time here and I absolutely love BPS. It's definitely going to be sad having my last game here, I know it was a short run, but it's definitely a special place. I can see why so many people hold it so close to their hearts, I do too. It's going to stink seeing Bullet run around for the last time, but I'm going to enjoy every second of it and it's going to be fun."
On making adjustments offensively:
"Watching film, there was a couple mistakes by a couple guys. On offense, all eleven have to be doing the same thing and working together. We definitely looked at that and we're going to try to clean that up. We're one key block or step or whatever away from scoring on the first drive every time. I think that's the difference, we just have to keep working on that and we'll get that cleaned up, and we'll be scoring on the first drive like we had. It's just going down in the details and making sure all 11 of us are doing the same thing and playing as hard as we can."
Defensive Lineman Nathan Latu
On his last home game:
"It's emotional. I'm just trying to soak it in and take it one moment at a time and live in the moment. I can't get over the fact that it's my last Boone Pickens Stadium home game, it's hitting me pretty hard. I just don't want to think about it too much, like I said I want to live in the moment, but it means a lot so I'm going to go out there and do what we do, play hard and get the win."
On leading younger players:
"It's just a team thing. I used to be very individualized last year. I just had to grow up really. So, things that I would've messed up in or I needed to be coached up last year, I was coached up this year. So, we were taking the extra steps to get ahead while they're still young, so they don't have to catch up on their last year like I obviously am doing. But, at the end of the day, I'm happy where I'm at and I wouldn't have done it without all the people around me"
On how OSU helped him grow:
"I'm always in my thoughts. I think about that on the daily, how I got to where I'm at today. I wouldn't be the man I am without everyone around me. Last year, I didn't have really great relationships like I did this year and that's probably why I'm so much more bought into this team, and it means a lot more to me than it would've as the man I was before. I was coming out of JUCO, I was getting my GED, so I considered myself very immature then. I grew up as a football player and a man, as a friend and someone that will always have your back in every aspect of life. I grew up [and] I matured. I feel like I wouldn't have got through that anywhere else."
Offensive Lineman Cole Birmingham
On the offensive line's improvement:
"It's been great. The line is just one big family. We spend a lot of time together and I feel like that has really helped us. The bond we've created has been huge for us I feel like. We're good, but we're not where we want to be, so we are going to continue to get better."
On his relationship with Coach Dickey:
"I trust that dude 100%. He knows what he's doing, and wherever he puts me I trust him. I just want to be able to help the team. That's all I want. I'm a big team guy."
