Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Preview Game Against Central Arkansas
August 24, 2023 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Mike Gundy and several other Cowboys met with media Thursday in Stillwater to preview the 2023 season-opening football game against Central Arkansas. Here are some of their comments:
Mike Gundy
On how he feels about the team ahead of the first game:
"I feel good about the work ethic. I feel good about their commitment to our culture, I feel good about them buying in to the system, but there is more uncertainty now than ever before because of the number of players that'll be on the field playing at times that have not played for us before. I didn't actually count them up, but I'm gonna guess it's close to double digits, so there's some uncertainty there."
On the quarterbacks:
"We will play multiple quarterbacks, maybe for quite a while. I'm not sure. Today I went in and looked at the roster and kind of where we're at. We will have more players competing on game day for multiple games than ever before and the reason why, like I said earlier, we have so many new players that we don't know a lot about. We watch them in practice, but some guys play different in games than they do in practice. I think the fair thing is to let them play. Put guys in games and see what they do and if we didn't feel like they gave us an opportunity to win, then we wouldn't do it. At any position if we had a clear-cut guy that was considerably better than the others and gave us a much better chance to be successful, then we would do that at every position."
On how older quarterbacks affect the younger ones:
"I think they bring different maturity, so you know (Taylor Cornelius) was that way. I don't how old he was when he played here but he was at least 23. So he brought a lot of that. He was old school and waited his turn. You know those days are gone. Bowman's personality is different because he's been through a lot. They had played different quarterbacks when he was at Tech. He was involved in something like this, then I think I don't remember for sure but they were playing different guys and then obviously being at Michigan and not playing much, but being around a good program. So he brings a lot of experience and maybe more patience than the other ones would just from being older."
On the depth at quarterback:
"Well it's definitely an advantage in that sometimes you go in, well like last year we went into the season with a very experienced player and then not any experience behind him. We were not very good at running the football. We had to play young quarterbacks. It was on their shoulders, and they struggled because we couldn't run the football. Hopefully, now that's not an issue. That is one advantage of this situation."
Offensive Coordinator Kasey Dunn
On the receiver room:
"Until we actually get there and start playing it's hard for me to say. Am I enthusiastic about getting the season started? Heck yeah. I think those guys are good. There are some players in there that we haven't seen yet as fans and coaches. We see them here, but the fans haven't seen them and our competitors haven't seen them. We think they are pretty talented, but until that gets out there and gets going – it's hard to say. But I do think it's one of the better groups that I've had."
On Talyn Shettron's offseason:
"He's a good player. He's one of those guys that snake bit just a little bit. He had a shoulder [injury], a foot [injury], so there have been things that have held him back that he can't control. But, when he's in there, he's playing his butt off. I love his enthusiasm and everything he's doing and we'll see where it takes us."
On De'Zhaun Stribling:
"He's been fantastic. He's done a great job and just a wonderful kid and professional. He works every day and we're very, very fortunate [to have him.]"
On the practice schedule:
"It's repetition. It's sticking to the same script, the same sheet over and over – not trying to reinvent the wheel over the summer. There is a lot of carry over between what we do over the summer, what we do in fall camp."
Defensive Coordinator Bryan Nardo
On what he likes about the defense:
"How hard they play, how much they care about each other and how much they've bought into believing in each other. How much they bought into getting to know each other, and their attitudes every day."
On coaching the defense against the OSU offense in practice:
"It's all relative. We're really talented. They're really talented, so the speed's all relative. They are incredibly smart. They're great football players. They're coachable. They listen. They pick up things really well, but so does the offense, so it's not like you have an advantage. You have to just go out there and embrace who you have. It's been a blast. It's been a lot of fun."
On how the defense is adapting to the new scheme:
"It's going very well. They care and they want to. They're training to be professional athletes. So, when they want to learn something and they want to come in and get better, they attack it every day."
On the benefits of staying simple:
"I'm seeing them react faster to things that they haven't seen before. Our offense is really talented, as everyone knows, and as we're growing, they're growing. So, they're going to add new things every day that we haven't seen on film. Sometimes they'll make a play and sometimes our guys cover it down. It makes it really nice because they just followed their rules. It's a great thing to see."
On players accepting him as the new coach:
"It makes me feel great. It makes me feel exactly what I believe in. I believe in players. I believe in relationships. To see them buying into it makes me realize I came to the right place."
Tight End Josiah Johnson
On looking ahead to the first game:
"I love everything we've done so far. I've been very happy with what we've been doing. I love the tight end and fullback room and Coach Dunn and Coach McEndoo. Everything's been great. I've been loving the transition and what I'm seeing with the offense so far."
On overall improvements made since the start of camp:
"Because of Coach McEndoo, I've been getting a lot better at sealing the edge. From where I originally came from, I feel a little more comfortable running routes. But because of Coach Glass and what he's done to help me get bigger and what Coach McEndoo has done to help me learn blocking, I feel comfortable either way. There's definitely been a lot of growth in both areas. Obviously, I like to run a little bit, run routes, catch the ball and see what I can do with it in my hands."
On what the coaching staff had in mind when he came to OSU:
"Specifically, I think they just wanted to try and move back to more tight end/fullback-centric offense. As far as me, personally, I think they just wanted me to put my hand in the dirt and block. Also, be able to be a threat down the field. With what we've been doing so far, I've been enjoying it a lot. Obviously, blocking against our defensive guys every day is a little difficult because there's some really good guys in the defensive line and linebacker group. It's been great, and I really like what we're trying to do."
Running Back Elijah Collins
On improving his versatility:
"I like to run downhill and make people miss. I look to sort of do it all, because that's what running backs have to do nowadays. It's not just running downhill, but at the same time we have to catch out of the backfield, pick up blitzes and ultimately run between tackles, which is what a running back should be able to do. That's the name of the game. The game is won in the trenches."
On his prior familiarity with Oklahoma State:
"I'm a big Barry Sanders fan. I grew up a Lions fan. I'm from Detroit, so honestly, I always knew about Oklahoma State, but I'd never been there. It was always in a distant place kind of in the back of my mind. Like, I dreamt about it, so ultimately when it came to making a decision and coming out here and seeing it for myself, it was like a dream come true almost. It was like, 'Wow, this is the place a lot of good running backs came from.' I just hope I can continue that lineage."
On why he chose to play in Stillwater:
"It's the people here. Obviously, when I came on my visit it was very different. I got a very at home feeling and being a long ways away that's kind of important. You don't want to be somewhere you don't feel secure, you don't feel like there's people you can trust and be around. Coach (Wozniak) and the rest of the coaching staff. They really make me feel at home and they talk to me and want the best for me. It's all I can ask for, honestly."
Linebacker Justin Wright
On his tradition of shaving his head for fall camp:
"I've been doing this for the past four fall camps I think. Every time I do, my wife hates it. She gets real mad at me because she loves my hair. She says I look like an egg. I do it because it's easy and I try to not care about looks or anything else, put my mind on the field."
On his mentality:
"It's just playing free, not really caring. Obviously, doing your job on the field, but at the end of the day – it's football – tackle the guy with the ball. Don't overthink stuff."
On what makes this three-man front different:
"The guys. Everybody on this team, the defense especially, is just ready to take it all on. I just love the competitiveness within the linebacker room, D-lineman room, all of it. Everybody can hit. Everybody can run. It's a good defense."
Defensive End Anthony Goodlow
On if he's excited to get ready for the season opener:
"Oh, most definitely. I'm excited for next week. Can't wait… I'm excited just to get on the field, but the heat, we got to get used to it and just get ready for next week."
On the depth of the defensive line:
"I love it. Just a lot of guys, which keeps everybody fresh. We get to throw a lot of different things at the offensive line and it's going to be a great season."
Mike Gundy
On how he feels about the team ahead of the first game:
"I feel good about the work ethic. I feel good about their commitment to our culture, I feel good about them buying in to the system, but there is more uncertainty now than ever before because of the number of players that'll be on the field playing at times that have not played for us before. I didn't actually count them up, but I'm gonna guess it's close to double digits, so there's some uncertainty there."
On the quarterbacks:
"We will play multiple quarterbacks, maybe for quite a while. I'm not sure. Today I went in and looked at the roster and kind of where we're at. We will have more players competing on game day for multiple games than ever before and the reason why, like I said earlier, we have so many new players that we don't know a lot about. We watch them in practice, but some guys play different in games than they do in practice. I think the fair thing is to let them play. Put guys in games and see what they do and if we didn't feel like they gave us an opportunity to win, then we wouldn't do it. At any position if we had a clear-cut guy that was considerably better than the others and gave us a much better chance to be successful, then we would do that at every position."
On how older quarterbacks affect the younger ones:
"I think they bring different maturity, so you know (Taylor Cornelius) was that way. I don't how old he was when he played here but he was at least 23. So he brought a lot of that. He was old school and waited his turn. You know those days are gone. Bowman's personality is different because he's been through a lot. They had played different quarterbacks when he was at Tech. He was involved in something like this, then I think I don't remember for sure but they were playing different guys and then obviously being at Michigan and not playing much, but being around a good program. So he brings a lot of experience and maybe more patience than the other ones would just from being older."
On the depth at quarterback:
"Well it's definitely an advantage in that sometimes you go in, well like last year we went into the season with a very experienced player and then not any experience behind him. We were not very good at running the football. We had to play young quarterbacks. It was on their shoulders, and they struggled because we couldn't run the football. Hopefully, now that's not an issue. That is one advantage of this situation."
Offensive Coordinator Kasey Dunn
On the receiver room:
"Until we actually get there and start playing it's hard for me to say. Am I enthusiastic about getting the season started? Heck yeah. I think those guys are good. There are some players in there that we haven't seen yet as fans and coaches. We see them here, but the fans haven't seen them and our competitors haven't seen them. We think they are pretty talented, but until that gets out there and gets going – it's hard to say. But I do think it's one of the better groups that I've had."
On Talyn Shettron's offseason:
"He's a good player. He's one of those guys that snake bit just a little bit. He had a shoulder [injury], a foot [injury], so there have been things that have held him back that he can't control. But, when he's in there, he's playing his butt off. I love his enthusiasm and everything he's doing and we'll see where it takes us."
On De'Zhaun Stribling:
"He's been fantastic. He's done a great job and just a wonderful kid and professional. He works every day and we're very, very fortunate [to have him.]"
On the practice schedule:
"It's repetition. It's sticking to the same script, the same sheet over and over – not trying to reinvent the wheel over the summer. There is a lot of carry over between what we do over the summer, what we do in fall camp."
Defensive Coordinator Bryan Nardo
On what he likes about the defense:
"How hard they play, how much they care about each other and how much they've bought into believing in each other. How much they bought into getting to know each other, and their attitudes every day."
On coaching the defense against the OSU offense in practice:
"It's all relative. We're really talented. They're really talented, so the speed's all relative. They are incredibly smart. They're great football players. They're coachable. They listen. They pick up things really well, but so does the offense, so it's not like you have an advantage. You have to just go out there and embrace who you have. It's been a blast. It's been a lot of fun."
On how the defense is adapting to the new scheme:
"It's going very well. They care and they want to. They're training to be professional athletes. So, when they want to learn something and they want to come in and get better, they attack it every day."
On the benefits of staying simple:
"I'm seeing them react faster to things that they haven't seen before. Our offense is really talented, as everyone knows, and as we're growing, they're growing. So, they're going to add new things every day that we haven't seen on film. Sometimes they'll make a play and sometimes our guys cover it down. It makes it really nice because they just followed their rules. It's a great thing to see."
On players accepting him as the new coach:
"It makes me feel great. It makes me feel exactly what I believe in. I believe in players. I believe in relationships. To see them buying into it makes me realize I came to the right place."
Tight End Josiah Johnson
On looking ahead to the first game:
"I love everything we've done so far. I've been very happy with what we've been doing. I love the tight end and fullback room and Coach Dunn and Coach McEndoo. Everything's been great. I've been loving the transition and what I'm seeing with the offense so far."
On overall improvements made since the start of camp:
"Because of Coach McEndoo, I've been getting a lot better at sealing the edge. From where I originally came from, I feel a little more comfortable running routes. But because of Coach Glass and what he's done to help me get bigger and what Coach McEndoo has done to help me learn blocking, I feel comfortable either way. There's definitely been a lot of growth in both areas. Obviously, I like to run a little bit, run routes, catch the ball and see what I can do with it in my hands."
On what the coaching staff had in mind when he came to OSU:
"Specifically, I think they just wanted to try and move back to more tight end/fullback-centric offense. As far as me, personally, I think they just wanted me to put my hand in the dirt and block. Also, be able to be a threat down the field. With what we've been doing so far, I've been enjoying it a lot. Obviously, blocking against our defensive guys every day is a little difficult because there's some really good guys in the defensive line and linebacker group. It's been great, and I really like what we're trying to do."
Running Back Elijah Collins
On improving his versatility:
"I like to run downhill and make people miss. I look to sort of do it all, because that's what running backs have to do nowadays. It's not just running downhill, but at the same time we have to catch out of the backfield, pick up blitzes and ultimately run between tackles, which is what a running back should be able to do. That's the name of the game. The game is won in the trenches."
On his prior familiarity with Oklahoma State:
"I'm a big Barry Sanders fan. I grew up a Lions fan. I'm from Detroit, so honestly, I always knew about Oklahoma State, but I'd never been there. It was always in a distant place kind of in the back of my mind. Like, I dreamt about it, so ultimately when it came to making a decision and coming out here and seeing it for myself, it was like a dream come true almost. It was like, 'Wow, this is the place a lot of good running backs came from.' I just hope I can continue that lineage."
On why he chose to play in Stillwater:
"It's the people here. Obviously, when I came on my visit it was very different. I got a very at home feeling and being a long ways away that's kind of important. You don't want to be somewhere you don't feel secure, you don't feel like there's people you can trust and be around. Coach (Wozniak) and the rest of the coaching staff. They really make me feel at home and they talk to me and want the best for me. It's all I can ask for, honestly."
Linebacker Justin Wright
On his tradition of shaving his head for fall camp:
"I've been doing this for the past four fall camps I think. Every time I do, my wife hates it. She gets real mad at me because she loves my hair. She says I look like an egg. I do it because it's easy and I try to not care about looks or anything else, put my mind on the field."
On his mentality:
"It's just playing free, not really caring. Obviously, doing your job on the field, but at the end of the day – it's football – tackle the guy with the ball. Don't overthink stuff."
On what makes this three-man front different:
"The guys. Everybody on this team, the defense especially, is just ready to take it all on. I just love the competitiveness within the linebacker room, D-lineman room, all of it. Everybody can hit. Everybody can run. It's a good defense."
Defensive End Anthony Goodlow
On if he's excited to get ready for the season opener:
"Oh, most definitely. I'm excited for next week. Can't wait… I'm excited just to get on the field, but the heat, we got to get used to it and just get ready for next week."
On the depth of the defensive line:
"I love it. Just a lot of guys, which keeps everybody fresh. We get to throw a lot of different things at the offensive line and it's going to be a great season."
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Cowboy Football
DE
/ Cowboy Football
TE
/ Cowboy Football
WR
/ Cowboy Football
WR
/ Cowboy Football
LB
/ Cowboy FootballFriday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
