Mike Gundy on Oklahoma State’s spring position battles
Here are some more notes from the pre-spring practice conversation with Mike Gundy, which focus mostly on the position battles heading into the spring.
Quarterbacks
I will have a big story on this on Sunday, so I’m going to hold onto those quotes for now. But junior Clint Chelf, redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh and true freshman Wes Lunt will have equal reps in the spring. And even though Chelf is an upperclassman and the only quarterback that has taken a college snap, it’s not “his job to lose.” It truly is an open competition.
Daxx Garman, a transfer from Arizona, is indeed on campus. This was something I was honestly unsure about, because he was not included in the release announcing Lunt, Blake Jackson, Calvin Barnett and Jeremiah Tshimanga had enrolled early. Garman will participate in spring drills but won’t get any reps, since he has to sit out 2012 because of NCAA transfer rules.
Pass-catchers
This is when it was revealed that Michael Harrison had decided to leave the OSU football program. Some bullet points to keep in mind here: He was suspended by the NCAA, not Gundy or OSU; He was not kicked off the team but decided to leave on his own terms; Gundy was notified of Harrison’s decision about a week ago, not when the news first came out in mid-February that he would not play in 2012; to the best of Gundy’s knowledge, Harrison has not yet asked for a release from OSU.
When asked who will step up at receiver, Gundy basically rattled off every returning receiver on the roster—Tracy Moore, Isaiah Anderson, Josh Stewart (or “No. 5,” as Gundy likes to say) and Charlie Moore.
But then the conversation turned to junior college tight end Blake Jackson, who I wrote about in January, but Gundy offered some more insight on progress so far and style of play.
“He’s 20 pounds heavier than he was when he got here, he’s developed, his attitude’s good. He can really snatch the ball, he plays faster than he looks, he’s big and physical. He hasn’t made any plays for us, he made a lot of plays on the teams he played with before, but he has potential to be a really good player. But it’s impossible to say (how good he really is), because he hasn’t been with me.
“He’s a little more elusive than what people think, and he’s hard to get down. He should catch a lot of balls at eight yards and less, but he’s not a guy that’s limited speed-wise and stays in that area. He can run a 16-yard crossing route. He should play attached, in a wing and split out.
“He very well could be (the most versatile tight end I’ve had at OSU) with his body type and his ability to run. I’m hoping that he’s going to be a more agile (Brandon) Pettigrew. In seeing what I’ve seen so far, he’s not as far along as Pettigrew was at blocking the edge. Pettigrew was probably the best in the country his years. So that’s an unfair comparison, comparing him to a first-round pick who was probably the best blocker we’ve ever had. So he’s not going to be as far along there, but I’m hoping he’s more advanced out here (as a receiver), more flexible than what Pettigrew was. So then we have to balance where he’s at based on his strengths.”
Center
Brandon Weeden called Grant Garner the most important offensive player for OSU last season. He’s gone now, as well as backup Casey LaBrue. Evan Epstein, who began his career at Air Force before transferring to OSU in 2009, should begin the spring as the starter.
Here’s Gundy’s take:
“When Garner took over, nobody thought he was going to be on the team. He was a guy most people thought he was just a guy we were filling a hole with. He ended up being, in some people’s mind, a third-team All-American. What you’re saying’s right. Every question you’re asking is right, but I just have no concern with it. There’s guys in our program that’ll make plays.”
Defensive end
Other than quarterback, this is probably the most intriguing position battle in the spring, because the Cowboys have to replace both starters. Cooper Bassett and Ryan Robinson are expected to top the spring depth chart. Gundy spoke about Robinson, as well as youngster Jimmy Bean, who should be a key part of the rotation in 2012.
Gundy on Jimmy Bean’s potential:
“He’s 22 pounds heavier and should make some plays. Bean got thrown out there because we had a depth issue last year, and it was unfair to him. We threw him out there, we had to play him early in the year to get his feet wet, to get him adjusted to it in case we got into a championship run and lost (Jamie) Blatnick or Richetti (Jones). Somebody’s got to play. Decisions we make early in the season are based on, OK, if we’re late in the year and we’re trying to beat a team to win a championship and somebody goes down, I don’t want to throw Bean out there and he’s never played before. Unfortunately, we have to play some of those guys. We went through the same thing with (running backs) Desmond (Roland) and Herschel (Sims). We played Des because Herschel was a long ways away, because mentally he wasn’t there. Then Herschel came around about a month later, then we played him.”
On Ryan Robinson’s progress:
“He didn’t understand. He came in here from junior college, and things are a lot different. Everybody’s bigger and faster and stronger and there’s 80,000 people (in the stands) and you’re on TV and you’re tired and you’ve got to go to class. Just all the things that factor into being a kid. Now you’re playing and you’re not that strong and you don’t know the system as well and you think and you’re hesitant. Now he’s 265 (pounds)—that’s what he said he was when I saw him out the other day working. When we ran our 200s, he made every one of them. When he showed up here last year, he missed three or four of them. He was ready to quit. He’s going to be different this year. I’m just giving you an example, an illustration, or really why I’m not concerned (about the players we have to replace).”
Safety
When asked who would start opposite Daytawion Lowe at safety, Gundy immediately said Lavocheya Cooper. I found that interesting, since Zack Craig became the main guy behind Markelle Martin and Lowe and made some plays late in the season, especially after Deion Imade went down with a knee injury in November. But Cooper also missed the first part of 2011, which I’m sure hindered his overall effectiveness when he came back.
Here’s Gundy’s take:
“Johnny (Thomas) and Markelle played 70 plays a game, we all know that, and they’re both gone. But ‘Voch has played, Zack’s played, Daytawion’s played. So one of those guys (will start opposite Lowe). Would I like to have one more going into the spring? I’d like to be two-deep, but nobody is.”
Breaking down the final drive of Oklahoma State’s victory over Kansas State
I’ve watched the last Kansas State drive, and more specifically, the last three plays, about 10 times since Saturday night. I was going to write about that last series for today’s paper until Mike Gundy really opened up about his time with Les Miles and what he meant to OSU. So that shifted our plans a bit.
Still, I got some great insight from players and coaches about the Wildcats’ last possession, a 15-play, 66-yard drive down to the Cowboys’ five-yard line that ended when a Collin Klein pass fell incomplete in the end zone in the final second.
“It was very, very, very stressful,” OSU defensive end Richetti Jones said. “The whole time we were like, let’s get it done, let’s win the game. Let’s get off the field, let’s get a turnover and just go home. It seemed like the longest drive of my life.”
K-State converted a fourth-and-four with a seven-yard run by Klein down to the OSU 27 and later got a huge play when Klein completed a 22-yard pass to Chris Harper near the sideline at the Cowboys’ five-yard line with 12 seconds left.
Then things got even more dramatic.
Klein tried to go to the right corner of the end zone when he lofted a pass to Tyler Lockett on a fade route, which was broken up by Markelle Martin. Then, with five seconds left, Klein went the other way on a pass to Harper, which was batted away by Brodrick Brown.
Plenty of Cowboys thought the game was over after that, but there was still one second left on the clock.
“I was taking off my earphones,” OSU defensive coordinator Bill Young said. “I had my back to the scoreboard and I thought the game was over. Then I turned around, and I’ll be doggone if there wasn’t another second. I took them off anyway and we just stood there and talked to each other and made the call and there we went.”
Young called a base defense used frequently near the goal line and pointed out two key things to me that were important to disrupting K-State’s final play.
First, Shaun Lewis jumped to cover Harper, who was set in motion before the snap, out in the flat. That forced Klein to throw the ball toward outside receivers Lockett and Torell Miller, who were running a similar route in the end zone.
Second, Jones got in the nine technique—you’ll see him shift over so he’s outside the tight end’s shoulder right before the snap—which helped him get up the field and block Klein’s vision a little bit as he rolled to his right.
The pass fell incomplete, and OSU escaped with a 52-45 victory.
Here are some more quotes players and coaches about that last drive.
On the drive:
Safety Markelle Martin
“You just had a feeling that something had to give for us. For me, I just continued to say ‘It’s time to make a play.’ Fortunately for me, they threw a ball my way and I got to make a play. They tried Brodrick, and he made a play. The key guys on the defense continued to make plays, continued to fight.”
“It just came down to the wire and I was just like, ‘I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad we won.’ I was excited, but I was emotional and just tired.”
Defensive coordinator Bill Young
“To have our players down there with (three) downs inside the five-yard line, that was a heck of a feat for them and you really have take your hat off to them.”
On there being one second left on the clock:
Coach Mike Gundy
“I thought it was a nightmare. I looked up there and was like ‘What?’ It’s like the old high school operator. Surely, somebody could have let that run off. I can promise you, if we were at Midwest City, there would not have been one second left. It would have expired while the ball was in the air. Are you kidding me?
“My family, my kids, everybody was like ‘What happened? What’s your clock operator (doing)?’ It’s not our clock operator. He works for the Big 12, and that’s why. But I promise you, if it wasn’t for that, time’s expired. It’s over with.
“That was kind of like the ultimate downer. Everybody’s like ‘Really? We’ve got another second?’”
Defensive end Richetti Jones
“The second-to-last play, I thought the game was over. When there were five seconds left and Brodrick broke up the pass, I was like ‘Yes! It’s over.’ I could not believe they left one second on the clock. Really? That’s something that happens when you’re on the road.”
On the last play:
Quarterback Brandon Weeden
“I watched it. I was on a knee on the way other side and had a pretty good view of it. I was kind of bummed, because whenever they threw that pass in the corner, there was one second left. I went to grab my helmet, and I said ‘Screw that.’ So I set my helmet back down and ran back to the other end, took a knee and watched it. It was plenty of excitement. Too much excitement.”
Defensive end Richetti Jones
“When that one second was left, I thought ‘OK, everything you have for one second. All the hard work, two-a-days, the spring, everything, for one second to stay undefeated.’ Everybody just did their job, and when I saw him throw the pass to nobody, I was like ‘Yes!’ It was over. Sigh of relief, and I just had to thank God that it was over.”
OSU Run Defense: Reason for Concern?
Richetti Jones will be key to containing A&M's explosive run game.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
Much is being made about all the rushing yards the Cowboys surrendered to Tulsa Sunday morning – early Sunday morning.
Indeed, the Golden Hurricane’s 365 rushing yards are alarming on the surface and should at least throw up a warning flag. Yet, too, they might deserve an asterisk.
Much of TU’s damage came after the Cowboys owned a commanding 45-6 lead in the third quarter. At that hour, somewhere after 2 a.m., you have to wonder about the focus of OSU’s defenders. Even Cowboys defensive coordinator Bill Young, who wasn’t at all pleased with the performance, allowed that some of his players admitted to zoning out to some extent mentally.
While still present physically in the press box, I had long zoned out, with my interest at a minimum concerning anything taking place on the field.
For now, I’ll go with OSU’s track record under Young, who has always been about stopping the run first. The Pokes stuffed the run against Arizona. They ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 37 nationally in rushing defense in 2010, allowing 133.7 yards a game, with Nebraska’s 217 the high.
And against A&M, in Stillwater, they gave up 126 on the ground on 44 carries, hardly a worrisome total (the passing total was another matter).
The Aggies, with Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael, will present the biggest run-game challenge the Cowboys will face this season. So we’ll know pretty quick if those TU stats were a warning flare of struggles to come.
Help is on the way for OSU, with linebacker Alex Elkins – held out against Tulsa – expected back, which should be a boost. Tyler Johnson, who has yet to play because of injury, could be ready as well.
