Gundy Fired Up About Offensive Line, Sills Fired Up Too

STILLWATER – Last season former West Virginia transfer and Ohio native Josh Sills became the unquestioned leader of the offensive line. A line ravaged by preseason suspensions and then in-season injuries needed someone to stand up and show some emotion. It turns out that Sills is pretty good at that, just like he is blocking. Sills had to play out of position, but never complained and made sure even the young Cowboys forced into duty carried some confidence and his stamp of approval into Saturdays.

Now, the Cowboys have a lot more experience. They have a transfer center in Danny Godlevske that has started three seasons and been honored for his play at Miami-of-Ohio. A bunch of young linemen that aren’t as inexperienced, and potentially a mammoth junior college transfer starting at left tackle that pro agents are already chasing down where Caleb Etienne is.  

“I just know that he's big and he looks good coming off the bus,” head coach Mike Gundy said shortly after he voiced more confidence in the offensive line. “It'll take at least two weeks for me to watch and see where he's at. He's gonna get a shot now, but to say where he's at, I don't have any idea."

Gundy, offensive line coach Charlie Dickey, offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn will all have a say in whether Etienne is ready, but the guy that may best know if Etienne is the guy or if spring starter and one of those young guys Taylor Miterko is going to handle that spot.

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Taylor Miterko

“I’m really excited and Taylor (Miterko) had an outstanding spring and grew a lot, not only maturity but also football-wise,” Sills said of the guy that played next to him all spring. “He spent his time up here with Coach Dickey and spent his time with Coach Glass in the weight room. Then he was up here this summer knowing we were bringing another offensive tackle in kind of lit a fire under him. He knows there is competition there and that’s the name of the game, compete.

“I’m excited to watch Caleb, he’s as big as a house, literally” said Sills transitioning to talking about Etienne, who is 6-8.25 and 350-pounds. “He’s got good feet and a powerful punch. He’s got a heckuva a work ethic and he’s a sponge. He soaks up everything Coach Dickey and Coach Meyers tell him. He listens to it, he absorbs it, and then he goes out and does it. There is going to be some good competition there and whatever the best five Coach Dickey comes up with that is what we are going to go with.”

Whichever way it goes with the former number one prospect out of New Mexico in Miterko or the junior college All-American that is originally from New Orleans and was recruited by a lot of the SEC in Etienne the Oklahoma State offensive line is going to get to run block more.

Offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn said in the spring he wants to run more. Mike Gundy likes his four-man running back room that has four he feels can split up the carries in LD Brown, Dezmon Jackson, transfer Jaylen Warren, and last season’s freshman that showed up in Dominic Richardson.

Running the ball, running a lot is music to Josh Sill’s ears.

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Sills (72) shows off his new hairstyle of lack of hair-style next to center Danny Godlevske (51).

“That is what being an offensive lineman is all about, being a tough, nasty, physical blocker,” Sills said. “You don’t get the fame and glory that everyone else gets, which makes it the best position in college football. You don’t get the media and the publicity from running for a touchdown, catching a touchdown pass, or throwing a touchdown or that other stuff. At the end of the day the guys around you know they can’t do their job without you. I know for me that is the best feeling when you come out of a game with 250-yards rushing and you know like Coach Gundy said, you give the ball to three or four different backs and they all have 60-yards, 100-yards rushing.”

It seems that Gundy, Dunn, the Cowboys running backs, and Josh Sills all have the same thing in mind running the ball this season. Sills even looks tougher this season. The heat this summer had him shave off his mullet. Now the shaved head is accompanied by that beard, and it is a fierce look.