Gundy Says “No Shootout” With Texas, Cowboys Depending on Defensive Leadership
STILLWATER – It didn’t take long today at the weekly Mike Gundy news conference. Gundy started off with one of his longer opening statements of the season. That opening is usually reserved for a few thoughts from the past Saturday’s game. No game this past Saturday unless you count Gundy openly confessing that he watched the Oklahoma-Texas game at home with his sons, Gunnar and Gage.
That is interesting because Gundy often says he won’t watch future opponents if he has the chance the week before, either because Oklahoma State’s game is over or they have a bye week, which is what they had this past week. He prefers to wait and watch the coach’s video. He described Texas well insinuating he got in double study with the game on television and then the video on Sunday. Texas is worth a double look, but Gundy is also deep down confident he has the hungry and confident players to beat the Longhorns. That is to beat the Longhorns on their terms.
"I'd prefer to not get in a shootout with them,” Gundy said quickly when the possibility was mentioned because of the clash of styles with the two teams. “They've done some of that with big plays. They accomplished some of that Saturday with big plays. We all know that in this league, defensively, one of the most important things that we can accomplish is minimize the big plays. And I would prefer not to get in a shootout with them."
That makes perfect sense. Texas averages 44.5 points a game, roughly two touchdowns more than Oklahoma State scored in their highest scoring win with 31 against Kansas State. Texas averages 477.7-yards a game, about 99-yards more a game than the Cowboys.
Texas is led on offense by the player many believe is the best running back in college football in Bijan Robinson. The sophomore from Arizona is 6-0, 214-pounds and has carried 125 times for 789-yards and averaged 6.3-yards a carry with eight touchdowns scored. The Sooners felt they did a good job holding him to 137-yards on 20 carries.
"I mean, he's a good player. You've seen him throughout the year, his ability to make the guys miss and run through tackles,” Gundy said on Robinson and then went into defensive coaching. “In my opinion, if you go in and don't wrap up and just kind of cut block, you're not going to get him down. You have to wrap and roll to get him down. I think we saw some of that over the last few weeks, where he can bounce off tackles. And, he has the ability to make guys miss. So, he's a really good player, we're aware of that and we feel like we have to stop him."
Gundy and former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich recruited Texas quarterback Casey Thompson to Stillwater. Thompson attended camp at OSU and Gundy has the Thompsons in his office and even asked former OU quarterback and Thompson’s dad, Charles, if he would have a problem with Casey going to Oklahoma State? It ends up that Casey Thompson went somewhere even more bizarre.
“It'll be important for us to minimize big plays and to keep the quarterback corralled; he runs around pretty good,” Gundy said. “They have skill at the wide out spot. You're talking about Texas. I don't need to stand here and convince people they have good players.”
No kidding. Gundy and any opposing coach could go on all day because Texas wins virtually all of the pregame beauty contests. What they haven’t always won in the past is the preparation, determination, and hard-edged mental focus competitions that it so often takes to win college football games on Saturdays. Gundy is happy with his mega mature defense, and he can pick a lot of players out and say similar things. It is a lot like defensive coordinator Jim Knowles having his defensive player of the day. For Gundy on Monday, it was safety Kolby Harvell-Peel.
“Harvell-Peel has been excellent for us a leader. He's practiced extremely hard, he's played hard, and he's enjoying the year. In my opinion, he's doing what we try to get our children to do, is embrace where you're at in life, live for this day, and don't worry about whatever. Just have fun,” Gundy elaborated and then went right on through some of his defensive leadership.
These are the guys that counter Texas gaudy offensive numbers by allowing an average of 18.6 points per game, 305.2-yards per game, 91-yards rushing per game, and teams are converting at 29.7 percent on third downs. Harvell-Peel and his defensive teammates are getting that done.
“Well, he's doing that this year, and if you noticed how much better he's playing this year, I thought last year he played good but not great. I think this year he's playing great, up to this point,” Gundy said before branching off. “Now, I mean he's made a mistake and whatever, but still, he has really helped our team from a leadership standpoint. When you talk about him, you talk about 2 (Tanner McCalister) you talk about 24 (Jarrick) Bernard-Converse), talk about 0 (Christian Holmes), 9 (Brock Martin), 16 (Devin Harper), all those guys have been really, really good leaders, and I haven't had to push them. They've pushed themselves."
Much like Gundy credited the very quiet defensive tackle Israel Antwine with his leadership, which is on the field and in the weight room.
“He loves to be in the weight room and puts a lot of time in it,” Gundy said of Antwine. “He was doing that in high school, and he is naturally very strong, and he likes to drive other guys through those actions not so verbally, doesn't say a lot, but he likes to do that through his actions."
The defensive line devoid of expected starter Trace Ford all season and starting defensive end Brock Martin and back-up Tyren Irby recently has survived and thrived with names you might not have known going into the season.
"We've been able to play these guys and they really haven't gotten more than 40 snaps from the other guys that have been able to help out. Fifty-two (Ben Kopenski) has been down there, 42 (Jayden Jernigan) has been down there. I don't know what (Tyren) Irby’s number is, but he played some. And, you know, in an earlier year, (freshman) Aden Kelley had to play. So, we've had a few guys that have helped us out and gave us some reps."
These are all guys that Gundy is counting on in Austin this Saturday, guys that can make sure the game isn’t a shoot out.