Happy Birthday Mike Gundy, Your Running Backs had a Good Day
STILLWATER – Happy Birthday to Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy. The Cowboys coach always celebrates that birthday on Aug. 12 during fall camp and practice. The players sang to their coach, but there wasn’t a birthday cake spotted after practice like there was last summer when the media was actually meeting with the coach after practice on his birthday. The best present that Gundy could get was a strong effort by his running backs. That position is so key to the success in any season for Oklahoma State. Last season’s running back “go to” Jaylen Warren is making a big impression as a undrafted rookie free agent for the Pittsburgh Steelers leaving the most veteran back Dominic Richardson as the expected starter. Richardson had some solid plays, but the first team defense and especially the first team defensive front made it difficult. Richardson had one decent run and he had a catch out of the backfield that was impressive.
Meanwhile, back-up Jaden Nixon flashed his speed. Freshman Ollie Gordon running with the second team and quarterback Garret Rangel broke off two big runs. Gordon got loose on an outside zone play and broke a tackle to get to the sideline. He likely would have been stopped but he kept running and took it to the house. Later Gordon, the freshman out of Euless Trinity, came back with run up the middle that he got a good block from Tyrone Webber and went about 15-yards before being touched.
Then playing with the third offense and quarterback Gunnar Gundy, Texas A&M transfer Deondre Jackson had a pair of big runs. Jackson benefitted from Gundy’s throwing prowess as the lefthander was hot hitting freshman Mason Gilkey over the middle for a big gain. He also hit Vance Hooper on a pass play toward the sideline that was for a sizeable gain. Jackson took advantage and did a nice job finding space and picking up yardage.
“I thought they looked good today,” Dunn told me about the running backs on Tuesday after the first day in pads. He could have been talking about Friday. “I thought they ran downhill. They were physical and we want those guys to run like Jaylen Warren and be physical runners like he was last season. We want to go downhill and push the ball. It is not a finesse offense at all. People say air raid and this and that, but not really. We run the ball more than any air raid offense. We led the conference in rushing last season, so that’s not air raid. We are going to be physical.”
Gundy had to love the way the backs paid and he was asked the other day on media day about depth and how he makes good use of some of his inexperienced backs when Richardson is out of the game.
“When you have inexperienced guys at a position then the coordinator and the position coach have to get together to make sure they do what these guys do best,” Gundy said. “Don’t ask them to do something that they are not capable of doing at this point in their career. Between Dunn and Woz (running backs coach John Wozniak) when Dom is out and he is catching his breath, we need to have plays we go to that The other guys have a chance for success. Don’t ask them to do what they can’t get accomplished.”
Dunn was also asked how he thought the carries would be divided this season. Gundy had said maybe 18 for the starter, but this is an impossible question to answer. Dunn had his answer right as he went very versatile. It will depend on the proficiency of the Cowboys on offense and the ability of the opposing defense. Lots of variables at play in divvying up carries and deciding run vs. pass.
“You never know, if the run game is really going then you would like for him to have 30 carries,” Dunn said of Richardson or whoever is the starting running back. “That is if the run game is really rolling. If the defense is presenting more of a look that calls for us to pass then those carries may diminish to 10, maybe 10 carries on the game. I don’t really know. Maybe he gets 15 carries a game and we supplement that with the other guys. Then there is no guarantee that he is the guy. We could have someone step up. Nobody’s job is locked up, including mine.”
No, Kasey Dunn your job is locked up. He’ll be back at it again on Saturday morning, running the offense, as the team has a practice in helmets and shoulder pads. Sunday is a lighter day of work with a special teams practice and then that will be followed by a newcomers practice. The older, veterans will hit the locker room and the newbies will get some quality time with the coaching staff.