Sanders and Dunn Want To Go Fast, Sanders Knows What He Needs To Know
STILLWATER – Practice had ended, and players were running to the exits on the south end of the Sherman Smith Training Center. The players knew that Thursday was the post practice media availability, the last day for media to interview players in advance of next Thursday’s season opener (Sept. 1) with Central Michigan.
There was a first mad rush, many of the receivers and some running backs rushing through the doors and then seeing offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn surrounded by the beat reporters, they started harassing their coordinator. The quarterbacks were right behind them and as hard as he tried, starting quarterback Spencer Sanders couldn’t get past assistant athletic director and football media relations contact Sean Maguire.
Oh, he tried hard, but was reminded by Maguire that he hadn’t been asked to do any media other than Big 12 Football Media Days and Oklahoma State’s media day. He’s the starting quarterback for the fourth season and this is the season opener.
Sanders is a lightning rod figure. There are fans and media members, local and national, that believe he is either the reason the Cowboys will play for another Big 12 Championship or will miss out on going to Arlington on Dec. 3. Sanders was maligned in the Big 12 Championship Game loss to Baylor, in some ways unfairly, but he took it like a man. He then played one of the best games a quarterback has ever played at Oklahoma State in helping to beat No. 5 Notre Dame in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
This offseason, I’ve noticed Sanders even more engaged than in the past. He was plenty engaged from the time he stepped on campus from Denton, Texas and three near championship runs at Ryan High School. He also had a pair of ACL injuries and surgeries. I believe that Sanders badly wants a championship, not just a bowl championship, but a conference title and a chance at more.
Preparedness is a big part of it and when I asked Sanders what he thought of the Central Michigan defense, I got more than what any reporter seemingly ever gets.
“They run a four-down front and they run mostly cover one. They run some cover four and they have a six-match strong (cover),” Sanders started and continued right on into their pressures and favorite blitzes before heading to personnel. “All around they have a lot of ability. They have one returning corner, no. 19 last year and no. 4 now. His last name is Kent. He’s pretty good, I expect him to go out there and do what he does, so hopefully we are on our thing with him. They have two seniors up front; one is left tackle and the other left guard (nose). I believe they should be pretty good. I need to keep an eye out for those cats. They are pretty new in the linebacking area. They have one returning. The free safety is a freshman. The strong safety is a sophomore, and the backside corner is a junior.”
After getting that verbal scouting report I complimented Sanders on his advance video room work and his being on top of the Chippewas defense.
“I have to be. You know I have to take on the biggest role that I can,” Sanders elaborated. “The biggest role I can take off those youngers guys that more loose and the better they play.”
Back to Dunn, the offensive coordinator that earlier in the day head coach Mike Gundy said is really good at what he does now in running the offense and calling the plays, shared some of that West End Zone cred with Sanders.
“Spencer has done a great job and he has taken over as the guy,” Dunn said of his fourth year starting quarterback. “He is undoubtedly our leader, and he knows it. He goes out and breaks the huddle and he brings everybody up and you can see it in the way he operates on the field. He is the guys that has everybody jelling and moving and playing fast. That is what we want to do.
Yes, get ready because Oklahoma State has often run tempo and even a speed of offense called turbo. It sounds like super-sonic may be in store, and the quarterback has mental role down to help his teammates get the job done.
