Gundy Calls Spring Practices Throwbacks
STILLWATER – In taping the final Mike Gundy Spring Fan Availability on OSU Max on Thursday morning I joked with the Cowboys head coach that the past three practices in particular he has seemed like his former boss Les Miles at practice. Miles loved practice and would have practiced his teams all day if the rules allowed. Meanwhile, Mike Gundy has been resolute in his 18-years as Oklahoma State head coach to keep practices no longer than two and a half hours and often times, especially in season closer to two hours. He wants to keep his team fresh.
However as spring football 2023 comes to a close with just one practice left on Saturday (April 22), Gundy is loving watching his team progress, get better with each rep. Last Saturday the team went 106 plays of 11-vs.-11 team thud plays. Monday it was 100 plays, and then on Wednesday it was 115 plays.
He must really like what he is seeing?
“That and those were practices like we had in 2015 through 2018,” Gundy said of the Monday and Wednesday practices. “They’re long, a lot of team work, a lot of thud scrimmaging, but it was very physical, situational. We maxed the big guys out. As you watched the last 30 minutes of practice and we continued on, the big guys were struggling to get on and off the field. They were tired. That is the way we used to practice.”
Gundy pointed out that former teammate and Oklahoma State offensive lineman Matt Kolb told him last Saturday at the former players weekend that he looked back and Gundy coached Oklahoma State to 27 wins from 2020 (COVID season) through last season 2022. That incorporated the social injustice movement and the advent of NIL and transfer portal. Kolb informed him thpse 27 wins topped all schools in the Big 12. Check it. Oklahoma was second with 26 wins.
Gundy and the prgram got those wins and Gundy and his staff can coach those kind of practices because of the culture and the fact they have 125 players on the spring football roster allows them the manpower to do it.
“Their attitude and enthusiasm was good,” Gundy reported. “We can’t practice enough in situational football right now for two reasons. One, some of the changes we are going through on offense. Two, we need to play this defense and learn it. We’ve come a long way with our defense, but as we know it takes time to change from being an even front to now being an odd man front with some even front. They make mistakes and we have to have the coaches correct them. We need them to see the mistakes and then it’s ‘Oh, I get it.” We can’t get enough reps from the defensive standpoint.”
Gundy with just the one practice left has liked what they’ve accomplished in the 14 practices. With one left and the 22 full practices they will get in fall camp, his team is 23 practices from lining up for the opening game with Central Arkansas.
Fans want to know just who has Gundy and the football staff most excited. You’ll find nationwide there will be very few depth charts beong released after spring ball. Coaches will be reserved on compliments and comment son player status. The portal window is open and no coach wants to push a player into the portal. Again, fans want to know what to look forward to.
“It is difficult because there are so many,” Gundy said when asked who he would identify as spring standouts. “We have 28 new guys and you don’t want to leave anybody out. There are a number of them on both sides. There are a number of young players on both sides making plays and showing signs they are ready and then they will make a mistake.
“Elijah (Collins) makes plays at running back. You’ll see him squeeze through, step out, and then take off,” Gundy said mentioning some older players. “You feel like he (Collins) can do that, and (Alan) Bowman shows signs of being a sixth-year guy,” Gundy said. “He does things that the younger quarterbacks haven’t got to that point in their career yet. He understands down and distance, bllitz, and how to fade away from the defense and release the ball and avoid the sack and make a play.”
Gundy likes all of his nose tackles and his defensive line overall. He complimented the secondary and linebackers, but pointed out there is much to continue to learn on defense. He likes the receivers a lot and he pointed out that Alex Hal is kicking the ball well and he has two punters that are crushing it.
It has been a good spring and the summer will be very important. Bottomline, these practices have been hard work and this team has not shied away from it at all. That is a great sign.