OSU Football: Gundy, Players Address Media On Bye Week

Owners of a 6-0 record and a 3-0 mark in Big 12 play Oklahoma State is off this Saturday, but head coach Mike Gundy and members of the team spoke to the media Thursday.

Wednesday, October 14th 2015, 10:24 pm

By: News 9


Owners of a 6-0 record and a 3-0 mark in Big 12 play that includes two conference wins on the road, the No. 16 Oklahoma State football team is off this Saturday, but head coach Mike Gundy and members of the team spoke to the media Wednesday.

Mike Gundy

On the emphasis in practice during a bye week: 

"A lot of rest for our team. We've changed what we've done in the past. Each year we've leaned more toward not as many practices but this year especially. We practiced today for an hour and 50 minutes and tomorrow for an hour and 10 minutes and that's it."

On the time of the year he'd prefer to have an open date on the schedule: 

"I think the perfect open date would be after the fourth game because you're eight weeks into it. A lot of times people forget about the preseason. But for us, fortunately we're 6-0 so it worked out well and we get a break going into the next week so the timing was really good for our team this year."

On what it says about the team to still be undefeated:

"They're resilient. The two places where we won close games on the road were not easy places to win so we're very proud of them for that. We've told them that. We had meeting this week and told them everything and the way we feel. We're very open with our team and the areas we need to improve on. They were able to stay calm and absorb information, had a great attitude and they played really hard at the end of the game so we benefited from that."

Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer

On what the defense has been working on since the win over West Virginia:

"We've moved right on to Kansas. We've already got the game plan. We have scouting reports done. We're just having extra practices now."

On the importance of bye weeks:

"We have a bunch of guys with nicks, sprains and bruises that need some time to heal. There were three or four guys who didn't get a lot of work today. They're just not ready. Thank goodness we don't have to play on Saturday."

On how tough it is to win on the road in the Big 12:

"It's very tough, especially in the environment we just played in. It's a big challenge. You can say all you want in practice, you talk to them about it and prep it to them, but something has to kick in with them to fight against all the distractions you can have. There are a lot of opportunities for them to lose focus in crucial times of the game, and sometimes we did. For the most part we didn't."

On Emmanuel Ogbah’s role on the defense:

"He's an important part. The front seven as a whole has done a good job of pressuring the quarterback. Sometimes it's him alone, sometimes it's other guys feeding the quarterback to him and sometimes it's him feeding the quarterback to someone else. It all works together."

Defensive End Emmanuel Ogbah

On being named National Defensive Player of the Week:

"It's nice, but I have to keep my head on straight and keep working to get better every week."

On receiving national recognition:

"There's a lot of hard work that goes into what I do. It's the guys around me who help me get the awards that I have been getting."

On the team's reaction to his success:

"We have Jimmy Bean on the other side disrupting too, so I'll have the quarterback running my way. I'm just there to make the play because of him."

On Oklahoma State fans:

"We love our fans. Little kids, we love them, too. They come to our games and support us, so we have to go out there and be the best that we can be for them."

On continuing his successful play:

"I just have to keep getting better every week and practicing hard every week. I've got to keep my body fresh and keep making plays."

On the Lombardi and Outland trophies:

"I try not to pay attention to that stuff. I try to keep my head on straight. We have our next game against Kansas coming up. I just want to go out there and play Kansas."

Mason Rudolph, Quarterback

On how the bye week has treated the team so far:

"It's been great to have a couple days off and kind of relax. Everybody got to get their legs back. It's been a good break, but it was good to get back out there today."

On the timing of the bye week:

"I think it couldn't have come at a better time. For us to be getting into the six games and play well, and being able to get a week's rest and get our legs back is a great chance for us to recuperate."

On improving the run game:

"We're going to look at it. Every facet of the offense we're trying to work and improve. I think those guys have done well with improving the run game."

On what he's looking forward to in the second half of the season:

"We've got the homecoming game coming up and that will be a great experience for me. It's all about working hard every day and moving this team forward."

Zachary Crabtree, Offensive Linemen 

On improving the running game:

"There are a lot of things we have to clean up, but we're going to fix it and we're going to get better."

On the confidence built from an overtime win in Morgantown:

"There's confidence gained, but I think we're a very confident group. To be completely honest, I think we're very confident right now. Coach Gundy says it every week 'One guy has the ball, but it takes ten other guys to come together and make a touchdown happen.' I think that's a great quote to describe how we play football."

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