Bye Week Comes At Perfect Time For Pokes

Jordan Sterns didn’t play last Saturday for the first time in what felt like forever. You know if Jordan Sterns is sitting out games that it’s time for a week off. And thankfully OSU will get it this week. It has been over two months since OSU hasn’t played a game or been in the throes of fall camp, but finally they will get some rest before playing Kansas next weekend.

“We feel good and it is much needed rest,” said Mason Rudolph on Saturday. “It’s been a long haul these past few games and had some guys getting beat up. It’ll be good to relax, get our bodies back and prepare for Kansas. I am very proud of this team and how we’ve battled back and fought through it. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“We need it,” added defensive lineman Vili Leveni. “We’ve been going hard since fall camp so this week is going to be well needed for us to rest our bodies and prepare for Kansas.”

The list of those who are injured or at the very least nicked up includes Sterns, Jordan Burton, Jarrell Owens, Jordan Brailford, Chris Carson, Marcell Ateman, James Washington, Devante Averette, Larry Williams, Ramon Richards and Brad Lundblade (according to the Oklahoman). Ateman and Brailford haven’t played all year. Carson has missed a month. Williams is out indefinitely.

OSU has often had by week situated poorly. Last year’s bye came after the West Virginia game at roughly the same part of the season. This is huge (yuuuuge) for a team like OSU that runs a ton of plays (No. 12 in offensive plays run, No. 24 in defensive plays faced).

“We need a week off,” said Gundy on Saturday. “This was a tough week for us. We had several guys that didn’t play and we had several guys that played that didn’t practice this week. We need the time. We’ve got some guys that are beat up, so we’ll let them rest and get back to work next week to get ready for Kansas.

“We’re not going to even have a real practice this week,” Gundy added to the Oklahoman. “I’ll have them out there in a helmet or something maybe one day, maybe two days, but that’s it. We’re not going to put pads on. We need to get them back.”

They will in time for a stretch run that includes monster games against WVU, at Kansas State and at TCU before Bedlam in December.