Football Notebook: Chuba’s Leadership, Bryce Bray’s Move Inside and Tre Sterling

STILLWATER — The Cowboys finally had actual football to talk about at their weekly media availability Tuesday.

Oklahoma State football players met with the media post Oregon State and ahead of the Cowboys’ home opener against McNeese this weekend. Here are a few of the talking points.

1. Hubbard Helping Cowboys on and off Field

For as much work as Chuba Hubbard put in on the field this weekend, he also put in plenty off it.

Hubbard finished the weekend as the nation’s leading rusher with his 221 yards. Before he had all those yards and the three touchdowns he ran for, though, Hubbard helped calm the nerves of his younger teammates.

After the game, redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Sanders said Hubbard kept talking to him before the game cooling any jitters he had before his first game of college football. Hubbard also made time for a pregame chat with offensive lineman Bryce Bray.

“This last game, what helped me settle in is Chuba coming up to me before the game, telling me, ‘Hey, you’re good. It’s just football, man. We play it every single day out at practice,'” Bray said Tuesday. “Then me and Spencer saying, ‘This is why we’re here is to play, to start.’ And just having Johnny (Wilson) and Teven (Jenkins) next to me just telling me, ‘Hey, you’re fine. We do this every day.’ That’s something that really calmed me down.”

Hubbard, a redshirt sophomore, said he just told them the things he told himself last year. It was only a year ago when Hubbard played in his first game at OSU, against Missouri State where he had 42 yards on seven carries.

OSU coach Mike Gundy said there has been a shift within Hubbard this year in that he is taking football even more seriously. Hubbard said in his bigger role this year, he is making sure he steps up on some of the little things he might have not taken care of a season ago.

“Ever since I got here, I can say that I was dialed in,” Hubbard said. “I came here for a reason. I didn’t move to another country just have fun and go to college. I came here to change my life, change my family’s life.”

2. Bryce Bray on the Switch from Tackle to Guard

Throughout the spring and in fall camp, it was thought that Bryce Bray was competing with Dylan Galloway at left tackle. So, when OSU’s first depth chart released and Bray was listed as the starting right guard, was a bit of a surprise.

The move definitely worked out, as the Cowboys’ offense was explosive against Oregon State, and Gundy said the offensive line got its highest grade since he has been the coach.

“I switched about halfway through camp,” Bray said. “I’ve been comfortable with guard because whenever I did camps growing up in high school and stuff, I did do guard. I thought I was coming in to be as a guard. Switching over to guard, not a big deal to me. Used to being in a three-point stance and stuff. It wasn’t that big of a difference.”

Bray said he likes pulling and running into open space. It was shown on Chuba Hubbard’s first big run from Friday when he and Marucs Keyes both pulled on a buck sweep. Bray went from the interior of the offensive line to blocking a corner back, and Hubbard ran for 33 yards.

“Great kid; big boy,” Hubbard said. “I love all my big boys on the O-line. He’s worked hard. He had mistakes in fall camp just like the rest of us, but he stuck with it, kept working hard and it’s paid off for him.”

3. Tre Sterling Stepping into Starting Role

Tre Sterling came ready to play in his first collegiate start Friday night.

OSU’s defense wasn’t great in its first two drives against the Beavers, but Sterling, a redshirt sophomore, had six of his nine tackles in those first two drives.

A few weeks ago, Gundy said he didn’t know whether college football was going to be for Sterling when he first got to campus, but Gundy and OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles raved about Sterling’s transition from the spring on.

“I decided, you know, I’ve been here for two years, I’m not playing, the only thing I’m doing is special teams,” Sterling said. “So after a while, I decided I have to change and actually buy into this program. Once I did, it just took off from there.

“Not just lifting weights when designated or practice when designated. Just spending time on my own, watching film, coming up here late nights, getting some work in the indoor, lifting extra weights, stuff like that.”