Notes and Thoughts on Mike Gundy’s Pre-TCU Press Conference

Mike Gundy talked TCU, Thanksgiving and Les Miles on Monday at his weekly press conference. I also don’t think he wears a shirt under his pullovers, which is pretty fascinating. Hope you guys enjoy the festivities.

• “Proud of the overall group effort (against West Virginia).”

• Called TCU’s defense “very very good.”

• Things are never as good as they seem or as bad as they seem when you watch the film the day after the game.

• OSU may have been fatigued in the middle of the year defensively, which is why they may have gotten more penalties. Been stressing not having selfish penalties.

• Told his team he just wants to put together three good games in a row. Players and coaches. Called it a “three-peat.” ?

• Chuba’s vision opened up as the game went on. Said it will get better with more reps.

• Didn’t think this time last week that OSU would have been able to win with a -3 turnover margin. “We addressed it.” Corn threw a couple balls he’d like to have back.

• When he was a young coach he used to tell players you “have” to do this or that. Learned the players already know that, and you have to explain to them why they did something (i.e. fumbling).

• “Hockett was awesome for us on Saturday in a variety of ways.”

• Talked about Jake McClure and compared his leg to a 9-iron. Said he doesn’t know his own strength and has to just find a better groove to not kick so many balls out of bounds.

• Center is the scariest position to have backups play. Proud of what Ry Schneider did on Saturday and how he kept OSU in the game.

• Gary Busey said: “Man, you’ve always been my hero, man.” He was talking to Gundy while the game was going on. Gundy told him he can be around whenever he wants. Busey said he watches OSU football all the time.

• “Celebrities and different people … they love college football.” Said pro golfers love to stream their stuff while they’re practicing.

• “I don’t (dance) unless (the players) ask for it.” It’s old news and hard on his 51-year-old knees.

• Best offensive halftime adjustments he’s been around “in a while.” Defensive changes were more technique-based.

• Offensive coaches got in a room with the QBs for a few minutes before addressing the rest of the team at halftime. Defensive coaches do the same (minus QBs). Gundy goes with the offense and listens to them. “I don’t get involved in much of it.” Pretty rare for him to jump in as much as he did on Saturday.

• “Those two ends (TCU has) are still playing really good.” Got a “world we live in now.” More injured players than you used to. Players are like finely-tuned sports cars, and the games are more physical than they used to be.

• Doesn’t know how practice weeks translate to games. Has seen horrific Thursday practices in which OSU crushed on Saturday and vice versa.

• Emphasizes teaching and coaching what they want players to do instead of just talking about throughout the week. Literally showing guys what to do with their bodies.

• “Were you not here on my last speech about feedback from the outside.”

• Taylor has “justified himself to be a quarterback at this level.” Said he guesses his numbers are close to what they’ve been with QBs at OSU in the past few years.

• “If there’s any justification, I don’t think Corn cares at all. He loves to play football. He loves to be at Oklahoma State. He loves this team. He loves to compete.” Doesn’t care if people doubt him.

• “Some players are not like that. Some players let things like that eat them up. That makes it extremely difficult to live in the world we’re in today with so many people having a platform that don’t know a lot about what they’re talking about. I think it’s good for him that he just handles things the way he handles it.”

• Team and staff have “tremendous respect” for Corn.

• “I don’t give a flip about outside sources.”

• “That’s one thing we don’t talk enough about. Everything we do or say affects people. It can trickle down to the bullying effect we’re trying to get out of junior highs and high schools. If we’re not careful things we say or do is no different than bullying on the internet.”

• Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday because you get to hang and eat but don’t have to open presents. “Presents are a distraction.”

• “Cale may drain the refrigerator out of beer (at a typical Thanksgiving).”

• “I do all vegetables. I love all the sides. I can get the ham or turkey any day of the year, but they make some stuff I can’t get.”

• Gundy is “so not into” talking trash during the game. Was surprised Corn jawed at WVU. “He’s probably sowed his oats a little bit, and he’s like, ‘Hey this is my team.’ Mason lived in that world, but he had a lot of games of experience.”

• Hates the celebrating after first downs etc. “We don’t have to celebrate every time we do something that’s normal.”

• Justice is “doing better.” Expects him to be out there running around. “If he feels good we’ll roll with it.”

• On Les at Kansas: “It will be entertaining.” Not sure why anybody who gets past 60 would want to be back into coaching. “Nothing like seeing a guy in a coat and tie in a ball cap.”

• Interested to see what his philosophy is offensively. He “knows that offense blindfolded.” Said you can run some of Les’ concepts out of spread but not as easy.

• “I was guessing if he took a $4.5 million cut from Louisiana he had some security that he was going to get the Kansas job. I know he’s 65, but you figure he can still add good. He’ll like that comment.”

• “I’m looking forward to seeing (Les) at the spring meetings.”

• “I don’t network.”

• “I forget who’s (on the other sideline). I live in my own world. I got no idea what’s going on over there. I would probably forget midway through the first quarter.”

• Still sees Les as a mentor. “He taught me a lot of offensive football.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcwhuLvpcpw