Notes on Mike Gundy’s Camping World Bowl Press Conference with Justin Fuente

Mike Gundy and Justin Fuente spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of the Camping World Bowl about bowl experiences, each other’s teams and growing up in Oklahoma. I took notes on the availability. Hope you guys enjoy.

• Gundy noted that there’s a lot to do in Orlando and everybody associated with OSU has really enjoyed themselves. “And the staff with the Camping World (Bowl) has been tremendous, the facilities. So we’ve had a great week. It’s been a lot of fun and (we’re) looking forward to a great game tomorrow.”

• When OSU gets to the site of the bowl game they’re not necessarily trying to get young players reps like they are back in Stillwater. All about gameplanning.

• Virginia Tech is “long at the corner position, safeties are good cover guys, offensively they’re sound in what they do. They’re smart. They make good decisions. They’re very well coached.”

• More variety in the ACC than in the Big 12.

• Virginia Tech QB Josh Jackson looks completely different now than at the beginning of the year. OSU has to “be in the right spot.”

• On the seniors: “Well, they’re a special group. We have talked about it all year that these guys have been committed to each other and committed to the organization. We’re very fortunate.”

• He enjoys bowl weeks more than he used to. “When I was younger and going to bowls, I didn’t really appreciate the time and the accomplishment. And so it’s allowed me to enjoy the week with them, and also let them know at the same time that we’re fortunate to be in the Camping World Bowl. We’re fortunate to be in Orlando. These are things you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”

• Heard Washington talk once this week. Once. Also said nothing has changed. “When we got back the next morning after he had accepted the Biletnikoff in Atlanta, we had practiced that day I think around noon, and he comes running out there and gets in the drills like nothing happened — gets in a blocking drill and goes to work and practices as hard as anybody on the field, and he didn’t change at all. And that’s just the type of young man he is. We’re very fortunate that we have him in our program.”

• Gundy and Fuente talked for 30 minutes on Tuesday night.

• Said you have to be careful about not out-coaching yourself in games with a veteran QB at the helm.

• Both talked about the importance of ending the season on a win. Gundy: “It’s always fun to win the last game. You want to do it for your seniors. You want to do it for the team. You know, you hope that you’ve put in the right concepts and schemes and that you stay healthy in the game and play hard.”

• Gundy talked recruiting, too, and was asked if OSU would ever get into recruiting in Florida. He was noncommittal but had this interesting note on recruiting in general: “It’s the lifeblood of what we do, bringing quality young men that we develop in our program. As you guys know that follow us, that’s what we do. We have to bring young men in and develop them.”

• Could be the best defense OSU has faced this year.

• Fuente on growing up in OK: “Obviously, I have a lot of ties to the state of Oklahoma. Half my family went to Oklahoma State and half my family went to Oklahoma. So I never grew up, really, as a huge fan of only one of the two schools. I was kind of indifferent.”