Quarterback Update: Gundy Puts Media in His Shoes about Quarterback Decisions

STILLWATER — Mike Gundy flipped the script Monday at his media luncheon when answering questions about his three-way quarterback dance.

Oklahoma State has evenly used Garret Rangel, Alan Bowman and Gunnar Gundy through the Cowboys’ opening two games this season, and it doesn’t sound as if one has taken the job from the other two quite yet as the Pokes prepare to play South Alabama at 6 p.m. Saturday.

So, Gundy tried to put the media in his shoes when trying to decide who should play and who shouldn’t.

“Who are the two that you would tell so far watching them play, ‘You’re not playing this game?'” Gundy said. “Just think about that for 30 seconds. OK, which two quarterbacks, after you watched Game 1 and Game 2, you’re saying, ‘You’re out. You’re out. You’re not playing?’ How come?

“So if they come in and set down and say, ‘Hey coach, how come I didn’t get to play in this game based on Game 1 and 2?’ You have to have a good reason for that. Or you just have to say, ‘Hey look, I’m the boss. It is what it is.’ There’s a different side of it than that.”

Collectively, the trio has completed 65% of its passes while throwing for 495 yards and three touchdowns. Here is the split:

Bowman: 24-for-40 (60%), 193 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions
Gundy: 12-for-16 (75%), 138 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions
Rangel: 16-for-24 (67%), 164 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

So, Bowman has the most yards and most attempts, but he has the lowest completion percentage (thanks some to three drops in Week 1) and hasn’t thrown a touchdown.

Gunnar has the highest completion percentage but on the fewest amount of attempts. And he has the fewest passing yards and has thrown a touchdown.

Then there is Rangel who is in the middle in terms of completion percentage, attempts and yards. Rangel also has two touchdown passes but does have the group’s only interception.

In Game 1 it was Rangel into Bowman into Gunnar. In Game 2 it was Bowman into Gunnar into Rangel. That would leave you to believe — if they are going to keep playing three quarterbacks — Game 3 would be Gundy into Rangel into Bowman. But Gundy said that isn’t necessarily the case.

“We gotta practice this week,” Gundy said. “We watch them practice, and if we don’t feel good about somebody, then that’s different. But if they all practice well and we think they’re prepared, then we’ll play them. Then we’ll make that decision in the latter part of the week.

“If I was them, I’d come in on Sunday and study and watch who I’m playing. I would be in here today watching who I’m playing and knowing the team and what they do on defense and what their tendencies are. Then I would get the call sheet and the gameplan and I would study it and know it so when I’m in practice I make the right adjustments, the right checks, get the ball in the right people’s hands so on Saturday I get an opportunity to get fair reps with the other guys. That’s what they should do.”

This South Alabama game is the Cowboys’ final nonconference tilt of the season before traveling to Ames to start Big 12 play. Gundy said it “might be difficult” to name a starter before OSU’s Week 4 game against the Cyclones.