The Top 5 Quotes from Doug Meacham’s Pre-Arizona News Conference

STILLWATER — Doug Meacham took in his first weekly media luncheon on Monday, and when he walked in, he was pretty excited to see the food.

Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator, Meacham made debut as the Cowboys’ interim head coach on Saturday when OSU fell to Baylor 45-27. Here are five things Meacham hit on Monday. You can watch his full news conference below.

We’ve already written some about his thoughts on interim defensive coordinator Clint Bowen, which you can read here.

1. On the Whirlwind Week

It’s crazy to think, but Doug Meacham still hasn’t even gone a full week as the Cowboys’ head coach.

Since taking over last Tuesday, Meacham has already coached a game and seen a change at defensive coordinator when OSU fired Todd Grantham and promoted Clint Bowen to the interim DC.

“I’ve never been a head coach of an elementary school, you know what I’m saying?” Meacham said. “So, this is a lot of new stuff I never thought about. Everybody thinks being a head coach is easy, and then you do it and realize there’s a lot more to it than you thought, as anything would be probably. The bottom line is, I just feel like I’m just so proud of the kids’ willingness to participate and be a part, and the vibe that they’re providing. It makes it easy for all of us coaches to go out and do our job and have fun and stuff like that, and continue to just devote all our time and effort into what we can do to help them win a game because it’s all about them. That part’s been fun.”

2. ‘Oh, That’s on Me’

Going along with Meacham’s inexperience as a head coach, there are certain in-game decisions he is making for the first time.

OSU had a 4th-and-4 from the Baylor 39 in the first quarter of Saturday’s game. Where the Cowboys going to go for it? Attempt a long field goal? Try to pin the Bears deep with a punt? They ended up going for it.

“Being honest with you, for a second I forgot I was making that decision. So, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s on me,'” Meacham said. “Because normally, you’re over there, ‘Let’s go for it! What are we, soft? Let’s go!’ Then I went, ‘Oh, that’s on me.’ That was a little bit different because when you look at it, and you’re trying to surmise what you’re gonna do the next play or the next drive, some of that stuff, I gotta do a better job of paying attention to the entire game, I think. So that was new for me. That was a tough one, at times, because I had never done that. To be honest.

“But we got a lot of good staff members that make a lot of good recommendations in those situations, and it kinda helps.”

3. Redshirting and the Transfer Portal

OSU firing coach Mike Gundy opened a 30-day transfer portal window for Cowboy players.

Some have already taken advantage of that, as long snapper Shea Freibaum and safety Dylan Smith have made intentions known they will enter the portal over the past few days.

Here is how Meacham said he is handling talks with players about that option.

“They talk to their position coaches or whoever recruited them,” Meacham said. “I may visit with them a little bit. ‘Hey Coach, what about this? What do you think?’ Just that conversation. And I’m not necessarily trying to beg them to stay. I want them to want to be here, too. But I try to be factual and give them the information I think would help lead them to the smartest decision. Not just about ‘I want you to stay just for me.’ Because it’s about them, too.

“If I think it makes sense, I’m not necessarily gonna try to bend it or shape it in a way that will make them stay because I want them to stay. But at the same time, there’s a lot of information I can offer that make them understand ‘it’s probably in my benefit to stay’ and then they make the decision.”

4. On the Offensive Line

OSU has already had to battle an unusual form of attrition on the offensive line, but there have been bright spots about this growing group.

The Cowboys have rushed for 4.9 yards per carry or better in each of its past two games. That’s a feat the 2024 Cowboys managed just twice all season. And that’s come after the Cowboys lost starting left tackle Markell Samuel, who broke his foot in a walkthrough in a hotel ballroom before the Oregon game.

“I just think we’ve got a really solid unit,” Meacham said. “Just like anybody else, you gotta keep them healthy and keep them out there and take care of them during the week. Just like everybody, no one has enough up front. Everyone’s light up front this time of year. You gotta be careful about it.

“But they seem to be coming together as a unit. I was fortunate at TCU for a couple years, we had the same five linemen for two straight years and no one ever got hurt. It was unbelievable. And it was really cool to watch how much better they got every week. They knew they could trust one another, and they understood the little nuances of the communications that they made toward one another, and it was comfortable for them. They’ll just get better and better. It’s a pretty good unit, a pretty solid unit.”

5. Sam Jackson Isn’t a Wildcat Quarterback

One of the biggest gadgets Meacham used in his interim coaching debut was Sam Jackson V.

A wide receiver at OSU, Jackson was recruited to TCU by Meacham to play quarterback. After two seasons in Fort Worth, Jackson transferred to Cal to play more quarterback before making the change to wide receiver at Auburn.

In OSU’s game against Baylor on Saturday, Jackson ran, caught and threw — finishing with nine rushing yards, five receiving yards, 46 passing yards and a passing touchdown. More than those stats, he opened up the OSU offense for the first time in some time, and he kept the Baylor defense guessing.

“When you say wildcat, it’s really not correct,” Meacham said. “He’s not a wildcat guy. He’s a quarterback playing receiver. So, that’s a great pet to have, so to speak. 

“When he’s on the field, I would say that you’d be a little bit apprehensive about certain things, defensively, which may could clear the picture at times and stuff like that. And it’s one more thing they have to defend and prepare for. So, it could help with everything else and everybody else. So as much stuff as you can have them have to process and not really change what you do up front or at skill positions and you’ve just got a different guy taking a snap, I’m all for it.”