Oklahoma State University Athletics
Saturday, September 27
Stillwater, OK
2:30 p.m. CT
Oklahoma State University
vs
Baylor
Gundy, players preview Big 12 conference opener against Baylor
September 22, 2025 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy and four players met with media at Boone Pickens Stadium on Monday to preview the Cowboys' conference opener against Baylor. Some of their comments:
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy
On addressing questions about his job status:
"I'm under contract here for about three and a half years. Ever since I was hired, I've put my heart and soul into this, and I'll continue to do that until I don't want to do it anymore, or until someone else says we don't want you to do it. It's a fair question to ask… I tell the players all the time, 'You signed up to be a college football player, I signed up to be a coach, and these are the things that come along with it.' Some things in this line are favorable and rewarding, and some things aren't. That's just the way it is. My daily demeanor never changes… It's a fair question to ask, but it's not about me; it's about the team and the organization, and it will always be that way. I will always love what I do. I have the exact same amount of energy now as I did when I started… There's never been a time that I haven't come to work and poured my heart and soul into what I do for the players… At some point in my life, I'll address a lot of things, but right now, my responsibility is our team and what I was hired to do 21 years ago. I am 100% all-in on that, and it's what I will do."
On why he still coaches:
"It's still fun for me. I addressed this after the game, but I thanked the fans for what they did because they were awesome. Someone asked me after the game what I would say to the fans regarding this team, or what I would do. What I'd say to the fans is come cheer like heck for them. If you want to be angry at Coach Gundy, then you can do whatever you want that makes you feel better, but don't do it to the team. I think that's what's best for Oklahoma State football, Oklahoma State's athletic department and Oklahoma State in general.
On Oklahoma State's struggles:
"There are certain things in life you go through and address them in an honest way, be upfront and push forward. As for last week's game, I was accurate after the game in saying that there were a glaring five or six plays on both sides of the ball, and right now we don't do a good job of overcoming those mistakes, and we've addressed those. They're fixable, and that's the good news… Our coaches have to do a better job now that we've played a few games. We know these guys a little bit better; we have to do a better job of putting the players in the best position possible, so it's a two-way street."
On Zane Flores's Development:
"We weren't really sure about a lot of things, and so I felt like our staff put him in a better situation in this last game. I thought he showed some improvement. I thought he showed toughness. I thought he ran. I thought he protected the ball. I know for a fact that he had a decent vision of the game. And that's going to get better and better. He's going to have more vision a month from now than he will this Saturday."
On Baylor this weekend:
"They're athletic. Very similar to what they have been in the past. They've got long, tall receivers who can make plays, and the backs can run. The quarterback's a good player who throws it around pretty good; he's nifty. I think they do a good job protecting him up front as well. They've done the same thing for the last three or four years. They don't change what they do. It's what he (Dave Aranda) believes in, and they're good at it. They're really fast at the second level, and they run well. Their corners are going to press you, be in your face and are going to run with you. They'll mix some coverages. Then, when they want to pressure, they're going to pressure you. Baylor's always had fast guys on the perimeter, guys could run and make plays and that's what they've got this year."
On how he thought quarterback Zane Flores handled the up-tempo offense vs Tulsa:
"I thought he handled the game really well... The encouraging thing for me is watching him progress and watching him continue to have grit and toughness. He loves the game of football. He studies the game of football. He's only going to improve as he goes. I don't read what's out there, but they should be fair to him in his development as a quarterback and just understand that he's going to get better."
On the offense playing with more tempo:
"It depends; there's a variety of things on that. The first thing would be the depth chart for us, then the depth chart for them. What coach (Eddie) Sutton used to say is, 'You've got to decide who you're playing before you want to know how many trips up and down the field you want to have."
Wide Receiver Gavin Freeman
On what it meant to the team that Zane Flores put his body on the line:
"That just shows the offense that you're ready to play. You're going to put your body on the line and do everything you can to make that play and try to win."
On what it's like to play for coach Gundy:
"He's a great coach. That's why I came here, because of the history and everything with him... all the wins... and I'm still riding behind Gundy. That's my coach, and I love him."
On what the offense needs to do to find success:
"We've got to capitalize on certain things, we've got to make those plays that really matter and we've just got to come together again. It's hard whenever it's not going your way, but you've got to try everything you can to keep the offense going."
Offensive Lineman Noah McKinney
On running back Rodney Fields Jr:
"It was great to have him back. He's been out for a little bit, rehabbing and getting better, but having him back Friday night was awesome. Rodney was running the heck out of the ball."
On the offensive line:
"I feel like we're continuing to grow to our standard. We're trying to get better every week; I feel like this week we did step up in the run game. This was the first game we had over 150 rushing yards this year, which is something we need to improve on each week and get better at. I feel like the o-line is stepping up to the bell. I feel like we still have areas we need to improve in, areas we still need to get better in, but I feel like every week we're growing together as a unit."
On the offense's response to the Tulsa game:
"I would say even though we took a rough loss last Friday night, nobody's confidence has gone away. I feel like we're all very confident in each other. We know Zane [Flores] is going to go out, throw the ball and make the correct decisions and do what he has to do. He has to trust us to give him enough time and that the backs are going to hit the right holes. I feel like everybody is very confident in each other; we all came in and watched film together after the game as an offensive unit. It was always kind of like we were just one play short, one guy short. So, we've got to really work on everyone just getting better every week."
On quarterback Zane Flores:
"I think Zane shows out every week. Zane fights, no matter what. He'll take a big hit; he'll get knocked down and jump right back up and keep going. He had a long run later in the game where he got knocked onto the Tulsa sideline, and he was down there fighting, just trying to get up and get back on the field. I feel like Zane's a true fighter and is really good at what he does. He takes great accountability in his leadership and the way he tries to deal with our offense."
Defensive Back Cam Smith
On entering conference play:
"It is kind of more like a clean slate. After we watched the film of the game yesterday, Coach Gundy and the coaches said we need to just put [the Tulsa game] behind us. Obviously, we'll learn what we can from that game and try to do better moving forward."
On leadership within the team:
"It's really not a person, it's more so the team. I try to be that person that people can lean on because I was on the team last year that was 3-9, so I kind of know how to handle losses and how to move forward from losses. So, I just try to be that person for my teammates."
On defensive back Parker Robertson's performance against Tulsa:
"The way Parker played doesn't really surprise me. I've been with Parker since 2021; he's always been that type of player, that caliber of player. I'm just glad that he is finally able to showcase that."
On Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson:
"He's off to a pretty good start, he's a pretty good quarterback, but we're going to watch the film on him and figure out ways to slow down [Baylor's] offense."
Defensive Lineman Jaleel Johnson
On how the team is handling losses compared to last year:
"This group is handling it a lot better than last year, I'd say. Last year, I felt like people kind of gave up after a couple of losses. This year, I feel that the energy is that we want to win, we want to come back and we want to bounce back. We still want to bring home the Big 12 championship; we still have conference play. We're ready."
On the team's most impactful leaders:
"We have a bunch of defensive linemen: DT [De'Marion Thomas], Iman Oates. Our linebackers: Brandon Rawls, Bryan McCoy. They're the heads of our defense, so they fire us up. There are a lot of people; everyone does, truthfully. But those are some of the big names I can name right now."
On the team's differences in mentality this year:
"I feel like we had a lack of leadership last year, so now that we have some leadership, there are a lot of guys coming together to buy into this program. We all want the same thing: to bring a championship. Talking to those guys and being around them, and with us guys dealing with what we dealt with last year already, too, you know, we've experienced that."
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy
On addressing questions about his job status:
"I'm under contract here for about three and a half years. Ever since I was hired, I've put my heart and soul into this, and I'll continue to do that until I don't want to do it anymore, or until someone else says we don't want you to do it. It's a fair question to ask… I tell the players all the time, 'You signed up to be a college football player, I signed up to be a coach, and these are the things that come along with it.' Some things in this line are favorable and rewarding, and some things aren't. That's just the way it is. My daily demeanor never changes… It's a fair question to ask, but it's not about me; it's about the team and the organization, and it will always be that way. I will always love what I do. I have the exact same amount of energy now as I did when I started… There's never been a time that I haven't come to work and poured my heart and soul into what I do for the players… At some point in my life, I'll address a lot of things, but right now, my responsibility is our team and what I was hired to do 21 years ago. I am 100% all-in on that, and it's what I will do."
On why he still coaches:
"It's still fun for me. I addressed this after the game, but I thanked the fans for what they did because they were awesome. Someone asked me after the game what I would say to the fans regarding this team, or what I would do. What I'd say to the fans is come cheer like heck for them. If you want to be angry at Coach Gundy, then you can do whatever you want that makes you feel better, but don't do it to the team. I think that's what's best for Oklahoma State football, Oklahoma State's athletic department and Oklahoma State in general.
On Oklahoma State's struggles:
"There are certain things in life you go through and address them in an honest way, be upfront and push forward. As for last week's game, I was accurate after the game in saying that there were a glaring five or six plays on both sides of the ball, and right now we don't do a good job of overcoming those mistakes, and we've addressed those. They're fixable, and that's the good news… Our coaches have to do a better job now that we've played a few games. We know these guys a little bit better; we have to do a better job of putting the players in the best position possible, so it's a two-way street."
On Zane Flores's Development:
"We weren't really sure about a lot of things, and so I felt like our staff put him in a better situation in this last game. I thought he showed some improvement. I thought he showed toughness. I thought he ran. I thought he protected the ball. I know for a fact that he had a decent vision of the game. And that's going to get better and better. He's going to have more vision a month from now than he will this Saturday."
On Baylor this weekend:
"They're athletic. Very similar to what they have been in the past. They've got long, tall receivers who can make plays, and the backs can run. The quarterback's a good player who throws it around pretty good; he's nifty. I think they do a good job protecting him up front as well. They've done the same thing for the last three or four years. They don't change what they do. It's what he (Dave Aranda) believes in, and they're good at it. They're really fast at the second level, and they run well. Their corners are going to press you, be in your face and are going to run with you. They'll mix some coverages. Then, when they want to pressure, they're going to pressure you. Baylor's always had fast guys on the perimeter, guys could run and make plays and that's what they've got this year."
On how he thought quarterback Zane Flores handled the up-tempo offense vs Tulsa:
"I thought he handled the game really well... The encouraging thing for me is watching him progress and watching him continue to have grit and toughness. He loves the game of football. He studies the game of football. He's only going to improve as he goes. I don't read what's out there, but they should be fair to him in his development as a quarterback and just understand that he's going to get better."
On the offense playing with more tempo:
"It depends; there's a variety of things on that. The first thing would be the depth chart for us, then the depth chart for them. What coach (Eddie) Sutton used to say is, 'You've got to decide who you're playing before you want to know how many trips up and down the field you want to have."
Wide Receiver Gavin Freeman
On what it meant to the team that Zane Flores put his body on the line:
"That just shows the offense that you're ready to play. You're going to put your body on the line and do everything you can to make that play and try to win."
On what it's like to play for coach Gundy:
"He's a great coach. That's why I came here, because of the history and everything with him... all the wins... and I'm still riding behind Gundy. That's my coach, and I love him."
On what the offense needs to do to find success:
"We've got to capitalize on certain things, we've got to make those plays that really matter and we've just got to come together again. It's hard whenever it's not going your way, but you've got to try everything you can to keep the offense going."
Offensive Lineman Noah McKinney
On running back Rodney Fields Jr:
"It was great to have him back. He's been out for a little bit, rehabbing and getting better, but having him back Friday night was awesome. Rodney was running the heck out of the ball."
On the offensive line:
"I feel like we're continuing to grow to our standard. We're trying to get better every week; I feel like this week we did step up in the run game. This was the first game we had over 150 rushing yards this year, which is something we need to improve on each week and get better at. I feel like the o-line is stepping up to the bell. I feel like we still have areas we need to improve in, areas we still need to get better in, but I feel like every week we're growing together as a unit."
On the offense's response to the Tulsa game:
"I would say even though we took a rough loss last Friday night, nobody's confidence has gone away. I feel like we're all very confident in each other. We know Zane [Flores] is going to go out, throw the ball and make the correct decisions and do what he has to do. He has to trust us to give him enough time and that the backs are going to hit the right holes. I feel like everybody is very confident in each other; we all came in and watched film together after the game as an offensive unit. It was always kind of like we were just one play short, one guy short. So, we've got to really work on everyone just getting better every week."
On quarterback Zane Flores:
"I think Zane shows out every week. Zane fights, no matter what. He'll take a big hit; he'll get knocked down and jump right back up and keep going. He had a long run later in the game where he got knocked onto the Tulsa sideline, and he was down there fighting, just trying to get up and get back on the field. I feel like Zane's a true fighter and is really good at what he does. He takes great accountability in his leadership and the way he tries to deal with our offense."
Defensive Back Cam Smith
On entering conference play:
"It is kind of more like a clean slate. After we watched the film of the game yesterday, Coach Gundy and the coaches said we need to just put [the Tulsa game] behind us. Obviously, we'll learn what we can from that game and try to do better moving forward."
On leadership within the team:
"It's really not a person, it's more so the team. I try to be that person that people can lean on because I was on the team last year that was 3-9, so I kind of know how to handle losses and how to move forward from losses. So, I just try to be that person for my teammates."
On defensive back Parker Robertson's performance against Tulsa:
"The way Parker played doesn't really surprise me. I've been with Parker since 2021; he's always been that type of player, that caliber of player. I'm just glad that he is finally able to showcase that."
On Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson:
"He's off to a pretty good start, he's a pretty good quarterback, but we're going to watch the film on him and figure out ways to slow down [Baylor's] offense."
Defensive Lineman Jaleel Johnson
On how the team is handling losses compared to last year:
"This group is handling it a lot better than last year, I'd say. Last year, I felt like people kind of gave up after a couple of losses. This year, I feel that the energy is that we want to win, we want to come back and we want to bounce back. We still want to bring home the Big 12 championship; we still have conference play. We're ready."
On the team's most impactful leaders:
"We have a bunch of defensive linemen: DT [De'Marion Thomas], Iman Oates. Our linebackers: Brandon Rawls, Bryan McCoy. They're the heads of our defense, so they fire us up. There are a lot of people; everyone does, truthfully. But those are some of the big names I can name right now."
On the team's differences in mentality this year:
"I feel like we had a lack of leadership last year, so now that we have some leadership, there are a lot of guys coming together to buy into this program. We all want the same thing: to bring a championship. Talking to those guys and being around them, and with us guys dealing with what we dealt with last year already, too, you know, we've experienced that."
Players Mentioned
QB
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WR
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DE
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OL
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DT
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LB
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S
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DT
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