How Oklahoma State football's Mike Gundy went old-school to address tackling issues
TEMPE, Ariz. — Bothered by resurgent tackling concerns in the season opener, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy decided to turn back the clock a bit in practice to prepare for Saturday’s game at Arizona State.
Typically avoiding full-contact periods in practice to guard against injuries, Gundy let his defense to some full-speed tackling during the week. And other than one rough series in which they let the Sun Devils go right down the field for the first touchdown of the game, the OSU defense seemed to tackle better.
The Cowboys shut out ASU in the second half on the way to a 27-15 win Saturday night at Mountain America Stadium, and the defense’s recovery from an early string of missed tackles was a major key.
“We tackled this week,” Gundy said when asked what he did in practice to address the tackling issues from the opener. “We had ‘em, I know of twice on third down in the first half, we had ‘em if we didn’t miss the tackle. One time, it was third-and-9 and both linebackers missed. We gotta get guys down. And they know that. We just need to work it.
“Part of that is on me, because we didn’t tackle very much. We’re tackling now, and that should get a little better each week.”
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Nick Martin had a team-high 10 tackles, including a sack, but admitted to a missed tackle of his own. Yet he said the more physical practice periods were helpful.
“It was definitely more contact,” he said. “It was definitely more strain on our bodies but it was worth it. … It sometimes looked like old-school practice live periods. But it paid off, and I’m ready to keep doing it.”
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Cowboys pass first road test
OSU, entering Saturday night, was 53-39 on the road in the Mike Gundy era. Make that 54-39 after beating the Sun Devils.
“We’ve won a lot of games since I’ve been (here) on the road — a lot of big games,” Gundy said. “But I knew my team, I knew our team.
“I didn’t really know how these guys react — I don’t know them real well. But I told them they did a good job. They got behind on the road, came out, found a way to win.”
OSU took a 3-2 lead in the all-time series against Arizona State, with two of those wins coming in Tempe almost 40 years apart (1984, 2023).
Three of OSU’s next four games are at home, with the outlier being a trip to Ames, Iowa, to play Iowa State on Sept. 23.
More: What does 'energized' Arizona State University bring to the Big 12?
More blitzes for Gunnar Gundy?
Through two games of OSU’s three-quarterback system, it appears defenses are focused on treating the different QBs with specific attack plans.
And for Gunnar Gundy, that means pressure. Central Arkansas showed it last week, and after Gundy hit a few passes early in his first possession, Arizona State decided to come after the redshirt sophomore.
Gundy was sacked twice, one of which was wiped out by defensive holding in the secondary. And he completed five of his seven pass attempts for 32 yards and a touchdown.
“I don’t know if it was attributed to Gunnar, or if it was attributed to the tempo we were in,” offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn said of the uptick in pressure by ASU when Gundy was behind center. “At that point, I wanted to play fast. I think we were moving the ball and (ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward’s) M.O. is he’s an aggressive defensive coordinator. … He probably defaulted to pressure. That’s my guess.”
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QBs by the numbers
Through two games, leading four possessions each — minus one for Garret Rangel when the Cowboys were kneeling to run the clock out — here’s a look at how the three OSU quarterbacks’ passing numbers compare:
Alan Bowman: 24-of-40 (60.0%), 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 100.53 rating
Gunnar Gundy: 12-of-16 (75.0%), 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 168.08 rating
Garret Rangel: 16-of-24 (66.7%) 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 143.23 rating
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Boise flashback?
The season-opening win over Central Arkansas last week reminded several OSU players of the 2021 opener when the Cowboys barely survived to defeat Missouri State.
Sticking with the theme, Saturday night’s 27-15 win at Arizona State brought back memories of the 2021 trip to Boise State.
OSU barely survived, 21-20 in that game, so this one wasn’t quite as tight. But the environment and the importance of the win were a bit of a flashback.
“It’s funny, I was on the sidelines telling the guys — I hate bringing up history, but sometimes, it just feels like deja vu,” junior linebacker Collin Oliver said. “For a minute there, it felt like it, until we started pulling away.
“But the environment, first away game, all that stuff really came back to me and reminded me of Boise State.”
The 2021 Cowboys struggled through the non-conference schedule, but went on to win 12 games and beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. So that history is a reminder of what could be.
“If we just lock in and do our responsibility,” Oliver said, “we can get back to that point.”
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy used old-school approach for tackling woes
