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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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OPPOSING SIDELINE
Football beat writer Dan Harmsen sits down with Oklahoma State sports editor
DANIEL HARMSEN
@UDK_Dan
Oklahoma State quarterback Daxx Garman is tackled by Iowa State linebacker Luke Knott (21) in the second quarter of the game in Stillwater, Okla., or Oct. 4. Oklahoma State won 37-20.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansan football beat writer Dan Harmms speaks with Kieran Steckley, the sports editor for Oklahoma State's Daily O'Collegian and staff writer for OStateIllustrated.com, to get a closer look at Kansas' Saturday opponent.
DAN: Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is no longer 40 years old. He turned 47 in August. But there is no denying that he is the man. With an 81-39 record in 10 seasons at OSU, my question is two-pronged: How long is Gundy going to be around, and will he keep winning at this frenetic pace?
IERAN: I do think he is going to keep winning at this pace. The program is at a height not seen before he came, highlighted by the Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl run in 2011. He is constantly getting good recruiting classes, having young players come in and making an impact right away. He's also getting gems in recruiting. Justin Blackmon was only a three-star recruit. Brandon Weeden was obviously a walk-on. He knows how to recruit players, and more importantly, he knows how to develop them.
I do think he is going to have success for as long as he is here. And that's the other part of your question, how long will he be here? A couple years ago it was rumored that he was going to leave to go to Tennessee. Obviously, he has always been connected to the Texas job after Mack Brown left.
This being his alma mater, I think he feels the responsibility toward the community and toward the school and for the state, so I think if he wanted to, he could retire here. I don't ever think he'll be fired. I wouldn't say never with him. He is a prideful guy, and if he feels like he doesn't get the respect that he deserves from administration and from
athletic director Mike Holder. I don't think he would be against leaving given the right circumstance. I think he will be here a while, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility that he leaves given certain circumstances.
DAN: This is an Oklahoma State team that lost a lot from last year, bringing back only eight total starters. With Florida State right off the bat, and then losing J.W. Walsh to injury, you would have expected a tough start, but the Cowboys played them close, and hasn't lost since. What were the expectations heading into 2014, and how has the Cowboys fanbase responded to the first five games of the season?
KIERAN: Expectations were around seven to eight wins. Eight wins if you were more optimistic, and six wins if you were more on the pessimistic side. Like you said, there are a lot of new players on this team, particularly on the defense, which had seven new starters. The guys that aren't the new starters are young, and a bunch of the process is learning how to play at this level.
The fans have responded very well to this team. [They] kind of rallied behind Daxx Garman who took over for J.W. Walsh. They are very excited that this is a different type of quarterback. He's got a big arm and likes to throw the ball down the field, and that will excite a lot of fans as they've become used to this air-raid offense.
They are ecstatic about Tyreek Hill, the JuCo transfer [who] has a load of talent, takes the ball on the ground and returns kicks. Every time he touches the ball, you can hear the air come out of the stadium as the fans anticipate something big from him.
Overall, they came in with realistic expectations. Oklahoma State fans are accustomed to being a winning program, but overall, not an Alabama. They know it's more of a process, and this is a young team that is going to develop. I think they rallied behind this team, and the play has the fans excited, especially that Florida State game, a game they could have won. Against all odds, nobody saw that coming but myself. I think there was a glimpse of hope that the fans grabbed on to early.
DAN: Offensively, different year, same results. Oklahoma State averages 449.8 yards of total offense this year and is putting up close to 40 points per game. You mentioned a few already, but who are a few players to watch on the Cowboys' offense?
KIERAN: Every time Tyreek
Hill touches the ball he is capable of scoring a touchdown. He only has two touchdowns this year. One of them was a kickoff return, the other was a 50-yard pass. He is a running back [who] likes to bounce it outside around the defense. He's also pretty elusive, but he can be contained, though. He is not invincible as we saw against Iowa State. But the threat is always there.
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Garman has an incredible arm. He loves to throw the ball down the field. He's not as strong throwing in the intermediate and short passes. He has a little accuracy issues there, but throwing the ball down the field is his bread and butter. I would talk about receivers, but there are a lot of names there. There isn't a true number one receiver on this team. (It) kind of changes by week. They're big, they're strong, they run good routes, they have good hands, some of them are fast. Jhajuan Seales is the leading returning receiver from last year, and he hasn't played as well as some of the other guys, Marcell Ateman, David Glidden, Brandon Sheperd.
DAN: If there's one weak point on this team, Oklahoma State is getting gashed through the air. If Kansas has one advantage in this football game, it may be in that facet, as the Kansas defense has allowed 30 less yards per game through the air. Problem is the Kansas offense likely won't take advantage. How do you see the Cowboys offense matching up in Lawrence?
KIERAN: You're right, the strength is up front. The defensive line is the most veteran group of that defense, return two starters, and the guys [who] didn't start last year are playing well. Jimmy Bean is a good pass rusher and good on run-support. Emmanuel Ogbah had a couple sacks against Florida State, he had defensive player of the week. The line-backers are pretty strong too. They help in the run-support: Ryan Simmons in the middle,
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You can't forget about Desmond Roland, a between-the-tackles bruiser kind of guy who can break away as well. They certainly have capable playmakers.
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KIERAN: That'll be my prediction. I don't have my score on me. Oklahoma State doesn't take games off. They were saying they weren't going to let up against Kansas, even with the coaching change. They're going to come out playing like they're up against Florida State. I think, at this point, they are just more talented than Kansas. Sometimes, that's just what it comes down to — who has more talent. I don't have a score on me, but Oklahoma State will win the game.
Edited by Alyssa Scott
DAN: Oklahoma State has won nine of the past 10 meetings against Kansas. They make it 10 of 11 on Saturday, right?
Josh Furman, a transfer from Michigan, on the outside.
The pass defense, they're in experienced, they added a couple new starters [who] went down with injury. They've had a lot of pass-interference penalties. The most inexperienced position was the pass defense, and it got worse with injuries.