Gundy warns K-State better than its record
STILLWATER — When Oklahoma State sideline reporter Robert Allen mentioned to coach Mike
Gundy that he is “quite a bit” younger than Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, Gundy quickly provided a clarification.
“I’m a lot younger,” Gundy said. “He’s one of my alltime favorites, but I’m not buying on that one.”
Gundy, 51, and the Cowboys face Synder, who turned 79 on Sunday, and Kansas State at 11 a.m. Saturday in Manhattan. It’s a meeting of two teams off to disappointing starts; OSU is 1-2 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2006, while the Wildcats have lost all three of their conference games amid going 2-4 to open the year.
Gundy, though, isn’t sleeping on the Wildcats, noting that three of their losses came against top-25 opponents West Virginia, Texas and Mississippi State.
“They’re better than what people think,” Gundy said. “I’m not trying to justify anything, but you get a (bad) rap by having a losing record early in the year. They’ve, I’m going to guess, played one of the most difficult schedules of anybody in this conference up to this point.”
Hubbard’s value worth risk on returns
Gundy was thrilled about the introduction about the new rule that allows for players to call for a fair catch on kickoffs and receive the ball at the 25-yard line.
He also knows he has a kick returner in redshirt freshman Chuba Hubbard who could be lethal.
So OSU’s use of the fair catch has been minimal so far this season, giving Hubbard the chance to return 11 kickoffs for an average of 22.7 yards.
With Hubbard’s speed and ability to make tacklers miss, the risk/reward aspect benefits him on kickoff returns.
“He’s a fast guy,” Gundy said. “He’s gonna come out of there. It won’t be long. When he does, it’ll be worth it. He’s worth the risk, because if we get a crease with him, he’s so fast that it should work out good for us.”
Cowboys not sweating Wallace’s rare drop
Gifted time, a rarity Saturday against Iowa State, OSU quarterback Taylor Cornelius fired downfield toward a sophomore receiver that had proved to be as reliable as any underclassman at that position in program history.
With the Cowboys down five and only half of the fourth quarter left, Cornelius’ pass hit Tylan Wallace in his hands in stride, but he couldn’t corral it. Wallace, like the ball, tumbled to the turf, eventually rising to a knee and putting his head down. The Cowboys’ drive finished without a first down, and the Cyclones subsequently scored what proved to be the clinching touchdown in their 48-42 upset.
Although Wallace’s drop cost OSU an extended drive — and possibly a touchdown and victory — Cornelius had no interest in placing blame on his top target.
“I’d throw it 10 times out of 10 to him,” Cornelius said. “I trust that kid every time.”
With OSU down 13, Cornelius and Wallace connected for a 42-yard score in the game’s final minute, but the Cowboys couldn’t recover an onside kick to give themselves a chance at the lead.
“He came back and made a huge play on the go ball and made up for it,” offensive coordinator
Mike Yurcich said. “He’s a great player. Even Jerry Rice dropped a ball here and there.”