OSU’s Mike Gundy addresses ‘fake injuries’

STILLWATER — When Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was asked on Monday about any mounting frustration caused by multiple West Virginia injury stoppages during OSU’s up-tempo offensive drives, the question was broad enough to allow for some interpretation.

But like an arrow, Gundy shot right to the point.

“What’s that, fake injuries?” the coach asked. “Yeah, they gotta do something about it. I’ve already made that suggestion.”

More than a couple times during OSU’s 45-41 upset of then-No. 9 West Virginia, the Cowboys’ fast-paced offense was smoothly moving down the field, only to hit a speed bump when a West Virginia player would

stop play by laying on the field.

One of the primary goals of OSU’s up-tempo offense is to wear down the defense. The Cowboys avoid substituting on those drives, so that the defense doesn’t have time to circulate in fresh players.

Maybe some of West Virginia’s injuries were real, maybe some weren’t. But each of them chipped away at the offense’s momentum, and many times, the injured player was back in the game after sitting out one play.

That’s where Gundy’s suggestion comes in.

“If you’re injured, you can’t come back in until there’s a change of possession,” Gundy said.

OSU players occasionally showed frustration with the frequency of West Virginia injuries, all the way up to the notably even-tempered quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who appeared to say something to a West Virginia player after once such instance.

On the same play, OSU fans were booing, and

ABC’s television broadcaster Sean McDonough addressed the crowd’s displeasure.

“... They believe their offense has been slowed down by someone who may or may not be injured,” he said.

Gundy, while choosing not to name the offending team, gave a more specific example of how faking injuries has been used to slow down the Cowboys’ up-tempo drives.

“We played a team this year where (a player) came off three times and they didn’t even tend to him,” Gundy said. “They went out and got him. He walked off, and then he went over and stood by their coaches, and then (medical personnel) left. They didn’t even tend to him.

“We got it on video. That’s evident. You gotta at least fake it. You gotta at least go over there and work on the guy.”

Gundy said he counted six potential instances in last year’s Camping World Bowl against Virginia Tech, “and every one of those guys finished the game,” he said.

Any such rule change would have to go through the NCAA rules committee.

Gundy says he has voiced his concerns to the Big 12’s new director of officials, Greg Burks.

“It’s gotta start somewhere,” Gundy said. “It’s not good for the game, to keep stopping it like that.”