FOOTBALL PREGAME
Redshirt year helped create the Spencer Sanders you see now
We get you ready for the Sooners' and Cowboys' games on Saturday
STILLWATER — “Proud” was the word Spencer Sanders chose.
The Oklahoma State quarterback wasn't talking about his stellar collegiate debut last week at Oregon State, or the overall efficiency of the Cowboy offense under his guidance.
He was talking about last season, when he redshirted and never saw the field on gameday.
Sanders is proud of the strides he made while he watched from the bench, and in the same vein, thankful for the opportunity to build a strong foundation in his understanding of the offense before stepping on the field in live action.
The product of Ryan High School in Den ton, Texas, will make his Boone Pickens Stadium debut at 6 p.m. Saturday when Oklahoma State hosts another set of Cowboys, from McNee se State.
Sanders' showing in the Pacific Northwest brought back to life the refrains of a vocal set of OSU fans who spent a good portion of last season clamoring for Sanders over then- starter Taylor Cornelius.
But this time, the outcry had turned historical.
“Why wasn' t this guy playing last year ?” some fans asked on social media, and probably aloud in front of their televisions, while Sanders was piling up over 300 total yards passing and rushing in his premiere.
The truth is, there' s no empirical evidence“this guy” — a.k.a. the version of Sanders that lit up Oregon State—actually existed last year.
Physically, Sanders' athletic gifts were there. Those were evident in his senior season at Den ton Ryan, when he surged to become a four- star recruit and the Texas high school player of the year.
But mentally, he' s 13 months deeper into understanding the concepts of the offense he' s running than when he first took a snap in an OSU practice last preseason.
“Last year was a big growing point for me ,” Sanders said .“It helped me mature and it helped me l earn.
“I was kind of proud that I sat last year. I learned a lot from Corn. I'm happy with
the past.”
Even though Cornelius was a first-year starter, he was in his fifth year of the offense, and that perspective resonated in Sanders' brain as he watched.
“Every t i me he t hrew t he bal l , he al ways had a reason,” Sanders said. “He was very smart, and he was a very good football player.”
T h e l e a r n i n g c u r v e would have been similar had Sanders played l ast s e a s o n , b u t b e h i n d a n inconsistent offensive line, he likely would have faced more obstacles, and taken more hits to his body and his confidence.
Against the overmatched d e f e n s e o f M c N e e s e , Sanders' playmaking skills should be on display once again, and his production could soar.
Those who have been w a t c h i n g h i m c l o s e l y a r e n ' t s u r p r i s e d a f t e r s eeing his development while redshirting.
“He's a great athlete,” r u n n i n g b a c k C h u b a H u b b a r d s a i d . “Whe n you have a guy l i ke that, y o u c a n t h r o w h i m i n a n d h e c a n mak e s t u f f happen, but I t hi nk f or him, it was about learning the playbook and becomi n g c o mfor t a b l e i n o u r offense.
“Making the right reads a n d s t u f f l i k e t h a t , h e worked his butt off, so he deserves everything that's coming to him.”
When last year's sevenwin s e a s o n was hi t t i ng some of its low points, the Twitter push for Sanders g r e w l o u d . S a n d e r s ' mother made a n onl i ne pl ea of “Pl ease gi ve my boy a chance.”
As the season went on, head coach Mike Gundy continued to reiterate that Sanders and fellow quarterback Dru Brown were making progress but not yet ready to take the reins of the offense.
The on-field results last week, a nd t he opi ni ons of first- hand witnesses, have been a r esounding affirmation that Sanders i s a s i gnif i cantly better overall quarterback now than he was a year ago.
“It's an insane amount o f g r o w t h , ” r e d s h i r t freshman offensive linem a n B r y c e B r a y s a i d . “I know a l ot of people wanted him t o play l ast y e a r , b u t I ' m s o h a p p y that he had that year.
“I s e r i o u s l y t h o u g h t t h a t h e c o u l d p l a y l a s t year, t oo, but t hi s year it's hands down, I'm glad he got that extra year.”