Sanders has `grown as a leader.' How will he handle first Bedlam?
NORMAN—Spencer Sanders has been in the minds of Oklahoma State football fans for years.
Some began tracking him before he even committed to the Cowboys during his junior year at Denton (Texas) Ryan High School.
Others came along afterward, and even more fans became enamored with him when he arrived on campus in Still water in the fall of 2018.
Now, in November of 2020, it feels like Sanders has been a Cowboy much longer than he actually has.
Saturday's Bedlam contest will mark the redshirt sophomore's 15th career start. And two of those starts, he didn' t finish, because of injury, including the Tulsa game this year in which he was out after the Cowboys' second possession.
When No. 14 Oklahoma State kicks off against No. 18 OU at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on Owen Field, it will be Sanders' first Bedlam game.
He was red shirt in gin 2018, and was out with an injury last season.
For a player whose emotions run high, it will be important for Sanders to stay in a manageable range on Saturday.
“I feel really good about where Spencer is with his composure ,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said .“He' s turned a (180) from where he was at this time last year. The positive about Spencer is he's ultra-competitive. He's not scared. He'll compete. He fights right to the end.
“We needed him to adjust his composure some when things didn't go well. Quarterbacks have to have short-term memories. Most of the time, things go well. Sometimes, t hi ngs don't go well. You gotta get over it really quick, you gotta be composed. He's much better this year than he was last year at this time.”
Sanders' overall development has been visible to his teammates as well.
“With experience and reps, you get smarter with the ball,” senior center Ry Schneider said. “Some of his reads have gotten better, and overall, he's grown as a leader.”
Not only has Sanders dealt with injuries that caused him to miss most of six games the last two seasons, he lost out on spring practice last March because of COVID19. That would have been his first intense work with new offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and quarterback coach Tim Rattay.
So Sanders' chances to further his development have hit dead-ends at crucial times during his career.
Against Texas three weeks ago, Sanders had a flare-up of the turnover issues that plagued him last season, but Gundy brushed those off after reviewing the tape. Though the offense was slow to get going the following week at Kansas State, Sanders protected the ball well.
In what is expected to be a tightly contested matchup on Saturday, taking care of the ball will be paramount. Sanders will also be playing behind an offensive line that has been battered by injuries, and struggled to find a rhythm with players having to change positions throughout the year.
Still, expect the ultracompetitive side of Sanders to show up on Saturday.
“Obviously, he was a hell of a player in high school,” senior receiver Dillon Stoner said. “There was a bit of a learning curve here, as there is for everyone, but especially at quarterback. But to watch him get more and more comfortable over the years, and the game start to slow down for him has been fun to see.”
The key on Saturday will be preventing the magnitude of the matchup from overwhelming Sanders' emotional side.
“You hope that you have a lot of good plays, but you're gonna have some tough plays when you' re competing against good football teams,” Gundy said. “He's done a really good job this year of staying composed, and I wouldn't expect anything else from him.”