Dillon Stoner will hold onto punt return job
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was pleased with the performance of Dillon Stoner as the punt returner against Texas, and the redshirt freshman receiver will remain in the role this week.
Facing one of the nation’s top punters in Michael Dickson, who averaged over 50 yards on 11 punts against the Cowboys, Stoner mishandled only one kick, falling on it immediately.
“We don’t ever want to bobble a punt, but — everybody out there’s probably gonna drop their jaw on this one — I thought he did a great job,” Gundy said. “That guy punted the ball so high ... and he did it multiple times.
“He’s an Australian kicker, where he kicks a little bit to the side, so you don’t get a pure rotation on the ball. That is not easy to catch one of those.”
And it’s a difficult situation to replicate in practice.
“That guy could just boom it,” Stoner said. “There was one time he was punting into the wind and I was at 50 yards, and it went 15 yards over my head. You can’t prepare or replicate those scenarios. The coaches did a great job getting me ready to go, and I felt comfortable back there.”
Stoner took over the punt return job a week earlier against Baylor after regular return man Jalen McCleskey muffed a punt.
Richards gives out free cereal to celebrate interception
Earlier this year, Ramon Richards witnessed the Oklahoma State Young Life organization hosting a free cereal bar on campus.
The OSU defensive back liked the event so much, he promised the group that he would hold his own free cereal bar each time he made an interception.
Monday morning, two days after his game-clinching interception — and first of the season — in the 13-10 overtime victory against Texas, Richards was in front of the OSU library, dishing out cereal to anyone who stopped by.
Always one to please the fans, Richards showed up Monday with several options at his cereal bar.
“It’s big bags of various cereals,” Richards said. “Everyone has their own flavor that they like, so I keep that in mind. Now I have a better idea of what everybody likes, so next time I get an interception, I’ll know what to buy more of.”
Quotable
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen on OSU quarterback Mason Rudolph:
“We’ve been competing against this guy for four years in a row now, it seems like. Mason’s really mature, just a big tall goodlooking dude. Throws the ball extremely well. He has great knowledge of their offense, has a really good relationship with one of the best receiving corps in college football.”