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snuffy
07-27-2009, 04:53 PM
OSU still embarrased by bowl game

July 27, 2009 6:02 PM
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/big12/0-11-97/OSU-still-embarrased-by-bowl-game.html

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

IRVING, Texas -- Watching the video of the Holiday Bowl isn't a very pleasant for Oklahoma State linebacker Andre Sexton or many of his teammates.

The Cowboys still cringe when they watch Oregon charge through them in the second half to claim a 42-31 comeback victory, ripping though their defense for 307 rushing yards and 7.7 yards per carry as the Ducks charged back from a 10-point halftime deficit.

"It really was embarrasing," Oklahoma State linebacker Andre Sexton said. "It really was embarrasing because that quarterback (Oregon's Jeremiah Masoli) made our players look like they had never made a tackle before. That was pretty sad."

But that disappointment helped spur a tougher attitude for the Cowboys all spring. Sexton said that late collapse has spurred them throughout their workouts.

"You get back to the fundamentals of tackling," Sexton said. "You've got to take away what you can and continue to grow and get motivated for the next season. It's been emphasized every day during spring ball. We've gotten back to smash-mouth football -- the roots of good hard-nosed football."

OSU coach Mike Gundy said that having another team dominate his team late in the game brought a significant attitude change for his team.

"What happened to us against Oregon is they hit harder than we did and were tougher than we were in the fourth quarter," Gundy said. "Up front they beat us on both sides of the ball. As a staff we were very disappointed in ourselves in our preparation. And our players were disappointed they outhit us in the fourth quarter."

That game has sparked a point of emphasis for the Cowboys over the last several months.

"I was a quarterback, but I always played with Pat Jones," Gundy said. "Toughness and discipline and structure and being hard-nosed is important to me. That's not been an issue of us being outhit most times. We've been a tough football team, but we weren't in that football game."

One OSU player who Gundy can't fault in that game was OSU quarterback Zac Robinson, who sustained a separated shoulder early in the third quarter but remained in the game.

"I threw about 50 in the game and probably 20 of them came after the injury," Robinson said. "It hurt every time and I had no arm strength. My arm was done after that. I could throw it 35 yards, but it didn't have much zip on it."

Despite the injury, Robinson was determined to remain in the game and was there until the end as he threw a career-high 50 passes.

"I just kept struggling through it and telling them I was fine," Robinson said, chuckling.

CaliforniaCowboy
07-27-2009, 05:37 PM
"I just kept struggling through it and telling them I was fine," Robinson said, chuckling.

Thanks Zac, that really helped.

Geesh, that pisses me off.

FalseGod
07-27-2009, 07:49 PM
I agree that sometimes athletes push themselves too hard when even an inexperienced backup could give the team a better chance of winning.

Pokit N
07-27-2009, 08:22 PM
Most Athlete's will want to stay in, the coaches have to know when to pull them..

Erick
07-27-2009, 08:29 PM
"You get back to the fundamentals of tackling," Sexton said. "You've got to take away what you can and continue to grow and get motivated for the next season. It's been emphasized every day during spring ball. We've gotten back to smash-mouth football -- the roots of good hard-nosed football."


Quote of the century!

Also, I don't know why you are dogging on Zac, Cali. He had the grit and gut to play through the pain. If the Coaches thought he should have been replaced, they would have.

wood911
07-27-2009, 08:40 PM
I agree that sometimes athletes push themselves too hard when even an inexperienced backup could give the team a better chance of winning.
It was obvious Zac had problems throwing, the coaches should have made the call and got him out of there. If they were not going to take him out, they should have stopped passing because he was missing wide open receivers.
Life goes on but we better pray for Zac's health this year.,

illinipoke
07-27-2009, 08:44 PM
Quote of the century!

Also, I don't know why you are dogging on Zac, Cali. He had the grit and gut to play through the pain. If the Coaches thought he should have been replaced, they would have.

I agree. A player shouldn't be ripped on for being tuff and staying in the game while he's hurt. I'll take guys like that on my team anyday.

JimBob
07-27-2009, 09:19 PM
Most Athlete's will want to stay in, the coaches have to know when to pull them..

There's a very fine line between stayin' in, and pullin' it.:D

CaliforniaCowboy
07-27-2009, 10:56 PM
I agree. A player shouldn't be ripped on for being tuff and staying in the game while he's hurt. I'll take guys like that on my team anyday.

I wasn't ripping on him for wanting to stay in, I said it pisses me off.

Sure you want guys with grit, but a QB that can't throw is a liability. A CB that can't run is a liability. No matter how gritty they are.

Gundy said at the time, that Zac had done enough during the season that he "deserved" to remain in the game.... Clearly Gundy was not that interested in just getting a win, but had something else in mind.

It still pisses me off.

OKState918
07-27-2009, 11:10 PM
It still pisses me off.

It still pisses you off that Gundy and the Cowboy coaching staff didn't have another quarterback they felt could do the job as well as Robinson...?

FalseGod
07-28-2009, 12:30 AM
There has to be a threshold where you have a better chance of winning with a lesser player rather than an injured player. At some point your chances are better without the starter. What we do not know is where that level was for our team in the bowl game. If it was past that point, then Zac should have sat and let someone who has a better shot at winning the game come in. If they weren't there yet, then he should have stayed in the game.

Those are judgment calls that the team has to make. It is a tough thing for some people to do because pride/selfishness can often times get in the way, but I personally think that is something a leader has to do too, sacrifice personal glory for the good of the team.

Vulgar Display of Orange
07-28-2009, 07:13 AM
Zac wasn't the one missing tackles. It's amazing how many games you win when your defense is fundamentally sound. The Ducks ran all over us in the 2nd half which had nothing to do with Zac.

WyomingOSUAlum
07-28-2009, 08:20 AM
Yeah, Masoli was a bowling ball and our secondary were the pins. That was UGLY.

wood911
07-28-2009, 08:58 AM
Zac wasn't the one missing tackles. It's amazing how many games you win when your defense is fundamentally sound. The Ducks ran all over us in the 2nd half which had nothing to do with Zac.

Absolutely correct but we quit scoring also, which did have something to do with Zac's health. We just need to BEAT GEORGIA and all will be forgotten.:food-smiley-004:

CaliforniaCowboy
07-28-2009, 11:13 AM
It still pisses you off that Gundy and the Cowboy coaching staff didn't have another quarterback they felt could do the job as well as Robinson...?


If that is true (which I sincerely doubt), then yes, that pisses me off.

... but that's not what Gundy said. He did not say we thought he gave us the best chance to win, he said they thought he deserved the chance to see if he could win it for us, based on his contributions throughout the season.

CaliforniaCowboy
07-28-2009, 11:14 AM
Zac wasn't the one missing tackles. .

but he was the one missing receivers.

jbug
07-28-2009, 03:08 PM
The Lost almost totally belongs on coach's shoulders. He knew Zac was hurt and let it continue to go on just hoping 'it would get better/go away'. It cost us the game. I just hope Gundy learned a very valuble lesson.

Verb
07-28-2009, 03:17 PM
The field was in absolutely terrible condition--big mud puddles, torn up spots, areas with no grass. I don't think a natural turf field needs to be having two games in one week.

(Not saying that had anything to do with the outcome--after all, both teams played on the same field. But it certainly did tick me off to see the shape it was in.)

Vulgar Display of Orange
07-28-2009, 03:30 PM
I think the weather was just too nice for us to win.

JimBob
07-28-2009, 04:05 PM
The Lost almost totally belongs on coach's shoulders. He knew Zac was hurt and let it continue to go on just hoping 'it would get better/go away'. It cost us the game. I just hope Gundy learned a very valuble lesson.

Doubtful.

Lewis the Pike
07-28-2009, 05:30 PM
A college team in Oklahoma embarassed after a bowl game???


WHEN HAS THAT HAPPENED?!?!?!? ;)

Lewis the Pike
07-28-2009, 05:32 PM
seriously I think Oregon was good at running through our tackles. They seemed to play with more urgency, and the fact that we never established a second WR threat after Dez was revealed.

Nasty Nate
07-29-2009, 07:24 PM
Strangely, I agree with Cali 100% on this issue.

Poke John I
07-30-2009, 10:29 AM
Hind-sight is always 20/20. The way some of you whinners are thinking then Les Miles should have pulled Josh Field after he dislocated his thumb and put Pogi back it. Les left Josh Fields it because he wanted to stay in, injury or not, and it worked out for us that time.

Zak was the same, he wanted to stay it. Our main problem with the Oregon game was not Zak, Dez, or no-Kendal but it was piss-poor tackling. Andre Sexton is right.

bleedorange
07-30-2009, 11:56 AM
Hind-sight is always 20/20. The way some of you whinners are thinking then Les Miles should have pulled Josh Field after he dislocated his thumb and put Pogi back it. Les left Josh Fields it because he wanted to stay in, injury or not, and it worked out for us that time.

Zak was the same, he wanted to stay it. Our main problem with the Oregon game was not Zak, Dez, or no-Kendal but it was piss-poor tackling. Andre Sexton is right.

Regardless of who or what was responsible for us losing that game, the comparison of Fields to Zac ARE NOT similar. Fields was still producing after he injured his thumb. Zac's throwing accuracy and mobility went to ZERO after his injury. It clearly was a detriment to his performance whereas in Fields case, it was not.