Mike Gundy Takes Responsibility for Oklahoma State’s Blowout Loss to Oregon
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy took full responsibility for his team’s 69-3 defeat to Oregon on Saturday, acknowledging that the Cowboys were outclassed both offensively and defensively, surrendering 631 yards to the Ducks.
The loss drops Oklahoma State to a 1-1 record early in the season, and Gundy shared the message he delivered to his players after the lopsided defeat.
“I told the team I didn’t do a good job of getting them in the right positions,” Gundy said in his postgame remarks. “We overcomplicated things in all three phases. We tried to do too much on offense and defense, and as a result, we couldn’t execute anything. That’s on me. The players did their best, but Oregon is a great team, and we just didn’t get the job done.”
By the end of the first quarter, Oklahoma State was already down 20-0, and Gundy admitted they were in a “catch-up” mode from that point onward.
Looking ahead, Gundy plans to simplify things for his team, focusing on executing the fundamentals. This includes being in the right position for blocks, gap assignments, and tackles on defense, as well as establishing a strong run game to set up the passing attack.
Despite the overall loss, the Cowboys did show some success on the ground, accumulating 144 rushing yards. Kalib Hicks led the team with 63 yards on 14 carries, and Trent Howland added 31 yards on six carries.
However, Oklahoma State averaged just 3.4 yards per carry on 42 rushes. Quarterback Zane Flores finished with only 67 passing yards and two interceptions.
“We got to a point where we were so far behind that we were grasping at straws,” Gundy said. “The good news is, this was just one game. I’ll take responsibility for it, but the players need to come back tomorrow and get back to work. We’ll review the tape, and the coaches will take responsibility, too. With an open week ahead, we’ve got a chance for four solid practice days to get back into a routine and prepare for Tulsa.”
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