'Good For The Fans, Good For The State:' OSU Coach Mike Gundy Looks Ahead To Matchup With Tulsa

OSU head coach Mike Gundy met with the media Monday in Stillwater to discuss Oklahoma State’s comeback win over Arkansas and the non-conference finale at Tulsa.

Here are some of his comments:

Head Coach Mike Gundy

On the comeback against Arkansas:

"They did a better job of preparing during the week, which allowed them to have free access to us for a quarter-and-a-half. Then, we did a really good job in the second half and made really good adjustments, players didn't flinch, coordinators called good plays in the second half and we were fortunate to get out of there with a win."

On Obi Ezeigbo’s performance:

"What he did was really compete. He got put to the test with an extended number of plays that he really hadn't had at this level, so it is different for him. I was proud of him and shared that with the staff. He actually played better than I thought he would, which can ultimately be the case a lot of times; We don't really know how good a young man can play until he gets in there. So, he's got a lot of work ahead of him, but I'm certainly glad we have him."

On bouncing back from high-emotion games:

“The sixth- and seventh-year guys that you’re talking about, they should understand that’s one advantage that we have. They’ve been here so long, or they’ve played for so long, they know what it takes. What my message has always been to them is that college football is unique because it’s a one-week season. It started yesterday, and then Tulsa ends Saturday after the game. Whoever we play next starts then, and it ends after that game. You have to recondition physically and mentally. You have to hydrate, eat food, sleep, study. You have to do the same things to maximize yourself each week. If you’re not mature enough to understand that, then you’re going to struggle.”

On Nick Martin:

“Nick plays so hard, it’s crazy. He set a record on Catapult. He was 857 on the player load in Catapult, we’ve never even had anybody over 800. Most guys that play hard float around 620 to 690… When you have a guy like him running around making plays, you’re always going to feel good about it because he shows up out of nowhere. He did it a number of times in the latter part of the fourth quarter and overtime.”