Heart of Dallas Bowl update: Curfews and possible bulletin board material
Published: 12/31/2012 9:26 AM
Last Modified: 12/31/2012 9:26 AM
Checking in from the Heart of Dallas Bowl, where Oklahoma State will face Purdue on Jan. 1 at the Cotton Bowl:
--No news has been good news for the Cowboys and Boilermakers. Translated, that means nobody (at least as far as we know) has done something to merit being suspended or sent home from the bowl site.
The subject came up during Purdue’s post-practice media availability session Sunday when interim coach Patrick Higgins was asked if his players had a curfew.
“The curfew is going to get a little earlier tonight because tonight is a big rest night and then tomorrow once meetings are done they are in their rooms,” he said. “Thank you good Lord, but we haven’t had any problems so far and they have handled the situation very well.”
Mike Gundy and his players were off-limits Sunday, but the coach was asked about player behavior in an earlier media session.
“It starts after you play your last game, because they have more free time than they had during the season,” he said. “Everybody’s different. For our guys, they know if there’s an issue they won’t play in the game. We talk to them every day... We’ve had it happen. We’ve had to suspend guys (in the past) for the game and send guys home. It’s the most difficult aspect of being a head coach, but it’s kind of the way it is.”
Bottom line? Gundy said players have to make good decisions or they don’t get to play in the game.
--The Heart of Dallas Bowl has been flying under the radar in the Dallas media market. I couldn’t find a sentence about the game in Saturday or Sunday editions of the Dallas Morning News. There are two stories on page three of today’s sports section. One headline reads “Purdue’s happy to be here.” The other headline says “Nothing can stop OSU offense.” Think that one will wind up on a Purdue bulletin board?
--Purdue receiver Antavian Edison was asked about possible keys to victory for his team. He said it all boils down to the Boilermakers “playing our ballgame because I know we are more than capable of coming out with a W.”
I asked Edison what he meant when he used the words “playing our ballgame.” That’s a generic term used by players on many teams, but I wondered what it meant in regard to the Boilermakers.
“Just laid back,” he said. “I can’t say the exact words that we use. Just lay back and let everything hang. No tight butts or anything like that right now.”
--Coaches and players from both teams will meet the media in a noon press conference at the Cotton Bowl. It’s the first and only official pre-bowl press conference. OSU is expected to be represented by Gundy, running back Joseph Randle, punter/kicker Quinn Sharp, defensive end Cooper Bassett and offensive lineman Lane Taylor.
Written by
Jimmie Tramel
Sports Writer
