OSU football notebook: All hands on deck
BY JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Friday, August 31, 2012
8/31/12 at 3:14 AM
When Oklahoma State produced an updated depth chart for a season opener against Savannah State, the names of three first-year freshmen receivers (Austin Hays, Blake Webb, C.J. Curry) were on it.
Could more than three freshmen receivers log playing time for the Cowboys this season?
"It's possible," inside receivers coach Doug Meacham said.
Meacham indicated OSU has more than three freshmen receivers who are capable of contributing, but the Cowboys would like to redshirt some of them.
"Once we get around to game five, we are probably going to hang onto guys we are trying to redshirt," he said. "But early on we are trying to train them all because we have several guys that can do it. Some of them are a little bit ahead of the others maturity-wise and physically."
They've got his back: History suggests the Cowboys will do a good job of protecting freshman quarterback Wes Lunt.
Brandon Weeden was sacked only 12 times during his senior season, including twice in the last six games.
OSU enters the 2012 season with a five-year streak of ranking among the nation's top 17 teams in the category of fewest sacks allowed.
Chemistry lesson: Mike Gundy was asked about the importance of team chemistry. Said the coach, "We had a departure of some key guys. When you lose key guys, you kind of have to create a new identity and it's very important for them to want to practice and want to play and do things for each other. If you play selfish football, you can't win very many games. You are not going to be very successful. It plays a huge role."
Gundy said there are four or five or six teams in college football that are more talented than everybody else.
"Then you are going to have 30 or 40 teams that are all the same. Their success, in my opinion, is based on their chemistry and their discipline."
Turnabout: OSU's first-team linebackers (Caleb Lavey, Shaun Lewis, Alex Elkins) enter this season with 44 career starts. They entered the 2011 season with six career starts, all by Lewis.
