The Cowboys have better players on the field, more capable players on the bench and players now understand the system Gundy wants to run.

It is a matter of making that progress translate to more victories on the field.

"I think we're better,' said Gundy.

OSU concluded its spring practice on Saturday, a spring game that really didn't show much or give us much clue to next fall.

Spring games never do that.

The Orange beat the White, 9-7, at Boone Pickens Stadium. Zac Robinson threw just 21 passes and Kendall Hunter ran just 11 times.

That's plenty of work for an offense that figures to be among the nation's most efficient once again this fall.

The game was simply the end of five weeks of practice that will hopefully propel the Cowboys into a more enjoyable fall.

The Cowboys have some simple needs and far more answers than they've had in recent years.

Yes, there are some new offensive coaches and some fresh faces.

But, OSU has the most important thing any team can have - an experienced quarterback that has been very suc cessful.

Plus, the Cowboys probably have more offensive weapons than at any time since OSU went to the Cotton Bowl five years ago.

Putting those pieces together is important but not an immediate concern in

"We have some good young players that haven't played a lot yet," Gundy said.

This spring was about depth and defense.

Those things aren't very sexy. To be honest, fans don't come out to see how deep a team is or if the defense can make dramatic improvement.

Yet, those two things are probably the difference between another mediocre season or a stunning breakout in the Big 12 Conference.

"It is really hard to predict how much better we are until we start playing next fall," Gundy said.

Much has been written and said about Gundy over his first three seasons. Little question he has made some news that he and OSU probably wish he had not made.

Still, he has not wavered in his approach to building the football program at Oklahoma State.

This is not basketball. Football programs, especially those in major conferences such as the Big 12, can take years to become consistent winners.

Turnarounds did not happen overnight at Missouri or Kansas.

So, OSU fans have been patient with their young and sometimes emotional coach.

However, there's little question Oklahoma State would like to see more tangible evidence of the turnaround this season.

The Cowboys, 7-6 the past two seasons with two bowl victories, have been close to so much more. They've also been close to an aboslute disaster.

The difference between winning and losing for OSU has been ever so slight.

OSU could've, would've and should've beaten Texas A&M and Texas a year ago, two games the Cowboys threw away at the end.

Those victories would have put OSU in a much higher-profile bowl game and may have propelled State in late-season showdowns with Kansas and Oklahoma.

This season will present a new series of challenges but the Cowboys should expect more. The defense should be better and that is essential to improvement.

"It was really exciting to watch our defense and see young guys getting pressure on the quarterbacks," Gundy said. "We haven't seen that around here in a few years."

Last season OSU opened at national-contender Georgia with a quarterback that would be on the bench within the month.

This season the Cowboys will open again on the road but should be good enough to have a realistic chance in Seattle against Washington State.

After the opener, OSU comes home for four straight home games - Houston, Missouri State, Troy and Texas A&M.

Defensive improvement in the spring must be evident in the fall.